Mornington Peninsula
An Australian wine region located in the Port Phillip Zone of Victoria. It’s situated about 50 miles south of Melbourne on the peninsula that lies between the port Phillip Bay and Bass Strait, around the towns of Mornington and Red Hill. The surrounding waters make this a cool climate region and, not surprisingly, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the most widely planted and consistently successful varieties. Following these varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, shiraz (Syrah), Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Riesling. Although there have been scattered vineyards over the years, this region didn’t really start to blossom until the mid-1970s. Today, the Mornington Peninsula has almost 2000 vineyard acres and over thirty-five wineries, most of them small.
The New Wine Lovers Companion, 2nd Edition, by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Copyright © (1) 2003, 1995 by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational Series, Inc.