Polperro Winery – A Boutique Winery in Mornington Peninsula

Feb 02, 25 Polperro Winery – A Boutique Winery in Mornington Peninsula

The Mornington Peninsula, a picturesque maritime wine region south of Melbourne, Australia, is celebrated for its elegant, cool-climate wines.

A Mornington Peninsula vineyard

I was visiting Melbourne this past January and visiting the vineyards of Mornington Peninsula was a top priority. That and laying on beach!

Melbourne is only about an hours drive from the vineyards so it’s an easy half day trip, if so desired. I however, was lucky enough to be staying with friends on the Peninsula. I was based in Rosebud, one of many seaside towns that are scattered along the Peninsula and a short 15 minute drive to the vineyards.

While vines were first planted in the region in 1886, the modern era of winemaking truly began in the 1970s. The Peninsula’s unique terroir, with its moderate temperatures, even rainfall, and diverse soils, creates an ideal environment for producing cool climate wines of a high caliber .

Polperro & Even Keel locations

This region is particularly renowned for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which showcase the region’s cool-climate characteristics with their vibrant fruit flavors and balanced structure. The region is known for its red soils which are derived from ancient basaltic lava flows and are known for their deep red color and excellent drainage. Other notable varieties include Pinot Gris, Shiraz, and some emerging experimental varieties such as Fiano and Tempranillo.

Polperro Winery is one such winery that is experimenting with these varieties. The winery is located in the Red Hill sub region and while Polperro sounds Italian, it’s named after a small village on the Cornish coast in England.

We didn’t have a reservation for Polperro but they are very welcoming. The tasting room is quite small but the tastings are on-going so you can join in on the tasting at any time.

The host will circle back to whatever wines you missed. As an added bonus she also let us try bottles that were not included in the tasting (cost for the tasting – a very reasonable $20 Aus dollars).

Fiano is not very well known outside of Italy, let alone Australia but at Polperro they have produced a fresh, dry wine with ripe stone fruit and lovely texture on the palate and a long salty finish. It’s made by their sister winery Even Keel but the vines are in Mornington Peninsula.

We were also treated to the delicious, intense Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays of the winery . They also produce as an excellent Pinot Gris and a dry, medium textured rose which beats Provence any day!

There are over 50 cellar doors in the region which makes it hard to choose! I was able to make a few appointments from London before I arrived in Australia but the cellar doors are so well set up that it’s easy to walk in for a tasting or meal. The only downside to many of the cellar doors is that they only serve set lunches or dinners. While that is nice if you want a full meal, I prefer to have nibbles with my wine if I’m on a wine tasting tour.

in the restaurant, surrounded by vines

Polperro’s on-site restaurant serves an a la carte menu and overlooks the vines. The cellar door is very well set up and worth a visit. Polperro wines are available in the UK from independent wine shops. They are certainly worth seeking out.

Other cellar doors that we visited while I was in Mornington Peninsula included Paringa Estate, Ocean Eight,10 Minutes by Tractor, Pier 10, Foxeys Hangout, and Point Leo Estate with it’s stunning Sculpture Park. There were so many others I wanted to visit but that’s for next time!

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