Mornington Peninsula: Maze n’ Wine

The Mornington Peninsula is only about an hour’s drive south from Melbourne and has lots of beaches, wildlife, outdoor activities and its own wine region.  We had a day to explore the area over our long weekend celebrating the Queen’s 85th birthday.  Our first stop was to Ashcombe Maze and Lavender Gardens.  Complete with a fairy and gnome hunt, it was a great place even in winter.

 The garden’s cafe offers local wines, but drinking a bottle before trying your luck in the mazes would give you an entirely different experience than ours.  We headed out into the vineyards to try our luck with 2 toddlers at a cellar door tasting.  Our first stop was Stonier Winery.  It was crowded because A) there was a large wine event the day before and B) because they had a “pies and pinots” lunch event.  However, I saw a playground and other children running around and knew it was for us.  A playground at a winery?!?  Genius.  Inside proved no less surprising with a toy bin and couches in the corner.  Stonier was an excellent experience but we needed to move on before our luck ran out.  Our last and final stop for the day was up to Moorooduc Estate.  While they didn’t have a playground or toy bin to dig through, we thoroughly enjoyed the wood-fired pizzas and relaxed outdoor atmosphere.

 

If you are looking for a great Chardonnay or Pinot Noir look toward the Mornington Peninsula wineries of Australia.  We will be back for more peninsula experiences and of course, for more wine and playgrounds.