WANT TO BE HAPPY? BUY EXPERIENCES!

Research shows that experiences bring people more happiness than do possessions and spending money on experiences is more likely to bring lasting happiness than spending money on material goods.  People don't get sick of memories. On the contrary, they make people happier as time goes by. A day galavanting about exploring Mornington Peninsula wine will bring joyous memories long after that new gold bracelet is lost in the back of your jewellery drawer.

Plunge Wine Tours go way beyond a cellar door crawl as owner, Arthur fills your day with stories, hijinks and laughter. Wine tastings become a one-on-one with the winemaker, a farmgate visit becomes a behind-the-scenes experience and lunch becomes an inspired regional feast enjoyed with local wines. 

At Jackalope, Arthur visits his winemaker wife, Geraldine McFaul in her barrel room to taste wines of distinct providence.  Up the road, Moorooduc Estate unleash fragrant, wild yeast fermented Chardonnay and around the corner Quealy Winery pour organic wines bursting with flavour and personality.

Your day starts picnicking beside the lapping shores of Western Port Bay where you share local wines, regional cheese and other treats. Here on Pt Leo Beach, you can hitch up your skirt or roll your trousers up and sip a crisp Sparkling Blanc de Blanc while splashing about in the shallows. A chance sighting of dolphins may push a Prancing Horse Estate Pinot Noir tasting into second place for the day’s most memorable experience.

Arthur's winemaking friends are willing to take the extra step with a tasting experience and all they want in return is for people to appreciate what effort goes into their wines.  

The focus is getting you to the heart and soul of the region, meeting artisans, dropping by private cellars and picking up a cache of the best local wines.

The tour provides far greater insight to the land, its produce and its people.  All you have to do is commit to shedding your work-day skin and become a curious traveller again- running the full gamut of emotions and experiences. A day out like this will ultimately make you smarter and happier, so why spend your hard-earned on anything else?

Mornington Peninsula wine tours from melbourne

Our  Mornington Peninsula luxury wine tours offer a private day’s adventure and the cost is inclusive of everything.   The tour can begin in Melbourne where a Mercedes Benz Viano ferries you down the coast with a bowl of tasty local strawberries to calibrate your palate for the Pinot Noirs ahead. We then venture to a picnic table overlooking Western Port Bay and a regional feast of Prom Counrtry and Mornington Peninsula Main Ridge cheeses, local olives and a bottle of premium Elan Vineyard Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine.

Wine lovers enjoying a tasting in the privacy of the barrel room

Then it's onward to wine tastings amongst leading cellar doors across the Mornington Peninsula with vineyards planted in the warmer soils of Tuerong and Moorooduc. A two-course lunch with a glass of wine is at the bright and bubbly Merricks General Wine Store in a beachside setting with the buzz of a Parisian café and views over paddocks to the sea. 

Tasting wine at Willow Creek Vineyard

After lunch, we venture out for more fun, tasting wines in higher altitude Main Ridge and Red Hill where cooler vineyards are planted in the volcanic hillside creating wines of perfumed grace. We often meet winemakers along the way and finish with a complete door-to-door service.    

Tasting wines at Ocean Eight on a beautiful Summer day

Married to one of the region's best winemakers, (Geraldine McFaul was finalist Australian Winemaker of the Year in 2008 ), your host, Arthur O’Bryan’s career spans over twenty-five years marketing and writing about the local wine industry. This experience enables insight into the rich, textural wealth of the Peninsula’s finest wines. Curious? Plunge in...

Enjoying a fruity Rose in a Mornington Peninsula garden on a private Plunge Wine Tour

Mornington Peninsula Great Art and Wine Tour

This Mornington Peninsula Wine Tour includes a private tour of Point Leo Estate as featured in the Great Art and Wine tour which celebrates the region’s picturesque vineyards and fabulous sculpture collections. Just as Pinot Noir is at the centre of the Mornington Peninsula’s cellar doors, giant sculptures are at the centre of galleries and art spaces. With a love of wine and art, private tour groups are invited to taste wine and admire the outdoor art which constitutes the cultural narrative of the region.

Point Leo Estate

Owned by one of Australia's wealthiest familys, Pt Leo Estate is set on a sprawling grassy hill overlooking Western Port Bay. This curved concrete and stainless-steel building faces a huge expanse of ocean to the south with surrounding vineyard and an ornamental lake sloping to the north. The cellar door/restaurant building is dominated by floor-to-ceiling curved glass that allows natural light in with views of the surrounding sculptures. 

In the grounds are significant works by internationally acclaimed artists such as Inge King, Clement Meadmore, Anthony Pryor, Deborah Halpern and Lenton Parr. The permanent collection is displayed against a coastal backdrop. This really is an extraordinary place to wander around and contemplate the works while inside, the restaurant menu is full of local flavours. 

 A Mornington Peninsula Great Art and Wine Tour visits Pt Leo Estate and spends ample time exploring the sculptures which are the highlight of any gallery visit in the region. Works here capture the imagination and represent some of the best public art found anywhere in Australia. Sound exciting? Plunge in!