DG 30 - November 2015 * | Page 17

ustralia Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula offers a vineyard haven for golfers. Andrew Marshall experiences golf among the grapes. “I’ve got something I really want you to try,” says Red Hill Estate’s resident winemaker as he strides purposefully down a row of wine barrels behind the cellar door. With evident delight he draws some wine from a barrel and pours the golden liquid into a glass. “Ripe, multi-layered, complex, focused without being broad,” he enthuses, warming to his topic as he holds the glass up to the light. “But the wine speaks more articulately than I do.” Text: Andrew Marshall Photos: Visit Mornington Peninsula Tourism Red Hill Estate typifies a large number of enthusiastic wine growers clustered on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula situated only one hour’s drive from Melbourne. Dozens of vineyards such as Willow Creek, Dromana and Paringa Estate are set against a backdrop of stunning rural landscapes and rugged coastlines. From classic grape varieties such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon to Merlot and Shiraz, it’s an area where some of Australia’s finest cool climate wines are produced. But it’s not just the grape that reigns supreme here. There is Volume 3 • Issue 30 17