Mornington Peninsula (wine)

The Mornington Peninsula is an Australian wine region located south of Melbourne, Victoria. It is a cool climate region that focuses on Pinot noir production but has had success with other varietals including Chardonnay, Pinot gris and Tempranillo. The region is known for its medium bodied, dry wines and sparkling wines that show structure and complexity. The still wine versions of Chardonnay reflect a diversity of styles, all typically unoaked, from more citrus to more tropical fruit flavors.Geography and climateThe Peninsula features a benign maritime climate with an average vintage temperature of 20.2 °C (68.4 °F). Soils differ greatly across the region, ranging from sandy flatlands around Moorooduc and Tuerong, pale brown alluvial soils at Dromana on the northern coastline to the deep russet volcanic soils between Merricks and Balnarring and the south coast. The whole region sits between 25 and 250 metres and receives an average of 350mm rainfall during the growing season.HistoryThe first plantings were in 1886 when wine produced from fruit planted at Dromana won an honourable mention at the Intercontinental Exhibition. An 1891 Royal Commission on Fruit and Vegetables states there were six registered vineyards in the region. By the turn of the century, economic decline, the threat of phylloxera and changing palatal preference impacted considerably on cool climate viticulture in Australia and by the 1920s these vineyards had been abandoned. The next attempt came in the 1950s when Seppelt planted 100 acres (0.40 km2) in Dromana, however, this would be destroyed by bushfire in 1967. Continuous production in the region finally began in 1972 when vines were planted at Mornington. The first commercial winery opened at Main Ridge in 1978, its first fruit was picked in 1980.