peninsulawine country Lindenderry The onset of winter sees crisp, cool days on the Peninsula and a time when our intimacy with wine and winemaking deepens.
Autumn means vintage - the best time of year to visit a winery allowing sensory engagement with wild scents and sounds.
The cap of rich, fermenting wine is punched down, the natural yeasts are transforming sugar into alcohol and it s all taking place in front of you day by day.
Oak barrels are filled carefully and Friends of the MP Vignerons stored in the cool, dark barrel cellars for many months gaining complexity.
To get the real flavour and excitement of vintage, look out for cellar doors where the winery is close by allowing you the chance to taste the must - the just-crushed grapes, prior to going through fermentation.
Away from the beach, the Peninsula s farms see autumn fruits like pears, apples and figs ripening and mushrooms which lie in abundance ready for a roadside forage and an omelet feast.
As winter descends, and it is bracing outside, we instinctively look for the warmth of an open fire and spending more quality time enjoying fine food and wine with friends.
The Peninsula adopts a slower and friendlier pace.
Many cellar doors offer a fireplace, a selection of red wines and a menu with food like tapas, shared platters, wood fired pizza and local cheeses.
There are so many great places to visit you are guaranteed to be inspired by the experience.
-Arthur O'Bryan it is quite a unique group possibly being the only one of its kind in Australia and vignerons from other regions have been heard to say that they wish they too had their own fan club .
Besides the regular social activity some members enjoy hands on involvement by volunteering to pick grapes and each year the FMPV volunteers assist with the Winter Wine Weekend exhibition at Red Hill.
The FMPV also presents an annual Award for Excellence to a vigneron in recognition of their contribution to quality winemaking, enhancement of MP wines and development.
The growth of the wine industry on the MP over the last ten years has resulted in some eighty cellar doors which certainly provides scope for FMPV members to continue tasting all the wonderful MP wines.
People interested in finding out more about the FMPV activities may contact the President Graeme Buckley on 9787 9616.
Cellar Door Tastings 9-5 Daily Merricks General Wine Store 3460 Frankston Flinders Rd Merricks 03 5989 8088 Elgee Park Vineyard by appointment only 24 Junction Rd, Merricks North 03 5989 7338 www.elgeeparkwines.com.au 2011 INTERNATIONAL COOL CLIMATE WINE SHOW Elgee Park Family Reserve Chardonnay 2009 Best Wine of the Show Best White Wine of the Show Best Chardonnay INDULGE IN OUR SPANISH STYLE SUNDAY LUNCH FOR JUST 50pp.
OR 36.50 EUR FOR OUR SPANISH FRIENDS Why not take your taste buds on a little trip this Sunday Head to Lindenderry at Red Hill and indulge in our delicious 5 course lunch inspired by the regional cuisines of Spain.
After lunch, take a stroll through the European style gardens and pop in to the Cellar Door to sample our award winning wines.
After all that, it just might be the perfect time for a siesta on the lawn.
The Friends of the Mornington Peninsula Vignerons FMPV is a social group of food and winelovers who get together at regular intervals for informal functions with the focus on Mornington Peninsula MP wines and vineyards and to support MP vignerons.
The functions are, where possible, held at the wineries vineyards and include barbecues, tastings including comparative tastings with other cool climate wine regions , winery tours and the Annual Dinner where carefully aged wines from the FMPV's cellar are partaken with much delight.
Also from time to time cameo sessions are arranged for special interest wine related topics .
The FMPV was established some twenty two years ago by a group of wine lovers who were helping some of the early winegrowers and eventually decided to formalise the group into an identifiable entity.
Known generally as the FMPV or by the vignerons as the Friends 142 Arthurs Seat Rd, Red Hill Tel 61 3 5989 2933 Mel Ref 190 K4 www.lindenderry.com.au www.gdlife.com.au 77