Tucked into the Mornington Peninsula hinterland, Red Hill and Main Ridge comprise a compact micro region that sustains sumptuous vineyards, restaurants, food stores, artisan producers and orchards.
Criss-crossing through Red Hill's gum tree-lined lanes and gentle rolling hillsides laced with vines and olive groves leads to encounters with local winemakers and food producers extolling the virtues of farm-to-table dining. Making a meal from the region's bounty is easy, thanks to locally made cheeses, beer, bread and an abundance of freshly picked vegetables and fruit. Pick your own strawberries from Sunny Ridge Strawberry farm and pluck cherries at roadside farms. The monthly Red Hill Market is famous for its tantalising range of high quality local produce.
Cellar doors are clustered together and winemakers work wonders with their patches of terroir. Travel between cellar doors and compare pinot noir, pinot gris and chardonnay, the regional specialties. A shuttle service or personalised wine tours are easy ways to tour wineries and their cellar door restaurants that showcase the superb local produce alongside the wines.
Several festivals held throughout the year exhibit the culinary richness of the region. The June Winter Wine Weekend keeps the cold at bay, and the International Cool Climate Wine Show in May puts the region on the world stage.
The rolling hills and valleys are home to a scattering of small galleries and workshops featuring impressive collections and regular exhibitions.
Red Hill is approximately 85 kilometres from Melbourne, or one hour and ten minutes by car along the M1 and Eastlink tollway.
