The Mornington Peninsula sits about an hour’s drive south-east of Melbourne, and its cool maritime climate makes it one of Victoria’s finest spots for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. With over 50 wineries across the region, choosing a tour matters as much as choosing the wine. Here are six wine tasting tours worth booking, from fully private door-to-door experiences to small-group cellar-door adventures.

1. Red Carpet Wine Tours — Private, Door-to-Door from Melbourne

Red Carpet Wine Tours runs fully private, personalised wine tours on the Mornington Peninsula, with door-to-door pickup from Melbourne included. You share the vehicle only with your own group, so the pace is yours to set and the wineries on the itinerary reflect what you actually want to taste.

The tour is built around you. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, planning a hens day, or just want a relaxed day out with friends, Red Carpet Wine Tours adjusts the schedule to suit the group. That might mean spending longer at a cellar door that catches your eye or adding a gourmet lunch stop without feeling rushed by a larger group’s timetable.

Because it’s private, the experience works especially well for special occasions. There’s no awkward mingling with strangers and no fixed commentary on repeat. The guide’s attention stays on your group the whole day.

One thing to note: because the tour is fully private and includes Melbourne pickup, pricing reflects that level of service. If you’re a solo traveller on a tight budget looking to join a group, another option below may suit better. But for two people or more celebrating something meaningful, the per-person cost compared to booking transport, tastings, and lunch separately often stacks up in your favour.

2. Amour of the Grape — Small Group Cellar Door Tours

Amour of the Grape runs small-group wine tours on the Mornington Peninsula with a maximum of eleven guests per tour. Groups must be at least two people, which keeps the experience more intimate than a typical coach tour. The format includes a three-course lunch, a glass of wine with the meal, and visits to four or five cellar doors across the day.

Optional extras like cider, gin, local beer, cheese, and rum can be added to the tasting, which gives the day a bit more variety beyond wine alone. The guide can follow a set itinerary or take requests from the group, which adds some flexibility to what is still a shared-group format.

The Mornington Peninsula is particularly recognised for cool-climate varieties, and the cellar door experience is central to how most wineries here engage visitors. Amour of the Grape leans into that model well, with their guide known for being informative and genuinely enjoyable company.

The group size cap is a real advantage over big bus tours, but it does mean you’re sharing the day with people you haven’t met. If that doesn’t appeal, a fully private option like Red Carpet Wine Tours gives you more control over the group dynamic.

3. Explore Australia Tours — Wineries, Views and Lunch Included

Explore Australia Tours stops at three wineries across the day: Pt. Leo Estate, Rare Hare Wine & Food Store, and Montalto. The tour also takes in St. Andrews Beach Brewery and the panoramic views from Arthurs Seat, which adds a scenic dimension beyond the tasting rooms. Lunch and tastings are included in the price.

Pt. Leo Estate is one of the more well-known destinations on the peninsula, combining wine with an award-winning restaurant and an outdoor sculpture park. That combination of food, wine, and art in the one location is part of what makes the Mornington Peninsula distinct from other Victorian wine regions. The coastal proximity gives the wines a maritime character that you can genuinely taste in the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

The itinerary is fixed, which suits people who want the planning done for them. You know exactly where you’re going and what’s covered before you book. That predictability works well for first-time visitors to the peninsula who want to see a curated selection without having to research every cellar door themselves.

The trade-off is flexibility. If you’ve already visited one of the three stops or have a specific winery in mind that isn’t on the list, there’s no way to swap it out. That’s where a private tour has the edge for repeat visitors or people with specific preferences.

4. Epicurean Food and Wine Tours — Small Group with Two-Course Lunch

Epicurean Food and Wine Tours keeps groups to six guests, which makes it one of the smaller group formats available on the peninsula. The tour runs for approximately six hours and includes a two-course lunch with a glass of wine, plus visits to two wineries and tastings at each stop.

The small cap matters in practice. With six people at a cellar door, the tasting experience is more like a private booking than a tour group. Winery staff can give the group more direct attention, and conversations about the wine tend to go deeper than they do in larger settings.

The guides are described as local and friendly, which fits the tone of the peninsula generally. This isn’t a lecture-circuit style tour; it’s a relaxed day with people who know the region. For anyone interested in the food-and-wine pairing side of the experience, the two-course lunch element gives the tour a genuine hospitality feel rather than just a logistical stop between tastings.

The limitation here is group size in reverse: if you’re booking for more than six, Epicurean won’t fit your group in a single booking. You’d either need to split across two tours or look at a private operator that can scale to your number.

5. Mornington Peninsula Plunge Wine Tours — Private Weather-Dependent Adventure

Mornington Peninsula Plunge Wine Tours offers private tours of the region, which puts it in the same category as Red Carpet Wine Tours in terms of group exclusivity. The key caveat upfront: the tour is weather dependent, so conditions on the day can affect what runs and how it runs.

For a private experience, that’s worth factoring into your planning. If you’re booking for a special occasion with fixed dates, weather dependency adds a variable you can’t control. It’s worth checking cancellation and rebooking policies before you commit, particularly if you’re travelling from Melbourne specifically for the day.

The private format still has the same core appeal as other private options: your group, your pace, no strangers at the tasting table. The Mornington Peninsula’s scenery is genuinely striking, particularly around the southern coast, and a clear day here makes the drive between cellar doors part of the experience rather than just transit time.

If the weather concern puts you off but you still want a private format, Red Carpet Wine Tours offers a private Mornington Peninsula experience with door-to-door Melbourne pickup and no weather dependency attached to the tour structure itself.

6. Mornington Peninsula Wine Day Tour — Group Option with Transparent Pricing

The Mornington Peninsula Wine Day Tour comes in at a starting price of $241.54 per adult, which makes it the highest starting price in this comparison. Pricing varies across operators depending on inclusions, group format, and the number of cellar doors visited, so it’s worth confirming exactly what’s included before booking.

This tour suits people who are happy joining a group format and want a straightforward day out without the coordination of a private booking. Group tours have their own appeal: you meet other wine-interested travellers, the social energy at cellar doors is often livelier, and the per-person cost for inclusions can represent good value when everything is bundled.

The Mornington Peninsula is particularly recognised for cool-climate varieties, and the region’s cellar doors carry genuine depth. Even a group tour gives you access to wines with real provenance behind them.

If you’re travelling solo or as a couple without a fixed group, this kind of format is easier to book into than a private option that prices by the group. The trade-off is that the itinerary and pace are set by the operator, not by you.

Comparison: Mornington Peninsula Wine Tours at a Glance

The table below summarises the key differences across the six tours. Use it to match the format to your group size and priorities.

What to Look for When Choosing a Mornington Peninsula Wine Tour

Four questions narrow the choice quickly for most people.

• Private or shared? Private tours keep your group together and let you set the pace. Shared tours are easier to book as a solo or a pair, and the social side suits some people well.
• Is Melbourne pickup included? Door-to-door service from the city removes the logistics of finding a meeting point and means nobody has to stay sober to drive. Red Carpet Wine Tours includes this as standard; not all operators do.
• What’s the lunch situation? A sit-down lunch at a winery restaurant is a different experience from a packed lunch or no lunch at all. If food pairing matters to you, check this before you book rather than after.
• How many cellar doors? Most operators in this list visit two to three wineries. More stops doesn’t always mean a better day. Two unhurried tastings with a proper lunch often beats five rushed ones.

If you’re planning a hens day, birthday, or anniversary, a private tour gives you something a shared group format simply can’t: the whole vehicle and the whole itinerary belong to your group. That’s the version worth spending a little more on for a meaningful occasion.

Planning what to wear is worth a thought too, especially if lunch is part of the day. Cellar-door restaurants on the peninsula tend toward smart-casual, and if you want to dress up for the occasion, a luxury consignment or pre-loved designer clothing retailer can be a practical way to find something suitable without paying full retail price.

FAQ

How long do wine tasting tours on the Mornington Peninsula usually run?

Most full-day wine tours on the Mornington Peninsula run for around six hours. That’s enough time to visit two or three cellar doors, have a proper lunch, and still get back to Melbourne at a reasonable hour. Half-day formats exist but are less common, and they typically skip the sit-down lunch component.

Do I need to book a wine tour in advance?

Yes, booking ahead is strongly recommended. Popular dates like weekends, public holidays, and the spring and summer months fill up quickly. Private tours especially need lead time because the operator builds the itinerary around your group. Aim for at least two to three weeks in advance for a weekend date, and longer for special occasions.

What wines should I expect to taste on the Mornington Peninsula?

The peninsula’s cool maritime climate makes it one of Australia’s strongest regions for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. You’ll also encounter Pinot Gris, Shiraz, and some interesting late-harvest styles. Many cellar doors pour wines that are rated well on Vivino, and boutique wineries like Yabby Lake and Polperro have earned international recognition for their single-vineyard expressions.

Are wine tasting tours on the Mornington Peninsula suitable for non-drinkers?

Many tours accommodate non-drinkers, particularly private ones where the operator can adjust the day to suit your group. Some cellar doors on the peninsula also offer cider, gin, or non-alcoholic options. It’s worth telling the operator before you book so they can confirm the stops will work for everyone in your group.

Is a private wine tour more expensive than a small-group tour?

Not necessarily. Starting prices for private and small-group tours on the Mornington Peninsula can overlap significantly, and pricing varies by operator and season. For a group of four or more people, a private tour often costs the same per head as a small-group option, with more flexibility included.

What else can I do on the Mornington Peninsula besides wine tasting?

The peninsula has a lot going on beyond the cellar doors. Arthurs Seat offers panoramic views across the bay. There are art galleries, coastal walks, and beautiful beaches to explore. Some visitors combine a morning tour with an afternoon at the beach. It’s a full day out even if wine is only part of the plan.

Make Your Pick and Book It

If you want a private experience with door-to-door pickup from Melbourne and a fully flexible itinerary, Red Carpet Wine Tours is the one to book first. For a shared-group day with a sit-down lunch already sorted, Amour of the Grape or Epicurean both deliver. The main thing is to match the format to your group before you commit , the right tour type makes the difference between a great day and an ordinary one. Head to the Red Carpet Wine Tours Mornington Peninsula page to check availability for your date.