One of Australia's best
Being noted in the prestigious annual list of Australia’s top 400 wineries is a real feather in your cap, so we we’re both thrilled and humbled to receive the inclusion. We’re also very proud to be amongst three Mornington Peninsula wineries in the top 50.
The ‘Top Wineries’ list is compiled following around ten thousand blind tastings and rigorous reviews each year. Led by wine critic Huon Hooke, a team of reviewers assess wines from over 1600 Australian wineries to create their annual list of 400 that consistently produce excellent wine. The List has become a national benchmark and shows where your favourite winery is ahead of its peers.
“We’re pretty chuffed with the result given the calibre of wineries on the list and the quality of wines being produced around the country right now,” says Rollo.
You can check out The Real Review’s complete Top Wineries Australia list here:
https://www.therealreview.com/wine-regions/au/top-wineries/2020/
Or a link to the Good Weekend article featured in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald here:
https://www.smh.com.au/national/here-s-cheers-australia-s-52-top-wineries-20200505-p54pul.html
24/06/2020 at 2:38 PM
PermalinkWelcoming a new arrival to the Crittenden Wine Family
2020 is certainly a winemaking year we won’t forget. Happily, the time in isolation has resulted in the exciting news of a brand-new release - our very first Prosecco.
It’s no secret our family has a love affair with Italy and Italian varietals, so we wanted to make sure we took our time to perfect our version of this popular sparkling. We’ve summoned our winemaking knowledge, drawn on our appreciation of old-world techniques and more than one vintage to create our ideal Prosecco style. Our resulting ‘Pinocchio Prosecco’ accentuates the varietal fragrance of fresh apple blossom, nashi pairs and lemon zest while maintaining an excellent foamy ‘bead’ and acid freshness on the palate.
Our Prosecco uses 100% Glera grapes (the traditional variety for making Prosecco). Grapes were harvested in the cool of night before dejuicing and settling. Clarified juice was then fermented to ‘dryness’ in stainless steel tank with an aromatic yeast strain to enhance this variety’s floral notes. Malolatic fermentation was inhibited by chilling and lightly sculpting the finished base wine, before blended with a small selection of other vintages to create our desired ‘house style’. Bottling was carried out via the transfer method with a modest dosage of sugar.
This bubbly addition to the Crittenden wine family is now available for tasting at our Wine Centre and also to purchase online. We’d highly recommend this is a drop best enjoyed simply with family and friends, maybe an antipasto plate and a dose of sunshine too – the perfect ingredients for a little ‘la dolce vita’ we’re all in need of right now!
24/06/2020 at 2:23 PMVineyard life in the eighties
With COVID-19 a part of our lives many of us are reflecting our childhoods and becoming a touch nostalgic.
Zoe reflects on her time growing up in the eighties on a vineyard and her parents established Crittenden Estate. Click here to read.
24/04/2020 at 3:30 PMLoving Local in Covid Times
Crittenden Estate are loving our network of local restaurants, cafes and bars mixing things up in this iso-era. Not only do we love that our wines are part of their new look offering, some have also started initiatives to give back to our local community – now that’s our kind of partner! If you’re on the Mornington Peninsula check out some of our favourite places:
Mercetta, Mornington
Mercetta are supporting local farmers and producers with their range of fresh Produce Boxes full of all the essentials. They're also contributing $25 from every Box sold to their Feeding The Frontline Project – delivering fresh produce, meals, treats and coffee to frontline healthcare workers at The Bays, Frankston and Rosebud Hospital.
There's three Produce Boxes to choose from and contactless delivery is free to local Peninsula areas call 5975 1714 to place an order. Their full menu is also available for pickup or select delivery, visit ordermate.online/mercetta/menu
D’oh Pizza, Blairgowrie
D’oh Pizza’s menu of gourmet pizzas, seafood & classic Italian meals are available for takeaway or delivery. They’ve extended their takeaway menu to include different daily specials plus ready-made and frozen meals to keep your fridge full. Order any two of their daily specials and you can pick up a bottle of our Geppetto wine for only $20! Call them on 5988 8089 to order or visit www.pizzadoh.com.au
Counting House Bar & Grill, Mornington
With a menu focused on classic favourites, Counting House are now offering great take home food and wine, including our Geppetto NV Brut and Crittenden Estate Chardonnay. For pick-up and delivery call 5975 2055, 4-9pm Mon - Sat nights or visit www.countinghousemornington.com.au
Dava Thai, Mornington & Frankston
Dava Thai Mornington & Frankston are open 7 days a week for takeaway orders. Our wines are also available for your takeaway orders – so why not pair up your favourite Thai dishes with your favourite Crittenden wines! Online orders at www.davathaifood.com.au
The Grand Hotel, Mornington
You can now ‘drive thru’ at The Grand Hotel to pick up items from a new takeaway menu. Enjoy their classic roast chicken, lasagne or burgers and grab a bottle (or two) of easy drinking Geppetto as you swing past too. Call 5975 2001 to order lunch 12-2:30pm or dinner 6-8:30pm. Menu available at www.grand.net.au
Winey Cow, Mornington
Winey Cow are offering pick up and delivery of all their menu favourites including wine to the Mt Martha, Mornington and Mt Eliza area. To help family meal time, they’re also offering a Family Dinner Special for four people with a changing weekly menu. Orders can be made before 12pm for delivery or pick-up after 5pm. Call 5976 4018 or order online at https://www.thewineycow.com.au/
And if that wasn’t already enough good news, they’ve also launched the “Grow to Give” campaign. Donations made to the campaign are used to provide hot meals, delivered to those in the Local Community doing it tough and in need.
Tio Tapas Mornington
It’s no secret we love all things Iberian, and our amigos at Tio Tapas are now offering take away and delivery of all their Menu Favourites from Thursday to Sunday. You can order via www.tiotapas.com.au or say hola on 5904 6937.
Via Boffe Mornington
Their chefs are creating loads of old fashioned sweet treats to go with their great coffee plus take away meals. They’ll even bring them out to your car! Open every day 7am-2pm at 72 Main Street, Mornington, give them a call on 5975 7499.
La Onda Latin Mex
This local buzzing favourite in Dromana is re-opening for Take Away with their favourite dishes + taco packs, burritos and elote loco (they’ve even released their own soundtrack on Spotify so you can recreate their good time vibes at home). Hit them up on Instagram @laonda_latinmex to work out what to order.
20/04/2020 at 3:04 PMCrittenden Estate Wins International Award for their Sustainable Practices
December 3, 2019 Dromana, Mornington Peninsula – Mornington Peninsula-based family owned winery Crittenden Estate has received one of the world’s most significant awards recognising outstanding sustainable growing practices and wine quality.
Crittenden Estate has been named as the overall “platinum” winner of the 2020 BRIT/FIVS International Sustainable Winegrowing Competition, chosen in first place amongst a high calibre field of sustainability-minded wine producers from around the world.
The BRIT/FIVS International Sustainable Winegrowing Competition is jointly run by the Botanical Research Institute of Texas and FIVS, a Paris-based international federation of sustainability-minded wine organisations.
The competition recognises wine producers taking a leading role in developing and implementing sustainable practices, while building strong connections with their communities and sharing their learnings across the wider wine sector. Entries are submitted annually from many wine producing countries in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres.
To read more, click here.
27/12/2019 at 12:09 PMHalliday Wine Companion 2020
We're delighted to be in the top 7.9% of wineries Australia wide, according to James Halliday, earning five red starts yet again. Furthermore, a number individual wines in our portfolio scored exceptionally well and Rollo is, as you'd expect, incredibly pleased. Click here to read our full winery listing as seen in the 2020 Halliday Wine Companion, including all wines scoring 94 points and above.
20/08/2019 at 11:36 AMCrittenden comes to Collingwood
Join us for our Pop-Up Cellar Door at Project 49, one of Collingwood's favourite food and wine venues. Explore some of our latest releases and new vintages, cool climate classics as well as our Spanish and Italian varietals.
For only $20 you’ll enjoy a hosted tasting of up to 12 Crittenden Estate Wines, paired with a charcuterie plate specially crafted by the Project 49 team.
Meet the winemaker, Rollo Crittenden, and the team from Crittenden Estate.
Crittenden Wine Alliance Club special pop up pricing.
Saturday and Sunday September 7th & 8th 12 - 5pm
Project 49 - 107 Cambridge Street, Collingwood, Vic.
Bookings - /product/Pop-up-Cellar-Door-2018-Copy
15/08/2019 at 11:59 AMAperitivo in August
Every Friday, Rollo will head into the cellar of over 1000 wines to open back vintages of our acclaimed Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cri de Coeur collection, plus some Italian & Spanish wine varieties.
Wine lovers will enjoy the chance to try limited release and museum wines not normally available at usual cellar door tastings. Order by the glass or sample a wine flight of Rollo’s selections that he’ll pick each Friday, alongside an antipasto plate of cured meats, olives and cheese from our favourite local producers on the Peninsula.
FRIDAYS IN AUGUST
4.30pm-6.30pm
Cellar Door open late for wines from the ‘Old & Rare Cellar’, current releases
Wines from $12 per glass
Antipasto plate for two $20
Drop on in….
18/07/2019 at 9:40 AMThe Cook and the Winemaker
From a young age, growing up in the Crittenden household, my brother Rollo and I were subject to many a dinner party. It was the eighties and the raucous laughter would waft up the stairs. Sunday morning would see us fossicking through the debris, ever hopeful we’d uncover an unnoticed after dinner mint. Perhaps you can relate. Mum, Margaret Crittenden, was known for the amazing food she was able to whip up in the kitchen whilst the wine Dad was making from his newly planted vines would complement the dishes beautifully. The perfect team.
Perhaps that’s why, 35 years on, events and dinners at Crittenden Estate are such an important part of what we do. Rollo and I, having grown up with it, simply love to entertain. Many appreciate the emotive influence that food and wine has in our lives. Often shared with those we love it has the power to evoke an array of senses.
On March 16th, guests were treated to an event that surmises all that we do here at Crittenden – create an amazing experience for our guests. As part of The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival we teamed up with Guy Mirabella from ShopAte in Mount Eliza to create not just a dinner but an experience for those who attended. We called it The Cook and The Winemaker.
Guy and his food is an institution on the Peninsula. His cooking is superb. But more than that, Guy is creative and artistic; evident in the food he prepares. We knew he would be the perfect partner to take this dinner to the next level.
In the thick of harvest guests were able to witness vintage in real time. The evening commenced in the winery with a cocktail made from local Bass & Flinders gin along with Pinot Noir “grape must”, fresh from this year’s crush.
Developing relationships is fundamental between nature, the winemaker and the cook. These threads were entwined on the night and guests were treated to an artistic and sensory feast. Music, chosen by Guy, introduced each course and menus were quirkily crunched in a ball at place settings. The wine was carefully matched and flowed in abundance; nine premium wines, three of these sneak peaks into wines not yet released.
Events at Crittenden are an important part of what we do, although they are but one component of the experiences those who are a part of the broader Crittenden family can enjoy. Perhaps after reading this you’re lamenting that you missed out. Please don’t, there will be more. Stay tuned to our website to keep up to date with the events that we do here and in the meantime, come and enjoy some of the other experiences on offer at Crittenden. Our custom built Wine Centre offers seated tastings in comfort where you can discover the vast array of styles we offer. This, we believe, is an experience in and of itself. The Crittenden Wine Centre is open daily from 10:30 until 4:30 and we look forward to welcoming you.
20/03/2019 at 11:29 AM