Mornington Peninsula
Our Vineyard
Twenty-seven acres, nine blocks
It started as a Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard. It is now planted to the Peninsula’s hero varieties, Pinot Noir & Chardonnay, plus one little block of Savagnin grafted onto old Chardonnay vines.
Farmed for the generations to come
Compost rich in beneficial microbes, organic sprays, and inter-row crops like legumes and ryegrass. The aim is to restore soil nutrients naturally, support biodiversity and keep the ecosystem doing the work.
Varieties
What grows here now
Chardonnay across 2.85 acres and Pinot Noir across 7.25 acres, with 0.75 acres of Savagnin grafted onto old Chardonnay vines in 2009. The original Cabernet has been progressively regrafted to Pinot Noir.
Clones
Nine blocks, seven Pinot clones
The Chardonnay is planted exclusively to I10V1, chosen for balance and finesse in these soils. Pinot Noir uses a seven-clone mix, for structural diversity, aromatic complexity and blending flexibility: Pommard, 667, 114/115, D2V5, MV6 and D5V12.
Climate
Cool, maritime, slow
The site sits in the central sub-region of the Mornington Peninsula, at the foot of Red Hill. Mean annual maximum around 19.2°C, minimum around 9.9°C, and roughly 714mm of rain a year. Long even ripening, and natural acidity that stays put.
Soil
Sandy loam over structured clay
Yellow-duplex soil: a sandy loam topsoil over a well-structured clay subsoil that drains freely but holds steady moisture underneath. It encourages deep rooting, and gives fruit with fine texture, natural acid and concentrated flavour.
The nine blocks
Block 1: Pinot Noir
- Clone
- 667
- Planted
- 2009
- Area
- 1.80 acres
- Pruning
- Cane VSP
Block 2: Pinot Noir
- Clone
- Pommard
- Planted
- 1982
- Grafted
- 2009
- Area
- 1.65 acres
- Pruning
- Cane VSP
Block 3: Pinot Noir
- Clone
- 114 / 115
- Planted
- 1994
- Area
- 1.30 acres
- Pruning
- Cane VSP
Block 4: Pinot Noir
- Clone
- MV6 & D5V12
- Planted
- 1987
- Area
- 1.95 acres
- Pruning
- Cane VSP
Block 5: Chardonnay
- Clone
- I10V1
- Planted
- 1987
- Area
- 1.60 acres
- Pruning
- Cane VSP
Block 6: Savagnin
- Planted
- 1996
- Grafted
- 2009
- Area
- 0.75 acres
- Pruning
- Cane VSP
Block 7: Chardonnay
- Clone
- I10V1
- Planted
- 1996
- Area
- 0.70 acres
- Pruning
- Cane VSP
Block 8: Pinot Noir
- Clone
- D2V5
- Planted
- 1989
- Area
- 0.55 acres
- Pruning
- Cane VSP
Block 9: Chardonnay
- Clone
- I10V1
- Planted
- 1989
- Area
- 0.55 acres
- Pruning
- Cane VSP
How the property fits together
10 & 13
Cellar door and winery
The original homestead, renovated in 2014, and the purpose-built winery behind it.
11
Restaurant
Built by Margaret in 1992, back in family hands and rebuilt in 2025.
12
Lakeside Villas
Three villas built over the lake in 2008, renovated in 2023.
14
Vineyard cottage
On the property, beside the vines.
15
Compost production
More than 400 cubic metres made on site each year from skins, hay, wood chips and manure.
Lake
20 megalitres
Excavated in 1981 to irrigate the vineyard. Now the view from almost everywhere.
How it got here
Forty-plus years of history.
1980
Property Purchased
Garry and Margaret Crittenden purchase 27 acres of greenfield land in Dromana, marking the beginning of the Crittenden story.
1981
Lake Excavation
Excavation begins for a 20-megalitre lake to provide irrigation for the future vineyard.
1982
Vines Planted
Four acres of Cabernet and half an acre each of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are planted by friends and family across two weekends in September. These five acres effectively double the total vineyard area on the Mornington Peninsula at the time.
1984
First Crop
The inaugural harvest and vintage take place, and the first Crittenden wines are born.
1987–1996
Further Plantings
Additional blocks of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are established as daughter Zoe’s interest in horses fades and paddocks are converted to vines.
1992
Cellar Door and Restaurant
Margaret’s long-held dream is realised with the construction of the Peninsula’s very first winery restaurant and cellar door which she lovingly created and ran for over a decade, only hanging up her apron strings when the physical demands became too much. In 2003, the Crittenden family leased the site to the Pouliers, who opened their own restaurant on site, Stillwater.
2008
Lakeside Villas
The lake is temporarily drained to allow construction of three luxury villas built over the water, now an iconic feature of the property.
2009
Vineyard Grafting
Savagnin is grafted onto Chardonnay vines, and Pinot Noir onto Cabernet, setting the stage for Crittenden’s future wine innovation.
2014
New Winery & Cellar Door
A much larger purpose-built winery is constructed, while the original homestead is renovated and transformed into today’s cellar door.
2023
Lakeside Villas Renovation
The villas are fully renovated.
2025
Crittenden Restaurant
After being leased for two decades, the family reclaims the original restaurant and undertakes a complete transformation. The new Crittenden Restaurant opened in November 2025, offering locals and visitors a vibrant new dining destination on the Mornington Peninsula.
taste what our vineyard produces
The Single Vineyard Tasting is eight wines made solely from fruit grown on this site: three Chardonnays, three Pinot Noirs and two flor-aged Savagnins.