Our Vineyard

Garry and Margaret Crittenden purchase 27 acres of greenfield land in Dromana, marking the beginning of the Crittenden story.

Excavation begins for a 20-megalitre lake to provide irrigation for the future vineyard.

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.

The inaugural harvest and vintage take place - the first Crittenden wines are born.

Additional blocks of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are established as daughter Zoe’s interest in horses fades and paddocks are converted to vines.

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. At that point. In 2003, the Crittenden family leased the site to the Pouliers who opened their own restaurant on site, Stillwater.

Savagnin is grafted onto Chardonnay vines, and Pinot Noir onto Cabernet — setting the stage for Crittenden’s future wine innovation.

The lake is temporarily drained to allow construction of three luxury villas built over the water - now an iconic feature of the property.

A much larger purpose-built winery is constructed, while the original homestead is renovated and transformed into today’s cellar door.

Following a full renovation, the villas are awarded Victoria’s Best Self-Contained Accommodation at the RACV Victorian Tourism Awards in 2024.

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.