Based at Jackalope Hotel, Merricks North. Designed for relaxed indulgence — not trying to do everything, but doing the best things properly. Use it as an evergreen couples weekend template and layer in current events from the What's On guide.
Leave Melbourne by 8am to beat weekend traffic on the Nepean or EastLink. Put on a good podcast or playlist. Arrival on the Peninsula by ~9:30 with a quiet Saturday morning ahead of you.
If a market is on — go. The first-Saturday Hill & Ridge Community Market at Red Hill Recreation Reserve (8am–1pm) is an easy late-April / early-May option, and the larger Red Hill Market runs on its scheduled Saturdays. Stock up on local provisions, grab excellent coffee, browse without a plan. If it's not a market Saturday: drive to Sorrento, walk the Back Beach clifftops, feel the sea air, have coffee at a village café.
A focused, unhurried tasting before lunch. Both have exceptional single-vineyard Chardonnay and are within easy reach of the lunch destination. Don't rush — let the conversation about the wine happen.
Book the three-course lunch. Order the matched wines. Eat slowly. Let the afternoon arrive around you. This is the peninsula's primary offering and both venues do it beautifully. The autumn light through the vineyard windows at 3pm is something to remember.
Arrive at Jackalope and take the time to actually settle in. Walk the vineyard. Have a glass of Willow Creek Chardonnay on the terrace. Don't immediately check your phone.
A 20-minute drive to Point Leo for the golden-hour sculpture walk. The late afternoon light turns the artwork and vineyards extraordinary. Check current access conditions before you go, then combine it with a glass of wine at the cellar door as the sun drops.
The headline special-occasion meal. Theatrical, indulgent, and committed to the best local produce. Caviar, matched wines, the whole experience. This is what the hotel is partly famous for — let it be extraordinary.
The bar is as designed and considered as everything else in the hotel. Order something interesting from the cocktail list. Look out at the dark vineyard. That's a Saturday evening done right.
Breakfast at the hotel — or in the vineyard if the morning is kind. Resist the urge to plan. Walk through the vines with a coffee. The mist at dawn over the Willow Creek Vineyard is one of those scenes you remember.
Book the adults-only Spa Dreaming Centre session (book in advance). The 3-hour bathing experience moves through cave pools, outdoor geothermal pools, steam rooms and — the highlight — the hilltop infinity pool with views across the peninsula. Add a couples massage treatment.
A more casual but still excellent lunch. Rare Hare has the advantage of being right at the hotel — woodfired cooking, share plates, Willow Creek wines. Or drive 15 minutes to Polperro for the panoramic vineyard views and a similarly relaxed share-plate format.
A parting glass before heading home. Quealy is small and personal — Kathleen Quealy will often pour the tastings herself. T'Gallant is more festive and easy-going. Either way, pick up a case for the road.
Leave by 5pm to beat the Sunday evening traffic surge. Put on something relaxed. Debrief on the weekend. Plan the next one.
Resist the temptation to over-schedule. The Peninsula reveals itself to those who slow down. If you find yourself lingering over lunch until 4pm because the conversation is good and the wine is extraordinary — that IS the plan working. Don't rush to the next thing.
Via EastLink + Frankston Freeway: The fastest option. Melbourne CBD to Mornington is typically 75–90 minutes; to Red Hill 90–100 minutes; to Sorrento/Portsea around 100–110 minutes. Allow extra time on Friday afternoons.
Via Nepean Highway: Slower but more scenic through Bayside suburbs.
The Searoad ferry connects Port Melbourne to Sorrento (~2 hours). A scenic alternative to driving, and you arrive by sea into Sorrento — a spectacular way to begin the weekend. Book in advance, especially for peak weekends.
Scenic · ~2hrsA car is essentially essential on the peninsula — public transport is limited. If you're planning serious wine tasting, consider hiring a dedicated driver or using a wine tour operator. Several excellent ones operate from Mornington.
Driver Options AvailableSeveral operators offer guided cellar door tours, meaning the driver problem solves itself. Small-group tours (4–8 people) typically include 3–4 cellar doors and lunch. Highly recommended if wine is the main agenda.
Curated · Insider AccessIf you're staying at Jackalope, book a wine tour operator for Saturday afternoon cellar door hopping — this way you both get to properly taste rather than one person always driving. The Jackalope concierge can arrange this. It's one of those small upgrades that completely changes the experience.