Canonical: https://peninsulainsider.com.au/journal/insider-picks-2026-08-09/ Publisher: Peninsula Insider Published: 2026-08-09T00:00:00.000Z Modified: 2026-08-09T00:00:00.000Z Format: public main text, generated from the canonical page; imagery and interactive controls omitted. Dates and caveats below retain their page meaning; this format is not a new fact check. Insider Edit 9 August 2026 4 min read # Stonier Fire & Wine Lunch and a Winter Whale Watch Window Stonier Wines fires up a winter lunch in Merricks, and the whale migration corridor off Cape Schanck peaks in August. Keep this for later - By **The Peninsula Insider** Insider Picks Winter **Stonier Fire & Wine Winter Lunch, Merricks - today only** Stonier runs these fire-side winter lunches selectively, and today’s is the one on the calendar. The format centres on Stonier’s Merricks estate, where the cellar door dining space gets a proper working fire and the kitchen builds a menu around the current-vintage Pinot Noirs and the Chardonnay that keeps appearing on serious restaurant lists. Winter is genuinely the right time to drink Stonier’s Merricks Pinot - the tannin structure makes sense when it’s cold outside and something is burning inside. This is not a casual drop-in situation. Bookings are required and the event is today, 9 August. If you don’t have a reservation, call the winery directly on the off-chance of a cancellation - it’s worth trying. Allow three hours minimum. Stonier Wines, 2 Thompsons Lane, Merricks; stonier.com.au/visit. Pair this with an afternoon walk down to Merricks Beach while the light holds. **Whale watching from the Cape Schanck boardwalk - August window** August is the peak month for humpbacks and southern right whales moving east through Bass Strait on the winter migration corridor. Cape Schanck’s boardwalk puts you roughly forty metres above the water at a point that juts far enough into the strait to give proper sightlines both directions along the coast. Arrive before eleven on a clear, low-wind morning - afternoon sea haze cuts visibility fast. Bring binoculars. The whales move in groups of two to five, breaching less frequently than the Instagram highlights suggest, but the blows are visible at distance on a calm day and that’s enough. The lighthouse circuit is forty minutes return; the full boardwalk descent to the beach adds another twenty. No booking, no fee for the boardwalk itself - Parks Victoria manages the site. Cape Schanck Road, Cape Schanck; parks.vic.gov.au. Follow this with coffee and something warm at Georgie Bass in Flinders, fifteen minutes back up the road. ### This Weekend’s Key Details **Stonier Fire & Wine Winter Lunch** 2 Thompsons Lane, Merricks Today only - Sunday 9 August 2026 Bookings essential: stonier.com.au/visit **Whale watching, Cape Schanck boardwalk** Cape Schanck Road, Cape Schanck Open daily - August is peak window; aim for mid-morning on a clear day No booking required; parks.vic.gov.au Something wrong on this page, or is this your business? [Tell us what to fix]() and you get a case reference back. corrections@peninsulainsider.com.au reaches the same desk. Questions readers actually ask ## FAQ How do I book the Stonier Fire & Wine Winter Lunch? Check availability and book through stonier.com.au/visit. The lunch runs today, Sunday 9 August 2026, so book immediately if you haven't already - seats go fast. When is the best time to spot whales from Cape Schanck in winter? August is the peak month for humpback and southern right whales moving through Bass Strait. Arrive at the Cape Schanck boardwalk by mid-morning on a calm, clear day for the best sightlines. No booking required - Parks Victoria manages the site and the boardwalk is open daily. Or let PI plan your day ## Where in the Peninsula is PI? A painted Peninsula, three witnesses a stop, and the sun for a clock. Find PI before sunset and her route becomes a day you can drive. Find her and go in the draw for $250 to dine at Doot Doot Doot, Jackalope.[Draw terms and prize details]() [Play Case 02]() Six to ten minutes. Free, no account. Keep reading ## More from the Journal [All stories →]() Insider Edit 7 min ### [The Sorrento Solstice Festival: A Night When the Peninsula Burns]() 15 June 2026 The longest night of the year deserves a proper send-off. Two days on the Sorrento foreshore, a six-metre effigy on the bay, and the particular magic of a winter festival done right. 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