Canonical: https://peninsulainsider.com.au/journal/insider-picks-2026-09-17/ Publisher: Peninsula Insider Published: 2026-09-17T00:00:00.000Z Modified: 2026-09-17T00:00:00.000Z 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 17 September 2026 4 min read # Kerri Greens in spring, the Olivers Hill bluff walk, and VIRAL Food Festival this weekend Kerri Greens' single-vineyard Pinot at the Merricks cellar door, the Olivers Hill coastal bluff at peak wildflower, and VIRAL Food Festival at Mornington Racecourse from Friday. Keep this for later - By **The Peninsula Insider** Insider Picks Spring **WINE - Kerri Greens, Merricks** The single-vineyard Pinot Noir at Kerri Greens is worth the drive to Merricks right now. Spring means the vines have just broken bud and the cellar door is quiet enough that Tom McCarthy or Lucas Blanck will actually talk you through the current release rather than move you along. The room runs like a wine bar rather than a formal tasting counter. Order the single-vineyard Pinot, let it sit for ten minutes, and then drink it - the lighter-style fruit opens up rather than hits. Pair it with a small plate if the kitchen is running. This is not a place to rush through on the way to somewhere else; the format rewards staying. Kerri Greens is on Harrisons Road, Merricks. Allow ninety minutes minimum. Check the website for current opening days before you go. Pair the afternoon with a stop at Merricks General Wine Store on the way home for something to compare. **WALK - Olivers Hill Bluff, Frankston South** The Olivers Hill clifftop track along Port Phillip’s western shore is at its best in the third week of September. The coastal tea-tree is in flower, the grass on the bluff edge has come back green after winter, and the water is the particular grey-blue it holds before the bay warms up in October. The track runs south from the Olivers Hill Reserve car park on Esplanade, Frankston South. The clifftop section gives you open views across to the Dandenong Ranges and down toward Mornington. It is not a long walk - 45 to 60 minutes return - but the elevation change off the bluff and the wildflower scrub on the descent make it feel like more. Go on a weekday morning if you can. This spot fills with dog walkers and families by 9 a.m. on weekends. No booking required. Dogs on leads are welcome. Pair the walk with breakfast at a Mornington café before or after. **DISCOVERY - VIRAL Food Festival, Mornington Racecourse, 18–20 September** VIRAL Food Festival runs this Friday through Sunday at Mornington Racecourse, and it is worth knowing about before Saturday’s crowd arrives. The format is a large outdoor food market with a strong representation of Melbourne-based producers and street food operators alongside local Peninsula vendors. The racecourse site has enough room to move, which the Mornington foreshore food events often lack. Saturday sessions historically draw the biggest crowd, so Friday evening or Sunday morning is the better bet for anyone who dislikes queuing at a food stall. The event runs across three sessions - check the trybooking page for specific session times before purchasing. Tickets are at trybooking.com/DPNDE. Book ahead. Mornington Racecourse is on Racecourse Road, Mornington. Allow two to three hours for a proper run through the stalls. Pair the weekend with the National Works on Paper exhibition at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, a five-minute drive away and free entry. **Quick Reference** | Venue | Address | Practical | 🍷 | Kerri Greens | Harrisons Road, Merricks | Check website for hours; cellar door walk-ins welcome | 🥾 | Olivers Hill Bluff Track | Esplanade car park, Frankston South | 45–60 min return; dogs on leads welcome; no booking | 🍴 | VIRAL Food Festival | Mornington Racecourse, Racecourse Road, Mornington | Fri 18 – Sun 20 Sept 2026; book at trybooking.com/DPNDE | 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 Where is Kerri Greens cellar door and when is it open? Kerri Greens is on Harrisons Road, Merricks. Open weekends and select weekdays - check their website for current hours before visiting. No booking required for drop-in tastings, but a reservation helps at peak times. Where does the Olivers Hill bluff walk start? Park at the Olivers Hill Reserve car park off Esplanade, Frankston South. The clifftop track runs south along Port Phillip Bay and takes around 45–60 minutes return. No booking required. Dogs on leads are welcome. How do I get tickets to VIRAL Food Festival at Mornington Racecourse? VIRAL Food Festival runs Friday 18 to Sunday 20 September 2026 at Mornington Racecourse. Tickets are available at trybooking.com/DPNDE. Book ahead - previous years sold out on Saturday sessions. 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. Insider Edit 10 min ### [Best Golf Courses on the Mornington Peninsula - The Tier Guide]() 14 April 2026 Not all Peninsula golf is equally useful to readers. This guide separates the destination rounds from the club names, and the public-access standouts from the private mythology. Insider Edit 10 min ### [Best Spas on the Mornington Peninsula - The Tier Guide]() 14 April 2026 The Mornington Peninsula is Australia's most serious wellness destination. This is the tier-ranked guide to hot springs, resort spas, and day spas - which to book, and for which kind of day. Insider Edit 7 min ### [The Peninsula Pub Guide: Five Hotels That Still Know What a Pub Is For]() 10 April 2026 Not a gastropub ranking. Not a beer list. A guide to the five Peninsula pubs that still operate as the social centre of a town, where the food is good, the beer is cold, the rooms are clean, and nobody is trying to be anything else. Insider Edit 7 min ### [The Seafood List: Where the Fish Comes Off the Boat and Onto the Plate]() 10 April 2026 The Peninsula is a wine region that happens to be surrounded by water. The seafood story is quieter than the pinot story, but it is arguably the more honest one - and the best of it is very, very good. Insider Edit 7 min ### [The Sunset Drink: Where to Watch the Light Drop on the Peninsula]() 10 April 2026 The bay side goes gold at about five. The ocean side goes pink at about half past. You need a glass in your hand for both versions, and these are the seven places that understand the assignment. ## The Insider Note The Peninsula worth knowing. An occasional email. What's on, where we'd go and what's worth knowing next. Independent editorial. Sent when there is something worth knowing. Unsubscribe any time [Privacy]()