Canonical: https://peninsulainsider.com.au/wine/stonier-wines/ Publisher: Peninsula Insider Published: unknown Modified: unknown 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. [Wine Country]() Winery [Merricks]() Merricks # Stonier Wines One of the Peninsula's founding estates, planted in 1978, grown-up, unflashy, with some of the oldest Chardonnay vines in the region. Known for Planted 1978 by Brian and Noel Stonier, one of the Peninsula's founding estates Reserve Chardonnay and KBS Vineyard Pinot Noir as benchmark wines Among the oldest Chardonnay vines in the region No wedding marquee, no sculpture trail, purely a wine operation Winemaker's-list tasting flight on request [Book a tasting]() +61 3 5989 8300 Stonier Wines · Merricks Why we’d go When you want a cellar door built around the wine rather than the experience around the wine, Stonier is the answer on the Peninsula. Stonier was planted in 1978 by Brian and Noel Stonier, making it one of the earliest established estates on the Peninsula. The site has been through ownership changes since, it now sits within a larger wine group, but the winemaking credentials have held. The Reserve Chardonnay and KBS Vineyard Pinot Noir remain reference-point wines for what the region can do with its two flagship varieties. The cellar door reflects the winery's philosophy: no wedding marquee, no sculpture trail, no cheese board dressed for Instagram. What you get is serious wine in a grown-up room, presented by staff who know the portfolio. Ask for the winemaker's-list flight if you want to work through the range properly, it covers a broader selection than the standard pour and gives you a better read on the estate's full scope. This is the cellar door for wine people who want conversation about what's in the glass rather than a polished sensory experience. Wear what you'd wear to a good restaurant, not what you'd wear to a Sunday market. Worth knowing **Best for** Wine lovers · Cellar door visits · Couples · Solo travellers If you only do one thing Ask specifically for the Reserve flight, the Reserve Chardonnay and KBS Pinot Noir are the wines that make the visit worthwhile. Works well with Merricks General Wine Store · Kerri Greens Filed under Cellar Door Slow All Year Couples Solo Winemaker Duncan Buchanan Varieties Chardonnay Pinot Noir Pinot Gris Worth seeking KBS Vineyard Chardonnay At a glance **Type** Winery **Location** 2 Thompsons Lane, Merricks VIC 3916 · [Directions]() **Call** +61 3 5989 8300 **Awards** Planted 1978 - Founding Peninsula Estate · James Halliday 5-Red-Star **Website** [www.stonier.com.au]() **Directions** [Get directions]() **Opening hours** - Every day 11am–5pm **Live status** [Check current hours →]() **Winemaker** Duncan Buchanan **Tasting fee** Charged **MPVA** [Region listing]() **Halliday** [Halliday listing]() [Book now]() Editor's verdict Stonier is the Peninsula's original benchmark. Brian Stonier planted his vines in 1978 when 'Mornington Peninsula wine' was not yet a phrase anyone used outside this paddock. The estate returned to local family ownership in December 2022. The KBS Vineyard Chardonnay is still the Peninsula reference bottle for that variety - three decades of track record don't lie. ## Visiting Walk-ins welcome daily for groups under 6 (final tastings 4pm); tasting fee redeemable on wine purchase; complimentary for Wine Club members. Reservations required for groups of 6+. Dogs welcome on the lawn. ## The wines **Key varieties:** Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris. **Worth seeking out:** KBS Vineyard Chardonnay. ## Frequently asked questions ### Does Stonier Wines take walk-ins or do you need to book? Walk-ins welcome daily 11am–5pm for groups under 6. Reservations required for larger groups. ### Does Stonier Wines have a restaurant? No formal restaurant. Local charcuterie platters from Long Paddock and Main Ridge Dairy cheeses are available at the cellar door. ### Are dogs allowed at Stonier Wines? Confirmed yes - dogs are welcome on the lawn. Not sure how to build a day around Stonier Wines? [Search Peninsula Insider]() In the journal ## Stories that mention Stonier Wines These pieces give you the context a listing page never does - the when, the why, and the who-it’s-for. [Journal →]() Insider Edit 3 min ### [Insider Picks: 6 August 2026]() 6 August 2026 A Thursday market in Hastings, Friday aperitivo at Trofeo Estate, and two final winter weeks at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery. Cellar Door Dispatch 6 min ### [The Cellar Door Short List: Four Producers Worth the Stop]() 6 April 2026 Not the biggest estates, not the flashiest rooms. The four Peninsula cellar doors where the wines - and the people pouring them - actually change how you think about the region. Cellar Door Dispatch 8 min ### [The Chardonnay Case: Why the Peninsula's Second Wine Deserves Top Billing]() 9 April 2026 Everyone sells the Mornington Peninsula as a pinot noir region. They are half right. The quiet argument of the last three vintages is that the chardonnay is now the more interesting bottle on the table, and the one worth cellaring. More to explore ## Other wine experiences to compare [Back to Wine Country →]() Winery [Red Hill]() ### [Avani Wines]() 98 Stanleys Road, Red Hill South VIC 3937 Shashi and Rohit Singh's biodynamic family estate, one of the Peninsula's only serious Syrah programs alongside the Amrit single-vineyard range. cellar door slow [Read notes]() Winery [Merricks]() ### [Baillieu Vineyard]() 51 Stanleys Rd, Merricks VIC 3916 A thoughtfully managed Merricks estate making elegant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that rewards the drive to find it. cellar door slow [Read notes]() [Book]() Winery [Moorooduc]() ### [Barmah Park Vineyard]() 3007 Frankston-Flinders Rd, Moorooduc VIC 3933 A rustic, intimate cellar door running a five-wine, five-canape pairing from a hatted-standard kitchen, the most structured tasting format on the Peninsula. cellar door long lunch [Read notes]() Build a day around this ## Planning guides that include Stonier Wines Peninsula Insider guides that put this stop into the context of a full day or weekend. 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