Morgan Vineyards – A Slice of Heaven in the Yarra

Over the past few years, we have visited hundreds of wineries across Australia – from giant Disneyland-like productions in Barossa, to cellar doors in Mornington that are little more than sheds where passionate winemakers focus on the single varietal they love. Having seen (and drank) so much, the “wow” moments naturally come further between as we continue working our way through the AUS winescape. All the more wonderful when the WOW moments do come, such as we always experience at the lovely Morgan Vineyards.

We really couldn’t sum up Morgan Vineyards any better than the quote on their homepage. The place truly is “A perfect example of everything a Boutique Winery should be.” Passionate and friendly people in a warm and engaging environment with amazing wine at better than reasonable prices.

Owners Michele and Simon Gunther could not be more friendly and welcoming. The genuine smile on Michele’s face says that she’s happy to be there, and more importantly, she’s happy you are there as well. Elissa, who manages the cellar door, is a fount of passion and wine knowledge. She is the type to reward genuine interest with special opportunities (such as barrel tastings), and as a wine enthusiast, you can’t put a price on this. Andy, the winemaker, is similarly friendly and happy to chat as he moves back and forth between his various winemaking activities. It is an A+ crew all around and just the kind of experience a wine enthusiast will love, because you get various opportunities to engage with the people making it all happen across different functions.

Morgan’s set up is so heart-warmingly cute! The small cellar door sits right in front of the wine shed, and both of these are surrounded by vines and farm animals. After you have done your tasting, get Michele to introduce you to the animals (of which there are many! pigs, ponies, cats, dogs and more). And after that, take a peak into the wine shed where you can see the next vintage waiting patiently in the barrels. If Andy is about, he’ll explain what’s where, and he may even give you a barrel tasting – a rare opportunity to understand an important stage in the lifecycle of a wine! After all these activities, relax on the hill by the vineyard with your favourite bottle and some cheese.

Morgan Vineyards has only 12 acres under vine, but they are some of the oldest vines in the Yarra (planted nearly 50 years ago), and they are dry grown. Those facts coupled with Morgan’s commitment to crop at under 3 tons per acre means the place enjoys the advantage of pretty much as good of fruit as the Yarra is capable of producing. This translates into some stunning wines. We particularly love the 2013 MT Sparkling, the 2016 Rosé, the 2012 Pinot Noir, and most especially the 2013 Cab Sav. This is a voluptuous Cab with fleshy dark fruit and hints of chocolate and tobacco. Mysterious, engaging, and oh so satisfying. All that for only $37! A world class bottle for a meagre $37? Thank you Morgan Vineyards 🙂

If you want a guaranteed good day, spend it at Morgan Vineyards. So lovely to still find new places like Morgan Vineyards that remind us so poignantly #WhyWeLoveWine.