An aerial view of award-winning Bellarine Estate in Victoria, which is within only a 90-minute drive of the Melbourne CBD. Photos: Supplied.
What makes for an exhilarating, entertaining and memorable weekend escape? An expansive range of flavourful food, diverse music concerts, wine varieties and a new luxury glamping season package are guaranteed to provide an exciting mix on Victoria’s picturesque Bellarine Peninsula.
Bellarine Estate, with its own winery, is the ultimate one-stop, coastal getaway destination!
Within only a 90-minute drive of the Melbourne CBD, it lies between Portarlington (a pretty little town famous for its mussels) and Drysdale. This family-owned, family-grown, family-made estate is set on more than 40 hectares atop the rolling hills overlooking Corio Bay.
The award-winning Bellarine Estate was established in 1996 by owners Peter and Lizette Kenny. It is now in its second generation, with elder son James taking the reins from his parents as Bellarine Estate’s general manager and his younger brother Julian the estate’s head winemaker. Every stage of the wine-making process happens on-site.
Located within less than 20 minutes of Geelong, the Bellarine Estate property is home to the Kenny family’s two chief wine labels, Bellarine Estate and Portarlington Ridge @ Bellarine Estate; a new gin distillery –Thirty Acres Distillery @ Bellarine Estate; a cellar door; Texas BBQ @ Bellarine Estate; and the winery’s new luxury glamping accommodation – Coastal Glamping @ Bellarine Estate.
When you add the fact that the estate is also one of Victoria’s premium live music and events venues, a retreat here will be remembered for a long time. Perhaps even a repeat visit will be on the travel schedule to coincide with other live music shows!
Bellarine Estate owners Peter and Lizette Kenny.
The Kenny family’s beliefs are straightforward: “To handcraft exceptional estate-grown wines.”
“Encompassing 11 hectares of vines on sloping hills overlooking the picturesque Corio Bay, Bellarine Estate is perfectly poised to take advantage of the maritime climate,” the owners say. “The warm days and cool nights create enviable growing conditions that result in exceptional fruit and beautiful cool-climate wines.”
Bellarine offers delicious contemporary dining, award-winning wine and picturesque views. Specialising in chardonnay, pinot noir and shiraz, its wines are smooth and complex.
The whole wine-making process, from growing the grapes on the area’s rich ballast soils to the final bottling, occurs at the winery. The property produces a total of 16 wines a year, 10 of which are under the Bellarine Estate label that uses fruit exclusively from Bellarine Estate’s vines, while the other six varietals under the Portarlington Ridge @ Bellarine Estate label are created collaboratively with other growers across the Bellarine region.
The family has continued to win high acclaim for their wines, both domestically and internationally, since the first vintage in 1999. In fact, three of the winery’s estate-produced wines were chosen to be part of the Qantas business-class service in 2022.
Another level of hospitality is added with the launch of its spring/summer 2024-2025 accommodation packages. Nestled among the vineyards, Bellarine Estate showcases 16 luxurious glamping tents that dot the winery grounds and offer stunning views of the vineyards.
Packages start from $675 for two people and are available until April 30, 2025. Holidaymakers will have everything they need for a relaxing and indulgent escape under the stars!
Brothers James and Julian Kenny at Bellarine Estate.
Bellarine’s entertainment calendar includes performances by Joe Camilleri & The Black Sorrows on 2 November; Ross Wilson & The Peaceniks on 28 December; Scarecrow, the Mellencamp Show on 4 January, 2025; and Amber Lawrence – Giddy up 2025 tour on 22 February.
Explore other activities in the area, including coastal gems such as Clifton Springs, Indented Heads and St Leonards. Drive to some lovely spots such as Queenscliff and the attractive Point Lonsdale, with a beach and lighthouse, and the incredible beaches of Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads and Thirteenth Beach.
Think of wine and music as a duo in which each element enhances the other – just like movies and popcorn. Actually, studies show that pairing music with wine can influence people’s sensorial judgments, for better or worse.
Susan R Lin, a Master of Wine, who wrote her thesis Classical Music with a Brut Non-Vintage Champagne, believes that depending on the definition of “improvement”, music can have a positive effect on the drinker.
“Different combinations of musical elements (pitch, tempo, articulation, timbre, for example) have been shown to have effects on sensory perception,” she says.
“Therefore, if you are seeking to elevate the perception of certain … characteristics in a wine, say brightness and freshness, you might find music with faster tempo, higher pitch, dynamic articulation and bright timbre.”
As Ella Wheeler Wilcox said: “Good music is wine turned to sound.”
