Luxurious Lindenderry in Red Hill is the perfect place to rest after sampling the delights of the Mornington Peninsula

Even a short break is long enough to dive into the gourmet delights of the Mornington Peninsula

Delicious serve of luxury

IF the bounty in the boot indicates success, a girls’ weekend away to the Mornington Peninsula has been a good one.

The take-home produce amounts to two dozen farm-fresh eggs, eight bottles of wine, apple pies, sausage rolls, goat’s cheese … not to mention what was consumed while we were there.

But that’s what a trip, even an all-too-brief 24-hour jaunt, to this abundant corner of Victoria is all about: calling in at farmgates, cafes and cellar doors, and, in our case, enjoying the refurbished surrounds of an English-style country house hotel that has a vineyard and cellar door of its own.

Lindenderry at Red Hill, set on 12ha conveniently right in the centre of the Peninsula, has been a popular getaway, wedding and conference host for almost 20 years. But this year its 40 rooms, restaurant and numerous guest lounges — spread across several wings — have had a stylish makeover.

We are staying in a garden wing room, where big, white-framed, glass sliding doors open on to the ground floor veranda and offer a view over lawn that stretches down to a tennis court and reed-filled lake. Patterned drapes that wouldn’t be out of place in a Downtown Abbey bedroom keep out the spring chill (we’ve heard that rooms on the upper floor have a balcony and an open fireplace, though you won’t need a fire this time of year). The rest of the decor is more streamlined and creates a classic, but fuss-free feel.

The colour-coded book collection is most likely for show, but a comfortable sofa is just the place to sit and enjoy a glass of Lindenderry’s own sparkling that is waiting when we arrive.

The sparkling is also available to try at the cellar door along with the estate’s other wines made from pinot noir and chardonnay grapes grown over 3ha on site and from vineyards in the King Valley and Macedon Ranges. We liked the 2008 reserve pinot noir and earmarked it to have with dinner in the in-house Linden Tree restaurant later on.

If you haven’t already called in at one of region’s other excellent winery restaurants such as nearby Foxey’s Hangout, the cellar door is also worth a stop-off for its coffee, casual lunches such as charcuterie plates and pizza, and a lemon meringue pie sitting under a glass dome on the counter looked especially tempting. Though the paved alfresco dining area was empty on a late Saturday afternoon, it will be appealing to guests and passers-by as the weather warms, especially given that a new outdoor pizza oven is being installed for summer.

An appreciation for fine art is rewarded at Lindenderry. Shared spaces — lounges and corridors — have been decorated with small and larger-scale original works by major Australian artists and the pool garden, a quiet spot ideal for contemplation, has a sculptural feature by Tuscan-based Michael Cartwright. All the gardens are ripe for exploration, though we had to take a zigzag path across the lawns to avoid a territorial goose that wasn’t afraid to voice his displeasure when we got too close.

A full-time gardener keeps the estate neat — though the vines were still bare during our visit, annuals filled the garden beds and all the rose bushes had been cut back to encourage their next burst of flowers.

Other than geese, there is plenty of native birdlife to see and hear. Rosellas dart through the vines and early morning bird calls are a proxy alarm clock to get us up and moving to cram in more experiences of the peninsula before the drive home.

First up, after a buffet breakfast in the restaurant, was the 20-minute drive to one of the Mornington Peninsula’s essential experiences: a walk down the timber boardwalk from Cape Schank lighthouse to the rocky foreshore. You get dramatic views over Bass Strait but what seems like gentle exercise on the way down becomes a slower slog on the upwards return journey. But for every step I kept thinking, “apple pie, apple pie”. Several friends had told us not to miss Main Ridge bakery/restaurant Johnny Ripe, just across the road from another peninsula culinary highlight, Main Ridge Dairy (goat’s cheese). Johnny Ripe started life selling pies made from apples picked from its chef owners’ orchard and though they are still bestsellers, the bakery’s menu has expanded.

Locals and visitors can look forward to eat-in breakfast and lunch Friday to Sunday from this month. Until then, you can grab a takeaway coffee and a pie or salad to eat on a deck behind the restaurant. The mini apple pies at $2.50 each are a perfect mouthful.

Our final stop-off was at Port Phillip Estate, impressive for its rammed earth architecture and calming country views as well as its wine. A half-dozen pinot noir worked out at about $15 a bottle and completed our gourmet stash.

The writer stayed courtesy of the Lancemore Group

THE DEAL

GETTING THERE: Red Hill is an 80-minute drive from Melbourne on the Mornington Peninsula.

STAYING THERE: Lindenderry is at 142 Arthurs Seat Rd, Red Hill. Ph: 5989 2933.

Accommodation starts from $250 a night.

ONLINE: lancemore.com.au/ lindenderry

visitmornington peninsula.org

Originally published as Luxurious Lindenderry in Red Hill is the perfect place to rest after sampling the delights of the Mornington Peninsula