After burning down in 2018, reopening in late 2019, and grappling with lockdowns and COVID-19, it’s fair to say that Ten Minutes by Tractor has had a rocky few years. But, standing in front of the lush vineyards and the refurbished buildings, you wouldn’t know it at all. Take a drive out to Mornington Peninsula, and find this beautiful winery in Red Hill. Enter their cellar door for a thorough wine tasting, then feast your way through an extravagant five course meal in their restaurant.
Ten Minutes by Tractor
This gorgeous winery began in 1997, with three family-owned vineyards that were all ten minutes by tractor apart. Start your day with a wine tasting session, and learn all about the wines that keep this place thriving.
Head inside the new and elegant cellar door, and discover plenty of loving touches to the winemaking process. In the front room, you’ll find coloured boards outlining the different soil levels in the vineyard, and in the wine tasting room, you’ll find a map of the surrounding region engraved in the middle of the massive table.
Sample some of their acclaimed wines, such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and taste the nuances in flavour and complexity. These drinks are paired with tasty little morsels that will leave you wanting more.
Five course degustation
After your wine tasting session, move on to the restaurant and dine like a king with high quality seasonal and local ingredients. The innovative menu is under the capable hands of Head Chef Hayden Ellis, who boasts several notable restaurant experiences under his belt, including Vue de Monde, Bistro Guillaume and Dinner by Heston.
Expect fresh and local produce, with heirloom vegetables, herbs and edible flowers sourced from their own gardens. Chef Ellis also has foraging spots on the Peninsula, where he harvests water cress, samphire and more.
Sample the best of everything with one of their tasting menus, which is currently available in five courses or eight. In this seasonal menu, you’ll go on a sensational journey through a range of different, but complementary, flavours and textures.
For the autumn tasting menu, you’ll start with beautiful and refreshing garden flowers, before moving on to Abrolhos scallops, Roaring Forties lamb and Wimmera dry aged duck. For dessert, you finish with Cuvee Amphora chocolate, served with lion’s mane caramel, Jimmy rum and rhubarb.
Vegetarians are also catered to, with flavoursome options like spicy cauliflower served with madeira shiitake and black sesame, or smoked potato with roasted yeast, lemon ricotta and pea puree.
Each course is paired lovingly with both local and international wines for you to try.
The five course degustation should take about three hours to get through. By the end of it, you’ll leave Ten Minutes by Tractor feeling blissfully full and ready for a nap.
Secret Melbourne was a guest of Ten Minutes by Tractor and Luxury Escapes. Bookings are strongly recommended, and can be done now through Luxury Escapes’ new Experiences offering.