UPCOMING EVENTS
One-day coach tour, Mornington Peninsula Wine Region
Sunday June 5, 2022
Departing Box Hill 7.45 am
Returning Box Hill 6.15 pm
The day begins early at Box Hill with a leisurely coach ride to Mornington for morning tea at the popular Mercetta Café with your selection of tea, coffee or juice together with cake or muffin. From there we head to Dromana for a gin tasting at the award-winning Bass and Flinders Distillery.
After lunch at Stella’s Dromana Hotel the coach will take us into the hills for tastings at Pt. Leo Estate and Red Hill Estate. Both of these wineries boast award-winning cool climate wines and impressive cellar doors with spectacular views of vineyards, surrounding countryside and Westernport Bay.
The day finishes with a relaxing ride back to Box Hill, with a planned arrival time of 6.15 pm.
COST: Members $136.00 Non-members $146.00
RSVP: Friday May 27, 2022
Use the buttons below to access the Function Notice, Itinerary, Online Booking Form and a Google Map showing the departure location.
Changing times for coach tours
Unfortunately, coach tours will never be the same after the COVID pandemic. Almost all cellar doors, including most that the Guild has visited in the past, are refusing to take coach groups. Most cellar doors on the Mornington Peninsula will accept only small groups, with a maximum of four or six people. Only the large cellar doors with numerous staff are accepting coach groups and in order to gain admission to cellar doors we have to limit our number to 30.
In addition, the whole tasting process has changed, with significantly increased tasting fees, often not redeemable on sales.
To make matters worse, the increased cost of fuel has had an impact on the amount we have to pay for a coach for one day.
These factors have combined to severely limit our choice of cellar doors and significantly increased the amount we have to charge to cover the costs. On the positive side, the tasting experience is more professional and sophisticated than ever before.
One of the stills at Bass & Flinders
Stella’s Dromana Hotel
The Cellar Door at Pt. Leo Estate
The view at Red Hill Estate
Coming up!
Wednesday July 13, 2022
To avoid you having to travel at night in Melbourne’s mid-winter, we present an online Taste n Talk on Zoom. We will feature wine blogger David Morrison, who will join us live from Sweden. David’s blog The Wine Gourd delves into is blog delves into the world of wine data, instead of wine itself. His intention is to ferret out some of the interesting stuff, and to bring it out into the light, for everyone to see. Those without internet access will be able to participate by phone.
Thursday August 11, 2022
A Taste n Talk with a difference. Bring your favourite Victorian wine to share and tell us about it – and why you chose it. This function will also include some wine games and wine trivia with prizes to make it an entertaining and educational night.
Tuesday September 6, 2022
Annual General Meeting and Dinner. Venue and Guest Speaker to be announced.
Thursday October 27, 2022
A Taste n Talk incorporating a Melbourne Cup Sweep draw and a Guest Speaker to be announced.
Sunday November 13 – Saturday November 19, 2022
Our long-awaited Tasmanian Tour. 7 places remaining. See below.
Sunday December 4, 2022
End-of-year Lunch. Venue to be announced.
The program is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances including regional events and the changing availability of the quality venues and speakers that we have come to expect.
Tasmanian Tour, November 13, 2022 – November 19, 2022
Rescheduled from October, 2021 (7 places remaining)
The Tasmanian Tour that was to take place in October 2021 (and November 2020) and postponed due to border restrictions has been rescheduled for November 2022. The itinerary for the rescheduled tour is almost identical to that of the 2020 and 2021 tours. The Function Notice for the cancelled 2021 tour remains in place (button below) for those who would like further information.