Just open: Crittenden Wine Centre on the Mornington Peninsula

Thirsting for knowledge as well as wine this summer? The Crittenden family, pioneer winemakers on the Mornington Peninsula, have turned their former home at the Crittenden Estate vineyard into a tasting and wine appreciation venue.

Winemaker Rollo Crittenden says the centre aims to be a new model for wine tourism in Australia, where visitors are offered seats and asked which varieties they would like to try before being guided through their choices with written notes or electronic tablets.

There's lots to choose from and learn about – the Crittendens make more than two dozen wines, including the region's signature pinot noir and chardonnay as well as Italian and Spanish varieties under the Pinocchio and Los Hermanos labels.

The plan is to also teach visitors about the more general attributes of the Mornington Peninsula as a wine region, and to offer information about the winemaking process.

Crittenden Wine Centre at Crittenden Estate, 25 Harrisons Road, Dromana, 03 5981 8322, crittendenwines.com.au