The ultimate guide to the Bellarine

People of Melbourne, start your engines. Igni might be a little hard to find – it’s at the arse-end of Geelong’s CBD on a one-way street, with no discernable signage – but it’s worth the swearing and hurling of iPhones. Not to get all gushy or anything, but it’s probably the most exciting restaurant to open in all of Victoria since Brae. Like Brae, it’s degustation-only (five or eight courses) and a bit of a culinary mystery tour, although they’ll ask your preferences – if you’re in the pro or anti-marron brigade, for example, or if you swing savoury or sweet.  

Despite the high standard of food and service at Merne, it somehow manages to avoid feeling overly formal or pretentious. But when you’re surrounded by vineyards and olive groves it’s probably hard not to be friendly and hospitable. Merne sits on the same site as Loam, the Bellarine Peninsula’s acclaimed fine-dining restaurant, which closed in 2013. Rising from the ashes, Merne has carved out its own chunk in the region’s epicurean scene, focusing on a share-dining service perfect for sharing a bottle of local wine. Choose from either the two- or four-course sharing menus (both come in at under $100 per person). 

Queenscliff brewhouse is a bit of a Swiss army knife of a venue. Yes, it’s a brewery, but it's also a pub, bistro, tasting room, whisky bar and soon to be hotel. Almost everything at the venue is locally sourced, from the ham on your eggs benny to the tomatoes in your pasta. Even if you don’t have time to check out the best producers on the Bellarine, you can still support them by checking out Queenscliff Brewhouse’s tasting room. It features walls and walls of local products: jams, olive oils, spice mixes, honey, chutney, sauces and plenty of wine. 

With so many award-winning wineries on the Bellarine Peninsula, it’s a bit surprising that it took so long for a distillery to pop up. Thank goodness it did, though, because Drysdale is a different place since Bellarine Distillery and its cellar door, the Whiskery, opened. Having a drink at the Whiskery is an unpretentious affair: it feels a little like having a drink in a lush, fairytale beer garden. But the staff’s conviviality is genuine and is backed by the quality of their spirits and cocktail menu. Those who turn their noses up at G&Ts will be converted by the Whiskery’s version, which is smooth, fragrant and just a little bit citrusy.

It’s hard to imagine the Bellarine wine industry without Scotchmans Hill, as the vineyard is one of the biggest and oldest on the peninsula (it was established in 1982). What started as a single stainless-steel tank and five barrels has grown into an operation spanning 1000 barrels, 600 tonnes of fruit and an 8000-cubic-metre barrel hall. Its new cellar door, however, is a relatively recent addition to the vineyard, and one worth waiting for. You’ll have to drive up a hill, through the estate’s vineyards to reach the cellar door, a French provincial-style building with a large open courtyard and some not-too-shabby views.

If there were an award for the best view in the Bellarine Peninsula, the view from Jack Rabbit Vineyard would probably be the victor. Best of all, you can enjoy it with a glass of wine in hand and some excellent food to chase. Soak in the breathtaking views across the bay to Geelong, the You Yangs and Melbourne as you sip standouts such as sparkling blanc de blanc, riesling and a devilishly sweet frizzante at Jack Rabbit’s cellar door. The pinot grigio is the king at this winery; expect to be walking out the door with a bottle. After a tasting, there are two dining options: the House of Jack Rabbit café or the Jack Rabbit restaurant.

Any winery that greets you with two friendly dogs is a winery we can get around. Curlewis Winery is home to the oldest pinot noir vines on the peninsula, dating back to the early 1980s. The Curlewis Winery team is small, and their cellar door is only open on weekends. But what a cellar door it is. Named “Appellation”, the Curlewis Winery cellar door is far too easy to get comfortable in. Outside it looks like a barn; inside it looks like a hunter’s cabin got the Queer Eye treatment. Warm timber furnishings, fur rugs and a fireplace make for a very cosy wine-tasting experience.

Decades ago a professional cyclist called Basil Halsall decided to buy a stretch of land on the shores of Swan Bay, using the land to grow various crops. Basil has moved on, but his farm continues to thrive as a winery and paddock-to-plate café. On a sunny day, regardless of season, visitors can be found spilling out of the café and onto the sprawling, green hillside while enjoying lunch, coffee or just a glass of wine. The menu here draws – wherever possible – from the farm’s own vegetable garden, which you can walk through freely.