While there is something slightly horror film-esque about the name, a moment here is enough to realise that there’s nothing frightening about Cannibal Creek. Located in Tynong North, West Gippsland (only about 60km from Melbourne), this vineyard boasts five hectares of vines, and a restaurant and cellar door, complete with an open fireplace and a long jarrah bar for wine tastings.

Patrick and Kirsten Hardiker have been running Cannibal Creek Vineyard for over 20 years. They’d spent a decade living in the wine regions of Western Australia prior, but returned to Victoria to take over what was then a cattle farm from Pat’s parents. Vines were planted on the site in 1997, a winery and a small tasting room were built three years later, and the new restaurant and cellar door were finished in 2016.

Being right on the border of Melbourne, Cannibal Creek Vineyard is an easy trip from the city for lunch or dinner (or a pit stop on your Gippsland road trip). Michelin-trained chef Philippe Desrettes is on the pans, serving up wine-friendly snacks like duck liver parfait and terrine, arancini, cheese and charcuterie. For something more substantial, look to mains like slow-roasted beef cheek, pork belly or lamb shoulder. Desrettes’ dishes are French in nature, although all produce used is either grown on-site in the Cannibal Creek kitchen garden, or sourced locally from Gippsland.

Cannibal Creek Vineyard
260 Tynong North Rd
Tynong North Victoria 3813
(03) 5942 8380

Hours
Cellar Door: Daily, 11-5pm
Restaurant: Lunch Wed to Sun, dinner Fri & Sat

TALKING WINE WITH KIRSTEN HARDIKER from Cannibal Creek