It's always an exciting experience to visit one of the many cellar doors around the Mornington Peninsula to try, taste or sample a wine offering. Our vineyards and glorious cool climate wines have made our region a special place to visit. So how should we taste wine? We sat down with winemaker Tony Lee from Foxeys Hangout for all the insider tips and tricks on how you can taste wine like a pro.

From planting the first vineyard in the late 1990s to the present day, Foxeys Hangout Winery in Red Hill represents one of the most inviting and picturesque places to hangout. With a combined love and knowledge of fine wines fuelling the vineyard's establishment, brothers Tony and Michael Lee have quickly become recognised and leading winemakers of the region. For Tony, he prefers to make the kind of wines he loves to drink, and it is from here, we start our wine tasting journey and tell you Tony's top tips for tasting wines.

    1. Have Fun

Tony's number one tip for tasting wine is to allow yourself to enjoy the experience and to have fun tasting all the different types of wines. Each of us has a different palate and will enjoy different flavours and varieties of wine. Tony emphasises the need to enjoy the process of wine tasting with those around us. "Yes, winemaking is a serious business; there's a lot of chemistry. But when you're smelling wine, tasting wine or talking about wine, we should be having fun doing it," he says. "Anything with wine should be fun."

    2. The Swirl

The start of tasting wine is to have a well-controlled glass swirl, as this is the best way to release the different scents within the wine. Therefore, the movement of wine around the glass allows you to smell the aromas of the wine released through swirling. 

    3. The Smell

Learning to smell wine is one of the most important steps in tasting wines. Tony tells us that winemakers know that 90% of wine tasting is in the smelling of the wine..it is here your senses will experience all of the delicate, interesting scents that separate one wine from another. For example, you may smell things like fruits, flowers, melons, citrus, and apples, depending on the style of wine you are tasting.

    4. Tasting

There are four distinct tastes to look out for when tasting; sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Depending on your palate, you will likely appreciate different styles of wine for the scents and tastes that you like.

So there you have it! Fun, swirl, smell and taste - follow these, and you will be tasting like a pro enabling you to discover the wine flavours your palate personally loves.

It's no surprise the Mornington Peninsula has become a winemaker and wine lover's haven. Rich and fertile soil and the endless rolling hinterland hills have made way for vineyards to grow and award-winning wines produced. This link between region and produce is special in Tony's eyes. "I like being able to make the connection between the place where the grapes are grown and the wines," he says. And for somewhere where "individuality shines and…one vineyard is as unique as the next one, " there are boundless exploration and discovery opportunities: new tastes, new delights, and new memories.

Tony's favourite wine? "A Riesling because it's fresh and has intensity."

Explore more of Foxeys Hangout and our other sensational wineries, vineyards and cellar doors on the Mornington Peninsula here.