Emilia reviews: The Cups Estate — ‘most underrated winery on the Peninsula’

This is my favourite, most underrated winery on the Mornington Peninsula — minus the crowds!

The Cups Estate in Fingal nails the food, the service and of course, the wine. The 30-acre property boasts a vineyard, cellar door, restaurant and olive grove.

You drive up the hill to the steep stone driveway to the beautiful circular restaurant with floor to ceiling windows that look out onto the rolling vineyards. That alone is enough to sell me.

The area is known as ‘The Cups’ after being dubbed The Cups & Saucers by one of the founding families, The McCraes, in the 1830s. It was given this name because of the topography, with the many sand dunes making the shapes of cups and saucers. In order to pay homage to the land that produces the grapes, The Cups Estate name was embraced.

So, let’s get into the food. THE FOOD. It’s a $75 set menu for the chef’s selection; I know it’s a little pricey but it’s worth every cent. 

Let me talk you through the menu: 

For starters — of course it starts with focaccia with cultured fennel butter. The yellow fin tuna crudo came out and it was just beautiful to look at, let alone taste; blood orange, miso emulsion and togarashi crumb.

This one got me — roast beetroot caprese — think fior di latte, prosciutto, roasted hazelnut crumb and fig gel. 

We added the calamari taco, totally worth it. 

We paired a rose with entrees and pinot noir with the mains as advised by our super helpful waiter.

On to the mains: a new addition to the menu was the gnocchi in pine mushroom beurre blanc and topped with pine nut crumb. The show-stoppingly glossy, flavoursome beef short rib with cauliflower foam and finally roast parsnip with smoked labneh. 

I had to finish with panna cotta in macadamia praline and raspberry sorbet.

Personal favourites were the roasted beetroot caprese and calamari taco. The beef short rib was amazing but you don’t need a lot — it packs a punch on the flavour!

The Cups Estate fuses cuisines so seamlessly. Its founders are Italian, and incorporate their Sicilian heritage as well as Middle Eastern and Asian flavours.

Like everyone, they’ve been impacted heavily by the labour shortage, yet their service was impeccable. I loved that our waiter kept showing us the meals around the restaurant to give us a visual – he knew their presentation was on point.

SO worth the drive, or even make it a weekend trip. It’s also just next to Peninsula Hot Springs, just saying…

The Cups Estate
269 Browns Road, Fingal
thecupsestate.com.au
PH: 5988 5469