House of Jack Rabbit

If you’ve come to the Bellarine in search of quiet escape, this winery is an ideal first stop for slowing down from the city pace.

The House of Jack Rabbit is the cafe and cellar door counterpart to the Jack Rabbit vineyard. It’s based at the end of a lane halfway between Portarlington and Clifton Springs. The location grants visitors sweeping views across Port Phillip Bay, to the You Yangs and Melbourne.

The cellar door first opened in 2010 in a weatherboard cottage. This has since been replaced with a more contemporary cafe and tasting room, as well as an adjacent fine-dining restaurant. The cafe’s expansive deck is perfect for lapping up sunshine in warmer weather. Try a selection of the vineyard’s wine paired with cheese and charcuterie boards.

Indoors, there’s a fireplace to keep the space comfortable in cooler months. Take a guided wine tasting of the vineyard’s many white and red varietals – from sparkling blanc de blanc through to riesling and shiraz – before selecting a bottle of your favourite to enjoy over a long lunch.

Jack Rabbit is part of a larger family of wine and cider producers on the peninsula, which also includes Leura Park Estate Winery and Flying Brick Cider House.

Explore Queenscliff further using our detailed Out of Town to Queenscliff guide.