EAT > Ten Minutes by Tractor, Red Hill

Ten Minutes by Tractor is 90 kilometres from Melbourne CBD, a ninety minute drive that highlights everything that is brilliant about the Mornington Peninsula. The local council zoning rules have meant that land can not be subdivided (unless it is larger than 90 acres in size), which has meant most of the peninsula is still rural, with wineries and farms. Set on the ridge of the hill with the azure waters of Sorento and Port Phillip Bay on one side and the view across Western Port Bay to “The Nobbies” and Phillip Island on the other.

So close to Melbourne and yet so remote and with an excellent climate supporting the Mornington Peninsula wine region, it has recently been a place for restaurants, golf courses, resorts and spa’s. And as it has become more desirable to visit it has also attracted a lot more fine dining to the region. Tedesca Osteria, Point Leo Estate, Yabby Lake, Polperro, Cape, the list goes on.

Ten Minutes by Tractor is a winery restaurant but its no ordinary winery restaurant, this is outstanding and the food is and service are as good as you will find at any fine dining degustation restaurant around the world.

image credit | Ten Minutes by Tractor

This is a restaurant that really shines for a long lunch its a beautiful location with views across the vineyards, the room is bright and breezy and perfect for a sunny afternoon but we happened along on a Friday evening and as it turned out it was just as fabulous.

Our first dish was the 10X garden beetroot, served with Main Ridge goat’s cheese, macadamia and kombucha pearls. It was immediately so pretty that it was hard to know how to start eating it. A delicious garden of flavour.

The next dish arrived with claws up, Manjimup marron served with tomato, guanciale and saltbush (very fashionable) so tasty. Then it was a lamb dish (Roaring Forties lamb), served with a pickled cucumber (this is the time I explain I am one of the few people in the world who really doesn’t rate cucumber, I avoid it) served with borago flowers and an oyster that looked a lot more like a chocolate rum ball. Phenomenal flavours, the lamb pink and pretty the oyster, whole unexpected and the cucumber quite pleasant.

There was a dish of mushroom (Forestry Lion’s Mane) served with wild onion, escargots and bone marrow toast – not a combination I could ever have imagined before but it came together perfectly.

Then a classic poached Rapa turnip, served with zucchini, sorghum and Vegemite consume the flavours were subtle (unlike Vegemite) and very good. Foie gras was served with a Jetty Road pale ale small loaf of bread, and tomato and coffee spreads (another unlikely but delicious flavour).

The final main course was duck, Mootabool Valley duck breast with pickled cabbage.

Deserts were cuvée chocolate, Main Ridge cherry and Kirsch followed by Petit fours.

image credit | Crispy ALMANAK Magazine

WINE >

When you consider that this is a winery restaurant, the wine list is really extensive, of course there is an excellent range of Ten by Tractor wines, but there is also an extensive range of wines from around the world. However here is probably my only slight negative, wines, especially by the glass are quite expensive. A 125ml glass of wine (weighed for accuracy) was between $26 and $60 per glass. Translated that means a bottle of Irrewarra (made by Nick Farr) is being served at $31 per glass the equivalent of $186 per bottle (RRP is $68) make your own mind up..

CONCLUSION >

The price of the wine should not be the thing to stop you visiting Ten by Tractor because it is an absolutely excellent restaurant with first class service and a truely lovely dining room. The food was stunning both in flavours and the incredible visual presentation. The sommelier was knowledgeable and the wine list extensive. But in our judgement the difference between great restaurants is no matter the price, you feel it was great value and in this case we dropped the score from 19 to 18 on the basis of that ‘perception of great value’.