Ocean Eight is a family-owned vineyard and winery. Winemaker Michael Aylward went into business with his parents in 2004, with a focus on making the highest-quality pinot noir and chardonnay on the Mornington Peninsula.

Plantings of pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot gris over two sites combine to make a total of 14 hectares under vine. Michael has travelled extensively through Burgundy, Alsace and Champagne to determine the Ocean Eight style and the best-quality winemaking techniques.

His travels to Champagne were also the inspiration behind an Ocean Eight sparkling, made in very limited numbers when seasons are ideal for sparkling production.

Although the wines are grown and made on the Mornington Peninsula, the most salient Burgundian techniques are applied to take the wines to another level. It’s this attention to quality and detail that led to Michael being named ‘Young Gun of Wine’ in 2011.

Ocean Eight pinot gris has been consistently rated the best of its type in Australia. It is produced in the best region for this variety in the Southern Hemisphere.

Ocean Eight produces four wines each year, and a visit to the cellar door offers visitors the chance to taste these, alongside the occasional museum release, plus the opportunity to visit the underground barrel room and cellar.