The Mornington Peninsula climate has changed little since Eocene times, and the Scorpo Family Vineyard in Merricks North is located in the heart of this region. Fossil evidence suggests that the climate is much the same as it was before the Older Volcanics, which means that the vineyard is blessed with a stable climate in most years, and offers the perfect combination of land, aspect, soil type and microclimate. Although Climate Change has made for a much more difficult to predict harvest dates.
Comprising 17 Acres, the initial 10 Acres was planted in 1997. A further 1.5 Acres( High density) was planted in 2014. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir a small amount of Pinot Gris and Shiraz are planted on red/blown, clay/loam soils derived from Tertiary Eocene (40 million years old) Older Volcanics, between an altitude of 70–100m above sea level on a North-North-East facing 10% slope – a brilliant suntrap and ideal drainage to slowly grow and ripen grapes. The Vines are planted at different densities, varying from 2425 per hectare to 10000 vines per hectare.
The bulk of the Pinot Gris was planted in 2008, on the south/west side of the ridge, with a 14% slope. Most of the soils are Older Volcanics with the south/west corner having been cut, through millions of years of erosion, into Silurian (500 million years old) clay. The Vines are planted at a density of 4500 vines per hectare.