Victoria's best kept secret is less than 90 minutes out of Melbourne

When you think about wine tasting in Victoria, your mind likely takes you to sprawling vineyards of the renowned Yarra Valley, or picturesque estates dotted along the Mornington Peninsula.

But journey across the other side of Port Phillip Bay and you'll find some of the oldest and richest wine history the state has to offer.

I'll admit, in the past I've naively passed off Geelong and the Bellarine - which spans from Geelong around to Ocean Grove. Like many, I'd often bypass the region on my way to the Surf Coast.

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But after spending a weekend exploring what the region has to offer, I discovered a treasure trove of culture that locals love, and tourists are missing out on.

Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula are some of Victoria's best-kept secrets.

The region's food and wine culture rivals Melbourne (I know, that's a major call), Corio Bay offers a gorgeous view across to Melbourne and it's easy to get lost in the streets- and I'm about to uncover the secrets the locals don't want you to know.

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Here's my guide to the perfect weekend on the Bellarine.

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Where to stay in Geelong

We were lucky enough to stay in the brand new IHG Crowne Plaza Hotel, nestled right in the centre of the city, and equally close to the waterfront.

Crowne Plaza Geelong is the newest and largest player in the accommodation game in Geelong, and boy, has it burst onto the scene with style.

Primely positioned, we had sweeping views across the bay from our hotel window, which we loved admiring each morning with a coffee in bed.

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The hotel perfectly blends luxury with modern designs and furniture, and we were thoroughly impressed with the quality of the hotel - it's clear no expense was spared.

Our suite featured gorgeous modern Indigenous art by Geelong-based artist Kate Robinson, drawing on native flora.

We arrived on a Friday night and settled straight into dinner at Crowne Plaza in-house Italian trattoria, Sociali, which was an absolute stand-out during our stay.

It offers a modern Italian menu centred around local ingredients. The Lamb pizza and pork belly are must-tries, trust me!

If you're keen to keep the party going after dinner but want something convenient, head up to the Skyline bar on level 10.

The venue features cozy armchairs and a speakeasy feel, all the while offering glittering views of the city and the bay at night, as the name suggests. For some reason I was expecting a rooftop bar, but it's actually fully enclosed, meaning the soundproofing is great for guests of the hotel.

If, like me, you're a sucker for a buffet breakfast (who isn't?), Sociali transforms into a breakfast space in the mornings, where guests can dine on a variety of continental and hot buffet options.

Other perks at the hotel include a valet service, fitness and pool.

Wine, glorious wine!

The Bellarine's wine history dates back to 1845, when Swiss immigrants produced Victoria's first commercial vintage. By the 1860s, Geelong was the most significant wine region in Australia – in both size and stature – exporting to Europe and producing award- winning wines.

But the industry ground to a halt in 1875, when a plant disease called phylloxera forced all of the vines in Victoria to be ripped up.

The Bellarine did not start reproducing wine until the 1960s. Since then, the industry has built itself up to producing award-winning varietals.

What really stood out to us across our day of winery hopping was the cohesion and sense of community the businesses share.

Despite technically being competitors, many of the wine producers collaborate with each other and build each other up, perhaps due to the struggle of starting from scratch. This was something we really came to admire over the course of the weekend.

Being in a cooler climate, the wines across the Bellarine are delicate, light and approachable.

So how did we manage to spend the day travelling the Bellarine on a wine tasting crusade? Enter: Hop It Tours!

The bus service is the only of its kind in Victoria and truly made our winery day seamless.

Everybody on the bus had different itineraries of wineries and distilleries they wanted to visit and our driver Sara expertly crafted a schedule that meant we could all visit the specific wineries and distilleries we wanted.

She even sent us a reminder text of our pick up time at each venue as the day went by, so we could focus on the important stuff- drinking wine!

We were picked up in Geelong CBD and drove for about 25 minutes before we reached a cluster of wineries where we began the day.

Terindah Estate

Terindah Estate, located right in the heart of the Bellarine was our first cellar door stop of the day, and it certainly stunned with its gorgeous bay views and clean, crisp varietals.

Our bus driver Sara told us Terindah does a fantastic lunch, and they also offer a unique Tram Bar.

As per its name, Terindah means 'most beautiful' in Indonesian.

Jack Rabbit Vineyard

Just down the road from Terindah, Jack Rabbit Vineyard is a local favourite for its cool climate varietals and in-house cafe.

The Sprawling estate has picturesque views of Corio Bay, with Melbourne's city skyline glimmering in the distance.

The business managed to toe an expert line between an accessible, family-friendly venue at the Jack Rabbit cafe, and elevated, fine dining with its adjacent restaurant and wedding space. There's even a helipad for those lucky enough to afford the luxury!

We loved the inventive method of wine tasting at Jack Rabbit, where we were gifted a tray of six test ubes filled with different varietals and an information booklet from which we could take our time with a self-guided tasting.

The vineyard delivers a rich, diverse stable of award-winning, sophisticated cool climate wines, including Sparkling Blanc de Blanc, Moscato, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Chardonnay, Rose, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Shiraz and Shiraz Cabernet.

Scotchman's Hill

Scotchmans Hill is one of the oldest wineries on The Bellarine, established in 1982 by the Browne Family.

In 2014, when the Brownes decided to sell, a board made up of local families stepped in to buy Scotchmans Hill to ensure that the Winery stays locally owned.

Since then, it's been a passion project concentrated on quality, producing only about 45,000 cases each year.

The winery is known for producing premium cool maritime climate wines for over 40 years and is rated among James Halliday's Top 100 Australian Wineries.

Scotchman's Hill's latest range, Sole, bursts new life into the premium brand, bringing international varietals like Sangiovese Rose, Fiano and Albarinho.

For the loyalists, their premium brand Cornelius produces award winning varietals such a gorgeous pinot noir.

Scotchman's Hill was a highlight for us -their cellar door is inviting and their team extremely knowledgeable and passionate about their drop.

The Whiskery

From the moment we walked down the cobblestone path and plunged into one of the velvety armchair at the distillery door, fireplace going, we felt right at home. All of the distillery's spirits are affectionately named after the owner's dogs, and the aromatics each come with hold equally unique origin stories.

The Whiskery is the distillery door for the award-winning Bellarine Distillery, and is set on seven acres in the heart of the Bellarine Peninsula.

The business puts a large focus on local produce, gathering local lemon myrtle, saltbush from the Bellarine and rosemary from their own backyard to infuse into their luscious spirits.

Things to do in Geelong CBD

While we had an amazing day travelling throughout the Bellarine you don't need to venture from Geelong to enjoy good food and wine.

We ventured to Pakington Street, or Pako as the locals call it, for dinner, which is a city-adjacent strip filled with boutique stores, cafes and restaurants.

I could easily spend hours getting lost in all the cute shops on the street, but alas, more food was calling!

We tried the Birch - a Geelong brunch staple that has recently started offering dinner.

The menu offered an awesome fusion of flavours - think modern Australian with an Asian twist - and we loved the charm of the venue.

If you're partial to a post-dinner drink, head across the road to The Claret. This wine bar has a trendy and cozy feel and also offers beer, spirits, cheeses and charcuterie.

If you're looking for a bit more of a lively vibe, the Little Malop Street dining precinct in the heart of Geelong's CBD comes alive at night.

We stopped there en route home for one last drink at 18th Amendment Bar.

If you consider yourself a cocktail buff, the prohibition-era inspired speakeasy is a must-visit.

Think dry ice, inventive cocktail glasses and obscure liqueurs. If you're super brave, like me, you could even try a hot cocktail. The Cuppa Joe is a spin on an Espresso Martini and it was bloody delicious.

Oh and did I mention the free popcorn?! In all seriousness, The 18th Amendment bar is a consistent award winning on the scene, and it's regarded as one of the top cocktail bars in regional Victoria.

Fyanfords Paper Mill

Built on the historic Barwon River and overlooking the picturesque Buckley's Falls, Fyanfords Paper Mill is the perfect way to start a sleepy Sunday.

The 2.8 hectare site houses independent artists, a gallery, café, Elizabeth Bell Ceramics pottery studio and Provenance Wines.

Libby from Elizabeth Bell Pottery generously welcomed us into her shopfront and work space, where she was preparing to welcome a pottery class.

Libby collaborates with mining company Boral to use some of their non-toxic clay waste for her products, and she makes her own ceramic glazes.

We went home with a gorgeous oil pourer and have used it every single day since getting home!

Federal Mills Precinct

On our way back to Melbourne, we stopped at the Federal Mills- a grand old woollen mill circa 1915 that has been transformed into a business and retail precinct.

The red brick buildings, which have been restored to their original industrial features, now house a bakery, gin distillery, vintage market, and collectables gallery.

We loved taking our time browsing the Geelong Vintage market, which was filled with antiques, collectables and vintage finds.

We couldn't leave Geelong without a trip to Paddock Bakery for a spot of brunch and their famous creme brulee doughnuts (they were unreal!).

The venue was bustling with activity, and is clearly another local favourite.

If you visit, don't pass up the hot honey chicken burger, it was sensational and just what the doctor ordered after a weekend of wine drinking.

The writer visited Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula as a guest of Crowne Plaza Geelong and Tourism Greater Geelong and The Bellarine.