![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/palatecheivoul_59366.jpg\")
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And sticking with the pizza theme, if you live across the dip in Ocean Grove and are yet to enjoy a pizza from Red Park (the old Napona site) you’ve really been missing out: they’re brilliant too. If it’s a matter of enjoying said pizza dining out, be sure to book your table in advance, as tables fill quickly, particularly on weekends. I really like the drinks list to be honest: a tasteful mix that balances the craft\/more-mainstream choices of beer\/wine\/cocktails with ease, representing basic booze options right through to some more serious By The Glass choices (the bar snack selection is quality, too).<\/p>\n
In sadder news, in which some readers may already be aware of, Bellarine Peninsula favourite Merne is due to close at the end of January. The end of their tenancy lease marks ten years as one of the brighter culinary highlights found along the Bellarine, where their stunning dining room view – amongst the trees of the property’s olive grove, the distant waters of Swan Bay found far in its backdrop – is as good as any I can think of on the peninsula. I’ve really enjoyed good meals here (and at its previous incarnation, Loam) over the years, and it will be a sad goodbye to a spot loved by so many Bellarine locals, Geelong diners, and visiting tourists. What’s coming next for this space? Time will tell.<\/p>\n
While not the first grape variety you may think of when talking about our Geelong wine region, I’ve tried some excellent examples of local rieslings over the past few weeks. Ideal consumption for the warmer weather ahead, the grape’s versatility allows for the production styles to range anywhere from bone dry, to off-dry, to seriously sweet. In the drier department, bottles I’ve enjoyed recently have come from Bannockburn Vineyards (Moorabool) and Banks Road (Bellarine). Whereas two great, slightly off-dry styles – both balanced by beautiful natural acidity – have come from the Surf Coast\/Otways, with Reed’s Knowing riesling (Spring Creek) and ‘Heroes’ Vineyard’s Das Helden (Murroon, just near Pennyroyal). If you’re looking for more of a dessert-style riesling, Lethbridge Wines do a couple of good bottlings, although they usually prove somewhat difficult to track down (best to try their website if interested). So rather than reaching for that local bottle of gris or sauvignon this summer, why not make it a riesling from one of the above mentioned producers?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With another blow to Moorabool Street’s dwindling shopfront dwellings, craft beer bar Hop City has relocated a few hundred metres away to the heart of Little Malop Street. Now calling Caruggi their next door neighbour, it’s a much better spot (I feel) and one that will drive more foodie- foot-traffic through their doors. It’s also within metres of the new Farm Dog outlet found along Denny’s Place, making the precinct a convincing stop for anyone undertaking a local craft beer bar crawl. I’ve always loved the rotating keg beer selection they’ve had there, where smaller and more boutique breweries – both domestic and internationally – are championed on their 20+ taps. Currently, Hop Nation’s TIPA (triple IPA) is a treat, as well as One Drop Brewing Co’s Courtside, their cream smoothie sour beer. Well worth a visit.<\/p>\n Finally, I’ve learnt that the month of December will mark the 75th birthday of the Geelong Wine and Food Society, said to be the oldest continually running food\/wine enthusiast group in the country. What does that mean exactly? It means this association has met every month since 1950 – even during COVID, via Zoom – for a dinner\/event at one of region’s restaurants, whether current or past. That means an unbroken monthly run of 900 dinners exactly\u2026 what an achievement from a small regional group of foodies!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" THE LATTER\u00a0 – which I’m going to refer to as the proper wood fire version – can be a thing of real splendour, if executed properly. And I think I’ve found the best spot for this along the coast, if not all the greater Geelong region. They’ve been going a few years now (since the […]<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/palatemerneresized_72631.jpg\")