Bellarine Winery: Texas BBQ Platter Lunch with Wine

Bellarine Estate gives a Texas-born founder’s food tradition a place at a cool-climate vineyard table. The two-hour lunch pairs a platter of house-made and house-cured meats with seasonal local produce, plus a glass of estate wine for each person.

I like two things in particular: the menu connects the winery’s family story to a distinctly Texan BBQ, and the estate makes its own wines on-site from grape to bottle. You can also add a cellar-door tasting or explore the Thirty Acres range of gin, rum and cocktails.

The main limitation is the narrow schedule: lunch is offered Friday through Sunday, with the last booking at 3 pm, and it is not available on public holidays or from December 25 to January 31. It is for adults, too, so this is not a family lunch outing.

At a glance

• A founder’s Texas connection: The BBQ honours a Bellarine Estate co-founder who was born and raised in Texas.
• A full platter for two: Lunch includes house-made and house-cured meats, seasonal local produce and a glass of wine per person.
• Wine made on-site: The family-run estate handles each stage of winemaking through to bottling.
• Optional tasting and spirits: You can opt for a cellar-door tasting, or look for Thirty Acres gin, rum and cocktails.
• A compact visit: Plan for two hours, with bookings limited to two participants.

Texas BBQ with a family story

The meal has a more personal reason for being on the menu than simply adding an American dish to a winery. Bellarine Estate was established in 1996 by Peter and Lizette Kenny, and its Texas BBQ honours one of the founders, a Texan by birth and upbringing. That gives the lunch a clear connection to the people behind the estate.

The platter is the central event. You get house-made and house-cured meats with sides made from seasonal local produce. The exact cuts, sides and portion sizes are not specified, so I would not plan around a particular menu item. What is clear is that the lunch is designed as a shared, substantial meal rather than a small tasting plate.

A previous diner described the food as delicious and plentiful, and singled out the staff as welcoming and helpful. That is useful context if you are weighing up whether the lunch itself is worth making time for: expect a generous meal, not just a glass of wine beside a snack. Still, the menu can change with the season, and the details of the BBQ preparation are not set out.

The Texas link is a nice way to understand the estate beyond its wine list. It adds a little character to an outing that might otherwise be a straightforward winery lunch. If you enjoy food with a story behind it, that connection makes the platter feel specific to this place.

A glass of cool-climate wine with lunch

Each person receives one glass of wine from the Bellarine Estate range as part of the lunch. The estate specialises in Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz, and describes its wines as classic cool-climate styles, smooth and complex. That gives you a sense of the range, but it does not specify which wine comes with the platter.

I like that the wine is part of the meal price rather than an extra you need to add to get the advertised experience. For two people, the included glasses give you a chance to try the estate’s own work alongside the food. If you want to taste more broadly, ask about the cellar-door tasting option when arranging your visit. It is an option, not a stated inclusion in the BBQ lunch.

There is a practical distinction here: the lunch includes one glass each, while a cellar-door tasting is something you may opt into separately. The information does not spell out the tasting price or the number of wines, so check those details before you decide. That way, you can keep the meal within budget or make room for a longer look at the range.

The estate’s on-site process is worth noting. Bellarine Estate says every stage of winemaking, including final bottling, takes place there. That does not mean you will see each step during a two-hour lunch, but it does mean the wine you are served comes from a family operation that manages production at the estate.

Thirty Acres: the estate’s spirits

Wine is not the only drink to look for. Thirty Acres Distillery produces gin, rum and cocktails, using grapes grown on the estate. The producer describes this as a field-to-flask approach, which connects the spirits to the same vineyard behind the wine.

This can broaden the visit if you are travelling with someone who is more interested in spirits than wine. The BBQ lunch itself includes wine, not a gin or rum drink, and the distillery range is a separate point of interest. The details provided do not say whether tastings or cocktails are included, so check before assuming they are part of your booking.

There is no need to turn the lunch into a full tasting itinerary. Two hours is a fairly compact visit, and the meal is the main feature. But if you have time and want to compare the estate’s different drinks, the cellar door and Thirty Acres range give you more to explore than a single glass with lunch.

What the two-hour visit is likely to feel like

The format is simple: arrive for your booked time, settle in for a shared BBQ platter, and have a glass of Bellarine Estate wine each. The visit lasts two hours, which gives you time for lunch and, if arranged, a closer look at the estate’s wines. No detailed sequence or guided tour is specified, so think of this as a hosted dining experience rather than a scheduled tour of the vineyard and production areas.

The small-group limit is two participants. That makes the booking well suited to a couple or two friends who want a relaxed meal without a large group around the table. It also means this is not an option for a larger party booking under the same activity. If you are planning a group visit, contact the provider to ask what arrangements may be possible.

The host or greeter speaks English. The activity is wheelchair accessible, a useful detail if access is part of your planning. The information does not describe the layout or specific facilities, so contact Bellarine Estate directly if you need to confirm whether the setup will meet particular access needs.

The lunch is not suitable for children under 18. That rule makes the experience a better fit for an adult lunch, perhaps as part of a winery day, than a mixed-age family outing. It also keeps the meal and drinks focused on the adult audience the estate has set for this activity.

Price, timing and planning

The listed price is $92 for a group of up to two. If two people share the booking, that works out to $46 per person for the platter lunch and one glass of wine each. For a winery meal, that is a clear package: food and a glass are included, rather than priced as separate essentials. Whether it feels like good value depends on how much you value the meal and the setting, and on whether you plan to add a tasting or drinks.

The price covers the Texan BBQ platter lunch for two and one glass of wine per person. It does not state that a cellar-door tasting, cocktails, gin or rum are included. Keep that distinction in mind when comparing the total cost with other winery lunches. If you are interested in extras, ask about their prices before you arrive.

Lunch is available Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The last booking time is 3 pm, so check the available start times for your chosen day and leave enough room for the full two-hour visit. There is no availability on public holidays or from December 25 through January 31. Those seasonal limits matter if your trip falls over the summer holiday period, when a winery lunch might otherwise seem an easy plan.

You can reserve now and pay later, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. That flexibility is useful if your plans are still taking shape. It does not change the restricted operating days, though, so first confirm that your travel dates fit the lunch schedule.

Who should book this lunch?

I would choose this experience if you want a sit-down meal with a clear local identity, rather than a wine tasting alone. The Texan founder’s story gives the BBQ a reason to be at Bellarine Estate, and the combination of house-made meats, seasonal produce and estate wine makes the lunch the main event.

It also suits two adults who would enjoy trying a cool-climate wine with a hearty platter, with the possibility of adding a cellar-door tasting or checking out the estate’s spirits. The small booking limit makes it a natural choice for a pair, not a large celebration group.

I would skip it if you need a weekday lunch, are visiting on a public holiday, or are travelling between December 25 and January 31. It is also not suitable for anyone under 18. If your priority is a detailed vineyard tour or a guided explanation of winemaking, those elements are not promised here. Book for the meal, the estate wine and the family story, and treat any extra tasting as something to confirm separately.

FAQ

What does the Texas BBQ lunch include?

It includes a shared platter of house-made and house-cured meats with sides of seasonal local produce, plus one glass of Bellarine Estate wine per person.

How much does the experience cost?

The listed price is $92 for a group of up to two people.

How long does the visit last?

The activity lasts two hours. Check the available start times when booking.

Which days is the BBQ lunch available?

It is available Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The last booking time is 3 pm.

Is the lunch available on public holidays or over the summer closure?

No. It is unavailable on public holidays and from December 25 until January 31.

Can children join the experience?

No. The activity is not suitable for children under 18.