Mount Duneed Estate hosts business meetings, retreats, product launches, professional development days, gala dinners and weddings for groups of 8 to 500 guests. The winery covers about 100 acres of countryside at Waurn Ponds, on the southern side of Geelong in Victoria, a little over an hour from Melbourne and close to the Surf Coast. Eight pod rooms on site let small groups stay overnight.
Seminars and company events
For small teams the Boardroom seats 20 around a table or 50 in theatre rows and has a flat-screen TV. Retreats start from eight people and can use the on-site pods, which carry corporate rates. Larger formats move into the Barrel Hall or the Vineyard Room, for seated dining, stand-up networking or a product launch. Wi-Fi is free, and audio-visual equipment for larger events comes through the estate's preferred suppliers. The team also arranges corporate gifts, from estate wines to wine and gourmet hampers, and works with partner accommodation that can coordinate transport for bigger groups.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are exclusive: the estate is reserved for one couple, and the package covers the venue, staff and security. Ceremonies and pre-dinner drinks can take place in several spots, indoors and outdoors, among the vines or in the olive grove, with a marquee as a wet-weather option. Guest numbers range from 50 to 500. Beverage service runs for five hours and can be extended to midnight.
Rooms and capacities
The Barrel Hall is the main space: up to 400 seated with a dance floor or 500 for a cocktail event, and it can be divided for smaller groups. Evening events reach 500 guests, with daytime use on request. The Vineyard Room takes 50 to 100 for a seated lunch or dinner and up to 200 for a cocktail event, with its own private bar. The Garden Bar is an open-air area for up to 500 in fair weather, suited to canapé hours. The Boardroom completes the range for meetings.
Accommodation
Eight rooms are spread across the Olive Grove and Vineyard pods. Each has a king bed, an ensuite with local organic bath products, a kitchenette, a small lounge and a coffee machine. Stays include a continental breakfast and a bottle of the estate's sparkling wine. For larger groups, the estate works with partner accommodation nearby.
Catering
Food is prepared in-house under head chef Daniel Duve, with local produce at the center of the menus. The Barrel Hall offers seated and cocktail menus with full table service. In the Vineyard Room, drinks can be an all-inclusive package or a bar tab. The Garden Bar can work from the restaurant menu for relaxed gatherings. All dietary needs are catered for, and external caterers can be arranged for cultural or kosher weddings. The Barrel Hall Restaurant and the cellar door are also open to the public.
History and setting
The estate sits in the Geelong wine region, where coastal breezes and mineral soils shape the fruit. Alongside its Geelong Range, the winery presents a Regional Range from Victorian fruit and a Single Vineyard Range from the Yarra Valley and Heathcote. The grounds mix vines, an olive grove and open countryside, and the estate also stages concerts in season.
Getting there
The address is 65 Pettavel Road, Waurn Ponds, Victoria 3216. Melbourne is a little over an hour by road, and Avalon Airport is the closest airport.
