Picnics

How does it work?

Food for the Montalto picnics is freshly prepared on the day by the award winning Montalto kitchen, and is based around the current menu in both the Restaurant and Piazza. It is a series of shared platters. Dietary needs can be accommodated, and must be advised at the time of booking.

Picnics are booked for a 12pm start, and the site is yours until 4pm. Please check in with Cellar Door staff when you arrive. They will take you through a wine tasting and give you directions to your picnic site, a map and your selected wine. You then walk to your site, which takes between 10 - 20 minutes through the property, depending on which site you are headed to. When you arrive your food will be in a refrigerated box waiting for you. Our Picnic Patrol will arrive shortly after to take you through your picnic menu. We will then leave you to your own devices unless you want us to come back and check on you. If you do find yourself needing anything, our Picnic Patrol have a dedicated mobile phone. Tea and coffee are included in the picnic price and are served in the Piazza Café until 4pm.

We cater for groups from two to a maximum of eight people, with each site able to accommodate a different number of guests. Children under 12 (or those who will not consume an adult meal) are not catered for but are more than welcome. We suggest you self-cater for children if they are coming with you.

Picnics are $80 per head, with wine purchased in addition. Gift vouchers are available online for picnic experiences, click HERE to purchase or contact us by telephone.

How do we book?

Picnic reservations can be made by calling us on 03 5989 8412 (option 3) or emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

We require a Credit Card number to confirm your booking.

How far ahead to we need to book?

As food is prepared specially for picnics, we request a minimum of 48 hours notice, however due to the popularity of picnics, bookings should be made as early as possible. Weekends in particular book out extremely quickly so try and book as soon as you know a date.

We require 24 hours notice of cancellations/number changes. Picnics cancelled with less than 24 hours notice incur a 100% cancellation fee, those paying by voucher will have voucher voided.

So what happens if it rains on the day of our picnic? Or if the weather looks awful?

We wish we could control the weather but we can't. Every picnic whether with us or not is dependent on the weather, and whilst we wish for a beautiful day for you to enjoy, it is not a done deal.

Our picnic sites have been selected because they are beautiful but also because they offer a level of protection from wind and the elements. Each site however has its own particular characteristics and some perform better than others on cooler or warmer days. The sites are furnished with a market umbrella which offers shade and shelter from drizzle.

We keep a close eye on the weather forecast and will call you the day before your picnic to confirm it with you. If the weather looks to be unsuitable for picnicking we will cancel the picnic (if it is unsuitable for our staff to work in) or ask you to decide whether you want to proceed or not. If we are able to we will accommodate you in the restaurant but during busy periods this can be very difficult.

Please note it is your responsibility to cancel the picnic the day before and if on the day we are proceeding and you then decide to change your mind, unfortunately we will have to charge you for the picnic, as the food is made very early on the day of the picnic.