Crownbet director to sell unique Horseback Winery Tours venture

Crownbet director Grant Griffiths and daughter Alisha are taking a punt on the property market, listing her “spectacular” Mornington Peninsula tourist attraction after spending millions upgrading it.

The Horseback Winery Tours property in Main Ridge features a five-bedroom house with a pool and home office, as well as self-contained staff quarters, horse stables, paddocks, indoor and outdoor arenas, a cellar door and horse rehabilitation facilities.

Set on more than 9ha, the scenic property at 356 Shands Rd has a price guide of $8-$8.8 million.

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Griffiths says he helped his daughter redesign the equine property and grow the business.

In addition to its wine cellar and horseback wine tours, it offers lessons, school holiday programs and high-end agistment.

356 Shands Rd, Main Ridge, features a cellar door that overlooks and indoor horse arena.

“It’s a fully-integrated horse and tourism business — the only one we know of in Australia. And we are fielding requests to set up franchises in other wine regions of Australia,” Griffiths says.

“It is beyond comprehension when you see this place. It is spectacular.

“There has been in excess of $6-$7 million spent (on upgrades).”

Griffiths says the 1980s house — offering “spectacular views over the pool and the valleys” — was totally renovated three years ago, along with its pool and garden.

The swimming pool at the main house at Horseback Winery Tours.

His daughter Alisha says it will be hard to sell the property, “a haven for horses and customers”, but now is the time.

“It’s a business I have built with a lot of passion. A lot of time and energy has gone into Horseback,” she says.

“I am so attached to every single horse on this property and it will be very, very hard to pass that on. I would love to stay involved.

“The interaction between customer and horses is pretty spectacular — the horses aren’t separate from the customers, they all mingle together.”

The property is home to more than 80 horses.

Aqua Real Estate agent Michelle Skoglund says there has been strong interest in the property, with most wanting to retain it as a tourism business.

“The way the property has been designed, it can cater for up to 50 cars and two buses without affecting the feel of it,” she says.

“Once you drive into that property, you really do feel you are in a world-class establishment where it is all about you and the horse.”

Skoglund says “a horse solarium and powered horse walker” for rehabilitating injured animals are also part of the package.

It’s being offered for private sale, with offers closing November 28.

This article from The Herald Sun was originally published as “Horseback Winery Tours hits the market after multimillion-dollar upgrade”.