Wine Specialist in Melbourne, Store
Everything is well considered and polished, from the glossy service to the playful menu. Natural wine is really having a moment in Melbourne, with lots of oenophiles looking for organic, biodynamic and low-intervention drops. Whetner you want funky and weird or just biodynamic and low-intervention, we've rounded up our favourite Melbourne spots to get a glass of the good stuff.
A winery, restaurant and spa set in the undulating hills of West Gippsland. The deck is a picturesque spot to enjoy a glass of house tempranillo or sparkling pinot gris. Take in the views of the vineyard and olive wine stores VIC Australia grove and enjoy the satisfying tapas dishes. A limestone-rich vineyard that’s been operating for almost 30 years. Each wine poured at this family-run cellar door was cultivated, made and bottled on-site.
Sip and see for yourself why this winery has won so many Halliday awards. The cellar door is the best place to try the estate’s drops – including its celebrated shiraz, chardonnay and riesling. It’s also a picturesque spot for lunch platters that champion local charcuterie and Great Ocean Road cheeses. This bar, restaurant and wine shop is the public face of Innocent Bystander wines.
Wines are made on-site, with no filtration or artificial additions. Grapes are hand-stomped and stored in wooden barrels and stainless steel. There are plenty of options, including crackers, cheese, and a build-your-own platter.
This wine displays characters of cherries and soft red berries, enjoy this wine with antipasti. As well as being a queer and intersectional bookshop, it is a fully licensed bar and cafe, and performance venue. Though the Readings empire stretches to St Kilda and the State Library of Victoria, it's the Lygon Street store that holds the hearts and minds of Melbourne's diehard bookworms.
Their portfolio holds the beautiful Hazel, Dessous, Liminal and more but Lilac Wine Bar is their less-polished yet equally glittering wine bar that deserves due credit. Carlton Wine Room is another iconic wine bar situated in the leafy streets of Carlton. For serious grape drinkers, Marion’s status as the best-stocked wine bar in the neighbourhood should be all the convincing you need. The purpose-built, shorter wine list is a treasure trove of vinous excitement available by the glass, eliminating the need to look elsewhere for a diverse and satisfying wine experience.
Local wines and from all over Australia, with a great selection of classic international wines. With a dash of exotic flavour, then Xocolatl in Kew is worth a place high on your chocaholic hit list. Known for their bean-to-bar chocolate that manages to get its sweet to bitter ratio on point, Xocolatl also isn't afraid to experiment with diverse ingredients in its creations.
It doesn’t get much more low-key than a bar modelled on a lounge room. That’s what 31-year-old Farah Sabet has created here, tapping into her Egyptian heritage to encourage community and coming together at this stripped-back spot. There’s a big shared table, board games you can borrow, a dog-friendly policy, and BYO Ethiopian from Ras Dashen nearby. Wine-wise, explore interesting drops from small-scale and promising locals Beyond the Glass, Adlib and Chateau Acid. Have at least 6-8 glasses on hand for entertaining guests, or even go as big as an 18-piece set for dinner parties.
Combining gastronomy, art and luxury, the space can host up to 12 people. This alcohol-removed sparkling white offers a unique cellar door experience, bringing the essence of premium... With access to more than 9,000 products to stock, each Sessions’ store can celebrate unique brewers, distillers & vintners, in ways other bottle-shops can’t.
The open fires, warm timber finishes and Milton – Nelson’s dog who roams at your feet – are touches of homey charm. There is a strict “no wine snobbery” policy at the bar –customers are encouraged to ask questions and broaden their palates at their own pace without feeling self-conscious. Expect to fall down a vinuous rabbit hole as you explore the wealth of wines by niche producers, which includes many orange and biodynamic wines (although Milton doesn’t classify itself as a natural wine bar). The small Georgian market town, Melbourne offers a wide range of independent shops, such as florists, the deli, independent cafes and some bars, pubs and restaurants.