The Auswine Forum

G'day

I'm going to be in Melbourne next week, and catching up with some friends. I'm staying on Exhibition St in the CBD, and I would like some recommendations for a quirky wine bar nearby in the CBD that provides an interesting wine list and some reasonable tasting plates.

Thanks

Allan

City Wine Shop on Spring Street ticks the boxes.

I liked the melbourne supper club, but its expensive.

If you are into your single malts, Nants 1821 distiller bar is quite good too.

Cumulus Up on Flinders Lane would be another option...

Also Punch Lane in Lt Bourke

Kirks - same owners as city wine shop but a different vibe
Belotta - South Melbourne but worth the trip out for the food and wine. You can also go next door to prince and pick from the extensive shop list and bring across.
Marion - just outside the city also but an easy enough walk or short tram ride.

Not sure what your definition of quirky is?

Jimmy Watson's - Just outside the CBD in Carlton.

I've not been yet, but I've heard good things about Embla in Russell St. It's the people from the Town Mouse in Carlton.

Second Paul on that - I am itching to get to Embla - it's bound to be a beaut. Written up in Max Allen's feature on new wine bars in the Weekend Oz (well worth reading if you can get hands on it).

Gerald's in Rathdowne St is a 5 min taxi ride from town if you're looking for a VERY Melbourne wine bard experience - terrific food too.

Have fun Allan!

Thanks for the recommendations. I was impressed with Punch Lane last night, and may check out Embla tomorrow night (I ducked in there today to check out the menu)

Waiters Friend wrote:Thanks for the recommendations. I was impressed with Punch Lane last night, and may check out Embla tomorrow night (I ducked in there today to check out the menu)

I've always enjoyed Punch Lane. It has been there a long time now.

I also found the City Wine Shop on Spring St, after dining on the Yarra (well, actually, alongside the Yarra). Quirky little establishment that does bottle shop sales. Some good stuff, and only some of them are overpriced Also tried Mac Forbes Nebbiolo and would recommend it. Thanks for the recommendations.

Paulf and via Collins - we turned up at Embla, but a 45 minute wait to get in (at 6.30pm) so we went elsewhere. I suspect Embla may be a flash in the pan, though - not convinced by the menu or the 'by the glass' list. Plenty of other competition.

Please prove me wrong, and I look forward to the posts

Went to Punch Lane tonight. Nice but not a "wow" experience by any measure.

2013 Clairault Chardonnay - Very nice. Quality Chardonnay. Tight and long. Palate fattens up with time in the glass.

2008 Coto Imaz Rioja Riserva - Good complexity. Barnyard notes and served a touch warm but very nice wine.

The Pork was generous but a little firm and I didn't 'get' the accompaniments. The somewhat Asian jus was kind of complimentary.

Good but not great.

Cheers

Michael

Michael McNally wrote:Went to Punch Lane tonight. Nice but not a "wow" experience by any measure.

2013 Clairault Chardonnay - Very nice. Quality Chardonnay. Tight and long. Palate fattens up with time in the glass.

2008 Coto Imaz Rioja Riserva - Good complexity. Barnyard notes and served a touch warm but very nice wine.

Cheers

Michael

G'day Michael. Agree with your comments on the two wines. I've had the Clairault here in WA, and tried the Rioja at Punch Lane. You're spot on.

Cheers
Allan

Thanks everyone. We tried City Wine Shop this evening and will try some others over the weekend. Cheers, Travis.

Thought I'd revive this thread and hopefully get it updated with some more current recommendations.

Specifically I'm looking for some new places (I'm a Melbourne local) that have the option of buying a bottle at retail prices for consumption on premises with minimal corkage/markup.

So far, I'm aware of the following:-

Bellota - South Melbourne
Gertrude Street Enoteca - Carlton
City Wine Shop - CBD
Gordon's The Cellar Door - Elsternwick

Any other recommendations?

Diddy wrote:
Specifically I'm looking for some new places (I'm a Melbourne local) that have the option of buying a bottle at retail prices for consumption on premises with minimal corkage/markup.

So far, I'm aware of the following:-

Bellota - South Melbourne
Gertrude Street Enoteca - Carlton
City Wine Shop - CBD
Gordon's The Cellar Door - Elsternwick

Any other recommendations?

Not sure which part of the city you are in so I will list a few that I know about from different parts, although with a little more focus on the South east as that is where I am.
I'm sure there are a bunch of places around that follow this concept that I'll probably think of later but here's what I have...
I haven't been there but think the Valley Cellar door in Moonee Valley might have been the first I knew of to run with this concept. Mordialloc Cellar door was also pretty early too. I can't vouch for wine lists at Mordialloc as it has been a while but it is suburban so it probably won't be too adventurous but it had decent wines by the bottle last time I was there.

East Brunswick wine shop doesn't seat many it but it has a well curated selection.
Toorak Cellars has a good range and interesting wines by the glass. The same people have recently opened one up in Malvern called Milton Wine shop. I haven't been yet but I am sure it is good.
Grape and Grain in Moorabbin is more about the beer but you can buy wine and drink it there. Again it is pretty suburban for the wines but you will still find some good wine on the shelves. I assume Carwyn Cellars in Thornbury works the same - again its about the beer there, and an excellent whiskey range, but the wines in the shop are pretty smart.
On Beach Road Beaumaris, there is Beau (the bar) and Rack and Ruin (the wine shop). The range was pretty smart when I was there late last year. They had 03 Basket Press by the glass at the time. This is the only one out of all of the places I mentioned that does a full food menu. Some of the others let you bring your own food or order takeaway in, some do cheese patters and snack stuff.

G'day

Like Diddy, I am interested in reviving this thread too, but more for CBD consumption. And more for rooftop or laneway bars that serve decent and interesting wines.

Cheers
Allan

paulf wrote: Toorak Cellars has a good range and interesting wines by the glass. The same people have recently opened one up in Malvern called Milton Wine shop. I haven't been yet but I am sure it is good.

Hi Paul - thanks for the suggestions. Can't believe I forgot to mention Milton Wine Shop, although I must say I've never taken up the bottle purchase option - will definitely need to rectify that next time I visit.

Waiters Friend wrote:G'day

Like Diddy, I am interested in reviving this thread too, but more for CBD consumption. And more for rooftop or laneway bars that serve decent and interesting wines.

Cheers
Allan

Punch lane have opened up a bar in their basement called Juliet which is focused more on female winemakers. Across the road, upstairs from Longrain will be Longsong. Maybe open in November, but we will see.
I've always had fun at Movida Next Door (Flinders St). Bar Lourhina (Little Collins) has been around for a long while too.
I think Everything else still stands, except for the recommendation for Nants whiskey bar, which is something else now after they went belly up- not that you were looking for whiskey anyway.
Thats all I have for now. I'm pretty sure I have said this in another thread somewhere, but most of the quality eating and drinking happens in the inner suburbs rather than the CBD itself. There is no shortage of bars in the city, but most aren't serving booze that is interesting enough for people that frequent wine forums!