Melbourne bottle shop voted Australia's best wine venue

The 2018 Young Gun of Wine winners were announced yesterday, with the inaugural Wineslinger award going to City Wine Shop in Melbourne.

The Wineslinger, decided upon by more than 100 sommeliers, winemakers and industry leaders, was awarded during a ceremony at MONA, in Tasmania.

“We’re over the moon and blown away to have received the inaugural Wineslinger award. It means a lot to have been selected by our industry peers. Thanks to all winemakers for making delicious wines, to our customers for supporting us and to all our staff, both front and back of house. We are very proud and humbled,” said Isabelle Agnes (below), Manager of City Wine Shop.

The City Wine Shop is both a retail wine shop and wine bar. It focusses on presenting a well-balanced range of quality wines by new and established producers from Victoria, Australia and Europe.

In particular, it is a major seller of champagne and prides itself on being able to provide informed advice on the inherent styles. Its expertise extends to a selection of exotic spirits, liqueurs and ales. It is open for takeaway bottle sales until 11:30pm, seven days a week.

The People's Choice Wineslinger, as voted on by the Australian public, was awarded to Harvest Newrybar. 

“Bars and restaurants are the places we so often discover a wine for the first time – and venues are now offering more fun, interest and surprise to the whole experience for wine lovers. There’s never been a better time to get into wine! From the Top 50 lists, to the trophy winners, these are products and places to seek out,” said Young Gun of Wine founder and judge Rory Kent.

For 11 years, the Young Gun of Wine awards has honoured Australia’s finest emerging winemakers, but Kent decided it was time to celebrate those dedicated to serving it.

“We’ve been leading people to exciting wine products for years now," he told Broadsheet. "With Wineslinger, we can lead people to places where you’re going to have a fun wine experience.”

City Wine Shop was chosen from a shortlist of 50, spanning pubs, restaurants and bars across all states. All were singled out for their focus on “approachability, energy and adventure,” says Kent.

“This list is an amazing resource. People should put the venues around their local city at the top of their agenda and then if they’re ever travelling, they’ve got the must-see places they need to go.

“For both producers and consumers, the venues where wine is enjoyed is essentially the front door to wine.

“This award is not about one particular detail like who has the best or biggest wine list, or who does food and wine matching the best – it’s not about that.

“This award is meant to be a sum of all the parts; it’s meant to be about the full experience a venue offers. We just want to go somewhere for a good time.”

The Wineslinger Top 50 list:

NSW 
10 William St, Paddington 
Bentley Restaurant & Bar, Sydney 
Bibo Wine Bar, Double Bay 
Dear Sainte Éloise, Potts Point 
Ester, Chippendale 
Fix Wine Bar, Sydney 
Fratelli Paradiso, Potts Point 
Harvest Newrybar, Newrybar 
Love, Tilly Devine, Darlinghurst 
Monopole Restaurant & Bar, Potts Point 
Restaurant Hubert, Sydney 
The Dolphin Hotel, Surry Hills

Victoria 
Bar Liberty, Fitzroy 
Bellota, South Melbourne 
Carlton Wine Room, Carlton 
City Wine Shop, Melbourne 
Embla, Melbourne 
France Soir, South Yarra 
Gerald's Bar, North Carlton 
Gertrude Enoteca, Fitzroy 
Kirk’s Wine Bar, Melbourne 
Marion, Fitzroy 
Neighbourhood Wine, Fitzroy North 
The Alps, Prahran

South Australia 
Bar Torino, Adelaide 
Clever Little Tailor, Adelaide 
East End Cellars, Adelaide 
Hellbound Wine Bar, Adelaide 
La Buvette, Adelaide 
Mother Vine, Adelaide 
The Summertown Aristologist, Summertown

Western Australia 
Billie H, Claremont 
Budburst Small Bar, Mount Hawthorn 
Il Lido, Cottesloe 
Lalla Rookh, Perth 
Petition Wine Bar & Merchant, Perth 
Settlers Tavern, Margaret River

Queensland 
Blackbird Bar & Grill, Brisbane 
Cru Bar and Cellar, Fortitude Valley 
Gauge, South Brisbane 
Gerard's Bistro, Fortitude Valley 
La Lune Wine Co, South Brisbane

Tasmania 
Ettie’s Bar & Bottleshop, Hobart 
Franklin, Hobart 
Institut Polaire, Hobart 
Willing Bros. Wine Merchants, North Hobart

ACT 
Aubergine, Griffith 
Bar Rochford, Canberra 
XO, Narrabundah

Northern Territory 
Stone House, Darwin