MAEVE
39 MelbourneSt,SouthBrisbane,maeve.wine
A discreetsignandsimplegoldletteringonthe
staircasearetheonlymarkersforthisfirst-floor
winebar,sokeepaneyeout.Upstairs,interiorshave
a classicedge,withdarkwoodpanelling,brassdetails
andbentwoodchairs.SommelierEleanorCappa
(ex-MoVida)hasputtogethera listthatplaysoffthe
surroundsbutisn’tconstrainedbythem– options
rangefromGeorgianrkatsiteliandorganicnegramoll
fromLaPalma,towild-fermentchardonnaymadein
Queensland.There’salsoseriousballastin playwith
hangersteakwithcafédeParisbutter,orchicken
liverparfaitwithblood-orangejamandmilktoast.
Whattoorder:Taramasalatawithhouse-madecrisps.
Andtodrink?JimBarry’sClareValley assyrtiko.ARCDININGANDWINEBAR
5 BoundarySt,HowardSmithWharves,Brisbane,
(07) 3505 3980,arcdining.com.au
WithformerSaintPeterchefAlannaSapwellon
board,thewinebarsideofArcisn’tgearedtotake
a straight-lineapproach.A bowlofvinegar-spiked
saltbushpigs’ears,orswordfishtartareservedon
hibiscusleavesandtoppedwithsalmonroearefine
matcheswitha glassofSigurdcheninblancfrom
theBarossa,ora Campanianfiano.Buteventhefries,
coatedin sardinesalt,arewortha look.Thereare
viewsovertheBrisbaneRiver,anda retractableroof
guaranteesyou’llstaydry,whatevertheweather.
Whattoorder:Somethingsmall-batchandleft-of-
centrefromsommelierIanTrinkle’s400-pluslist,
butthere’sa cache of old-school drops, too.MOSCONI
164bArthurSt,FortitudeValley,(07) 3151 1898,mosconi.com.au
Whenwinterarrives,thebestcureis comfort
foodwithcred.Mosconi’sprettyMoretonBaybug
ravioliwithcrustaceanoilandsaltbushfitsthebill.
Asdoesitsduckragùwithguancialeandsageserved
overpiperigate.Thewinelistis wide-ranging– try
a glassofAmatoVino’swild-fermentsavblanc,say,
ora gutsySiciliannerod’AvolafromCantineEuropa.
Interiorsconjurethecafé-barsofItaly,withpatterned
tilesunderfootanda marble-toppedtimberbar.
Whattoorder:OneofMosconi’snamesakeBarolos,
orhomegrownvariationsonthetheme,suchasa
nebbiolo made by Owen Latta in central Victoria.●VIC
DENTONWINEBAR
1 FlindersLn,Melbourne,(03) 96399500
ThefifthincarnationofSimonDenton’sCBD-fringespace
is itsmostminimal.TheJapaneseaccentofKappoand
NamaNamahasgone,replacedwitha Euro-stylewine
bar,alltimberandscrawledblackboardmenus.Thereare
justsixitemsonthefoodmenu– thinkcharcuterie,salmon
carpaccio,porterhouse– supportinga focusedwinelistof
younglocalsandimpressiveOldWorldvintagesthatwork
forboththebuffsandthepeoplewholoveindulgingthem.
Whattoorder:WinefromtheDentonfamily’sYarraValley
vineyardmadebyLuke Lambert and selling at $10 a glass.LUXSMITHBAR
CnrCharlesandGamonsts,Seddon,(03) 9362 7333,luxsmith.com.au
A classicofthebar-meets-bottle-shopgenre,Luxsmith
Barcombinesa concreteandsteelfit-outwitha low-key,
friendlyattitudeidealin a smallneighbourhoodwatering
hole.Foodis limitedtosnacks(nuts,scratchings)though
siblingrestaurantLuxsmithis nextdoorforthefamished.
Thewinelisteschewsfunkforeasydrinkingbutwithplenty
ofinterestingstuffincludingSouthAfricancheninblancor
shirazfromtheAdelaideHills.Plusanythingontheshelves
canbedrunkonsitefor$15ontopoftheretailprice.
Whattoorder:Thelisthas a penchant for Italian wine,
jump in and explore.MAGNUM+ QUEENS
274-276CoventrySt,SouthMelbourne,(03) 9696 3185,
magnumandqueenswine.com
Thisbarandbottleshopstartedlifeasanonline
winestore,butluckyforus,co-ownerVirginiaSelleck,
a sommelierwholistsCumulusandRockpoolonherCV,
missedtheface-to-faceofhospitality.Theresultis a bar
offeringanexcitingselectionofwinefromfunkyAdelaide
HillsblendstometiculouslycraftedChampagne.Thewine
talkis exemplary,asarethesnacks,fromOrtizanchovies
servedwithpickledonionstocheesewithquincejam.
Whattoorder:Wine,ofcourse,butthere’salsoa single
cocktail,currentlyanImbroglioSpritz,madewithPoor
Tom’s Campari-like Imbroglio, prosecco and soda.QLD
Chickenliverparfaitwith
Morellocherryglaze
(left),brioche,foccacia,
and(centre)steaktartare
withhorseradishcream,
curedeggyolkand
crispsatMaeve.Below:
Magnum + Queens.GOURMET TRAVELLER 63