City Winery

Overview

Throw a stone in Brisbane's inner city and it'll likely hit a bar. Try to find somewhere that doesn't just pour wine, but makes it, and it's a completely different story. Until now, that is. Thanks to the opening of Brissie's first urban micro-winery in 2019, stomping, and sipping in the shadow of the CBD now go hand in hand.

First announced in late 2018, and now nestled into Campos Coffee's old 500-square-metre warehouse in Fortitude Valley, City Winery Brisbane clearly doesn't boast its own sprawling vineyard on-site. But, after sourcing grapes from around the country, it is now barrelling, bottling and serving vino in Wandoo Street. Locals can even help with all of the steps in the process — and drink it too, obviously, with the winery open daily for tours and tastings.

As well as a barrel room and winery that can double as a function space when each year's vintage is complete, and a cellar that can also be used as a 20-person private dining room, the site features a 70-seat restaurant that's open for lunch and dinner.

On the menu: a chef's feast where the kitchen takes you on a culinary tour of their favourite dishes; charcuterie boards, twice-cooked potatoes and coal-baked brie among the smaller and share options; and mains that include almond-fed pork belly, roasted glazed duck and woodfired pasta with smoked cream and truffle.

A collaboration between winemaker Dave Cush and City Winery Brisbane's managing director Adam Penberthy, the venture was more than two years in the making — largely due to the difficulties of finding the right warehouse-style location.

As well as letting Brisbanites visit a winery without leaving the big smoke, this relative newcomer actually nods to the city's winemaking history. "In the 1800s, there were over 350 acres of grape vines planted throughout the city," Cush explains. "The Lamberts had a vineyard along Lambert Road in Indooroopilly, there were substantial vineyards throughout Mitchelton, and of course Carl Gerler who had a 14-acre vineyard along the Brisbane River where Kingsford Smith Drive is today."

In honour of the latter, City Winery Brisbane's own wine label is named Gerler.