The Yarra Valley's Jamsheed Is Opening a Ground-Breaking Urban Winery in Preston

Melbourne's inner-city booze-making scene is on a serious roll, with an ambitious new brewery, distillery or winery project seemingly announced every week. Next up? The Yarra Valley's Jamsheed Wines has its sights set on the big smoke, revealing plans to open Melbourne's second-ever urban winery.

With 16 years under its belt, the label is adding to the family in a big way, taking over a sprawling Preston warehouse to create the ground-breaking Jamsheed Urban Winery. And founder and winemaker Gary Mills is inviting fans to get involved, through a Pozible crowd-funding campaign raising money for the site's finishing touches – including the fit-out, the bar and a disabled access ramp and bathroom.

With the opening of the new venue, Jamsheed's production will shift entirely from the Yarra Valley to Preston, offering visitors insight into the whole winemaking process. Once complete, it'll feature a full working winery, a lofty barrel hall and a cellar door tasting bar at its heart. You'll be able to camp out here with a woodfired pizza courtesy of Wolf & Swill, while sampling a few of Jamsheed's finest creations. Expect Jamsheed's full library, alongside tap beers and more vinous treats from some of Victoria's best wine regions.

As well as being a fully functional winery, Jamsheed has plans to make its own vermouth, spirits and brandy in the sprawling inner-north warehouse.

There's no word yet on when the Jamsheed Urban Winery will open, though we do know it'll be in pretty good company. Abbotsford's Moon Dog is launching its mammoth new brewery in the same suburb later this year, Southbank will soon be home to the state's largest independent gin distillery courtesy of Patient Wolf and Handpicked Wines is opening an urban cellar door of its own within the $800 million 80 Collins Street development.

Jamsheed Urban Winery will open at 4 Albert Street, Preston — we'll let you know more when it's announced.