Overview
Ever been out and had a wine or brew that really just hit the spot? Wish you could keep, say, half a dozen more of them in your fridge? With P&V Merchants opening up on Enmore Road, you'll be closer to bringing home that mystery drink you met at the bar on the weekend.
P&V is the latest project by a group of Sydney's foremost beverage connoisseurs. Lou Dowling of Mary's, wine expert and journalist Mike Bennie (who also advised Noma's wine list and co-founded Rootstock) and Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham (both of Mary's, The Lansdowne and The Unicorn) have fused a bottle-o with an incubator for those pushing the envelope in the drinks industry.
"There is a growing hub of really wonderful people producing great products and spaces in our local community," says Dowling. "We have some incredible restaurants, great breweries and people making excellent spirits — so why not have a place to buy the type of wine we love?"
The new business intends to peddle wines, local beer and spirits with particular focus on those with organic, biodynamic and sustainable sources. They'll also be pairing up with neighbouring businesses like Earl's Juke Joint, Bloodwood and, of course, Mary's to produce negronis and margaritas and other cocktails by the litre. Upstairs, the Mike Bennie Centre for Good Wine (actual name) will host classes and tasting nights and it'll also be available as a community space for winemakers.
"We felt that the inner west was missing a local resource for getting access to all the interesting drinks coming from avant-garde producers," says Bennie. "And while the shop will be filled with interesting things to drink, the education space that will operate from above the shop adds another layer to P&V too."
P&V will also have a 'mini market' — essentially a place to grab some extra garnishes for your drink, including locally grown citrus, herbs and cucumbers and ice bags from Hoshizaki. You'll also be able to pick up a gourmet TV dinner with ingredients like spatchcock or dhal for your next lazy night in.
P&V Merchants will open on Saturday, December 9 at 64 Enmore Road, Newtown. For more information on opening dates, check out pnvmerchants.com.