Overview
Urban Winery Sydney is on the move. Winemaker Alex Retief is trading in his St Peter's digs for a space in Moore Park's Entertainment Quarter, with the new venue set to open mid-April.
The inner west winery has been in residence in Precinct 75 — the creative precinct that also houses Maniax, Willie the Boatman, Sample Coffee and Upcycle Studio — since 2016. Now, Retief's new neighbours include Black Star Pastry, Fratelli Fresh and Brent Street dance studio. Heading east situates the winery considerably closer to the CBD and the SCG, and the EQ also offers a larger space for all that wine.
As the St Peter's doors are already closed, the A.Retief 2018 vintage will be the first wine produced in the new space. Along with the shiny new production facility — which includes pumps, presses, syphons and filtration systems — the venue will also have room for a tasting bar and an expansive function area.
Patrons can expect the new fit-out to have a similar vibe, with the industrial original including a handmade pallet bar, a wine bottle-filled lounge area, a luxurious 40-seat dining table and rows-upon-rows of French oak barrels, filled with the latest vintage. But every fit-out is dependent on the space and this one will have its own unique elements to offer. Once it's up and running, the winery's harvest stomping sessions and monthly guest chef lunches will resume as well.
A.Retief wines will of course continue to have a strong focus on locality, with grapes sourced from Hilltops and Tumbarumba wine regions, and Retief's family biodynamic vineyard in Gundagai. Expect the latest harvests of tempranillo and shiraz, which are set for barrels this month.
Urban Winery Sydney will open mid-April at the Building 121, Entertainment Quarter, Bent Street, Moore Park. It'll be open daily from midday. Keep an eye on this space and urbanwinerysydney.com.au for updates.