Act Of Wine

The Verdict

Slowly but surely, Southbank is beginning to get cool. It’s going to take some time—there’s a lot of crappy venues and soulless apartment blocks to overcome—but at least there’s now somewhere to get a decent bottle of plonk.  

Introducing Act Of Wine, the latest project from the guys behind Broad Bean Organic Grocer on Fanning St.

Act Of Wine has opening up nextdoor to Broad Bean, and co-owner Sam Fitzsimmons says he wants this place to be a runway for local Victorian vintners.

“We champion winemakers that use sustainable methods in the vineyard with minimal intervention,” he says. “Often these guys have lower yields and may not be as familiar to wine lovers.”

If you want to leave it up to Act Of Wine, swing by and try one of their curated packs. You can grab whites, reds or Zero Sulphur (the packs come in two, three or six bottle varieties). You might not recognise some of the labels: Commune of Buttons, Limus, Kindeli, Jumpin’ Juice. If it’s small batch and hasn't been touched by the hand of man, Act Of Wine wants it on the shelves.

The store design feels a little brighter than fellow south siders, Magnum & Queens. Zwei Interiors handled the fit-out, and they’ve gone for a natural feel: rammed earth, brushed concrete, warm timber. Something to match the ‘homegrown vibe’ of the wine.

That ‘homegrown vibe’ also extends to the logo. Literally. If it looks like something that grew in your shower, that’s because Sam and the crew made it that way. They designed the logo, printed it on acrylic, then smeared it with yoghurt. The cultures that grew became the Act Of Wine logo. The guys even took macro photography of the mould and used the pattern for their branded wine labels. Funky.

Image credit: Mel Desa