This is the Affiliates page of The Humble Tumbler page – where you’ll find info on the venues, wineries, and people we work with…and if you’ve got any hidden treasures we need to know about – share the love!
Where to buy wine…
Like This Love That: Meet Pete Leckie – your personal wine buying assistant. Pete has awesome taste, and amazing connections and will source the type of wine you like, and possibly a few new ones too. His service is web based (ie. there is no actual store), but he does all the thinking for you! Smart hey?
Seddon Wine Store, Seddon: For a small, hand picked, quality oriented selection from arond the globe. And a killer wine bar to boot – where you can try all the wines you can’t even pronounce. Melbourne’s Westside is better for it!
Bottega Tasca, Carlton: Similar selection to Seddon but stronger focus on Italian imports, Bottega is a one stop shop for all things vinous and interesting. Really competitive prices too.
McCoppins Wine Mechants: Independent chain with stores in Hawthorn, Clifton Hill, Fitzroy and Abbotsford McCoppins stocks a comprehensive range of reasonably priced wine, with a strong focus on local producers, and great service. Also stocks a great range of beer and spirits.
City Wine Shop: A small, but diverse selection of interesting wine from around the world, with a great selection of Champagne. Stick around for the terrine and the people watching.
Prince Wine Store: Huge selection of premium wines, including exclusive imported labels (especially Burgundy, German Riesling and Italian reds), museum releases and specialist spirits and sake. Stores in South Melbourne and Essendon.
Enoteca Sileno: If you like your wine buying adventures with a side of biscotti and black coffee, this place is on the money. Wholesaler, restaurant, retailer, cafe and gourmet food stockist – Enoteca stocks exclusively Italian imports at a range of price points. Lygon street, in between Princes st and Brunswick Rd.
And Armadale Cellars and Nicks Wine Merchants are coming up trumps on the southside.
And for those out-of-towners: There is The Bank in Bendigo, Banks Fine Wine in Kyneton, Barrique Wine Store in Healsville, Beechworth’s Cellar Door Wine Store, Snow Road Produce in Milawa, and the The Fine Wine Merchant in Mornington. And remember to let us know if there is a store we’ve forgotton – more the merrier!
Places to go, things to eat…
Ok, so Kodiak Club is less about wine, and more about the wondrous world of dark spirits: yes i’m looking at you whiskey, bourbon and rum. And don’t forget the cocktails. Throw in some of the best American style cooking this side of the equator and that my friends, is a grand plan for any evening. Kodiak are hosting the Humble Tumbler for the August and September courses. Winning!
Around the corner from Kodiak is The Wilde. Broadsheet described this place as a ‘euro-inspired gastro pub’ and here at Humble Tumbler HQ we’d have to agree. It’s so damn comfortable – cosy, warm, great food, great staff and a killer wine list. And the electic assortment of old chairs is enough to keep any bum happy.
Back Street Eating From the guys are Birdman Eating, comes this new eatery – and the venue for lots of courses and events throughout the year. These guys are doing incredible food (supported by a snappy wine list) in an unassuming space, and also teach their own charcuterie classes! Boom! Located in Kerr street Fitzroy. www.backstreeteating.com.au.
The Humbler Tumbler finally made it over to the south side in 2012! Rose Diner and Bar is probably the coolest place on the bayside – and is the perfect place to host the Humble Tumbler Introductory course. The courses are run upstairs in the private bar – but head downstairs to find cold beer, great wine and awesome food. Excited much?
It’s easy to forget about Richmond unless you’re heading to the football – but there are hidden gems. Public House is sandwiched in between the oyster bar and a handful of pubs but is well worth the second look. It’s super sexy, with great food and staff who know their way around a good cocktail. A regular venue for The Humble Tumbler, we love it !
We also heart Merricote! Incredible Modern-European food, award winning wine list, beautiful space and great people – and do we need to mention the famous cheese trolley? The July course will be held in the upstairs space which we are super excited about! So if you’ve not been, put this one on your list. Seriously. www.merricote.com.au
Blogs and Other Interesting Websites
Vinodiversity is a project of Darby Higgs, a Melbourne based wine writer and enthusiast. It deals primarily with Australian wine made using “alternative” grape varieties and is a great reference site for anyone seeking information on the non-mainstream side of the Australian wine industry. Check it out www.vinodiversity.com.au.
And for those with a thirst for information, there are about a gazillion wine blogs out there: Gen XY Wines is a comprehensive, ratings site -with lots of background information on regions and varieties. The wonderfully talented and insightful Andrea Frost writes about wine on her New Ruby Press blog, as does La Donna Del Vino – in her part-whimsical-part-aficionado blog about wine, poetry, red pants and going grey – amongst other things. Max Allen’s blog on Real Australian Wine is a keeper – especially if you are interested in biodynamics; and ditto for Vino Freakism – who writes more academically than most, but keeps it relevant and interesting.
And although it’s not especially wine related, if you are interested in sustainability, and practical inspiring info on how to live better- check out www.thesustainabletable.org.au
Wine Producers
A completely biased, incomplete and unregulated list – this is basically a summary of the wine producers we like and choose to support by using their wines in the course.
Starting with our neighbours in the beautiful King Valley – check out Dalzotto, Christmont and Pizzini. Highlights from the 2012 season include the Pizzini Arneis and Christmost Rielsing. While we’re in the North East, credit is due to Brown Brothers – who, as well and being independently owned, produce a huge range of amazing value wines – the 2006 Patricia Sparkling is all sorts of wonderful. Ros Ritchie, working out of Mansfield is doing wonderful things with aromatic whites, as are Delatite. Heading North to Rutherglen Scion, Stanton and Killeen and Campbells are all at the top of their game. S&K are producing incredible Vintage Ports, Scion are leading the way with restrained Durif and innovative rose’s, and Campbells Muscat tops it’s class for it’s finesse and value for money.
In the Yarra Garry Mills, Mac Forbes, DeBortoli, Hoddles Creek, Oakridge and Soumah are all making interesting and site specific wines. Also worth mentioning is Domaine Chandon for quality sparkling and Innocent Bystander / Giant Steps for pretty much everything – including edibles.
Gippsland and Mornington feature some of the states top producers – try Ocean Eight, Garagiste, Kooyong / Port Phillip Estate, Lightfoot and Sons, Quealy Wines – and if you’re interested in premium single vineyard Pinot Noir, try Yabby Lake, Hurley and Ten Minutes by Tractor.
Heading West – From Geelong, Oakdene, Farr Wines and Paradise IV are great. Further out you’ll find Rory Lane making single vineyard Grampians Shiraz under the Story Wines label, and out of Heathcote comes the fabulous wines from Foster e Rocco & Greenstone. And last but not least – Henty Farm are making lovely Pinot Noir from their patch of dirt over in the South West.