Discover the finest drops at Brisbane’s best wine bars

Maeve Wine, South Brisbane
Located a stone’s throw from South Bank’s cultural precinct, Maeve Wine is the perfect location to enjoy a glass or two before a show or exhibition launch. The selection here leans towards smaller producers and less conventional, minimal-intervention drops. Wines are available by the glass or bottle and those looking for a more serious sip can look to the Coravin and reserve list to find some incredibly rare bottles, predominantly from Burgundy and Bordeaux, but with a smattering of old Australian and Italian producers too.

Snack Man, Fortitude Valley
If you’re craving intricate and delectable Chinese morsels and top-shelf European wines, Snack Man is the bar of your dreams. This chic space specialises in bottles you can’t find anywhere else, importing never-before-seen drops from natural and emerging winemakers and regions across the globe. The ever-changing selection features more than 200 bottles to choose from, while a list of wine-wall highlights is perfect for wine novices keen to sample some recommended options.

Dark Red, Fortitude Valley
A dive bar that does wine. That’s one way to describe hole-in-the-wall vino spot Dark Red, which pairs its cosy, slightly grungy aesthetic with a killer range of Italian varietals. This cosy Bakery Lane bar offers a broad range of Italian wines and Australian-grown Italian varieties. Dark Red’s shelves – currently laden with more than 60 different labels – is continuously evolving, with options ranging from crushable, great-value drops to small amounts of high-end sips. Dark Red’s offering also spotlights drops crafted by female winemakers, sharing the stories of this crop of important viticulturists.

Wineism, Albion
Part high-end bottle shop, part sophisticated wine bar, Wineism is a sleek and sophisticated resource beloved by wine lovers. Owned and operated by celebrated sommelier Ian Trinkle, Wineism stocks more than 700 labels, with Ian procuring everything from small artisanal producers through to big international names. At the in-house bar you can sip your wine purchase (or a small rotating selection of wines by the glass), while snacking on bites such as cheese, charcuterie and anchovies on toast.

Milquetoast, Brisbane City
In 2024, George Curtis (of Before + After fame) and sommelier James Horsfall (previously restaurant manager at Blume), transformed a gritty laneway garage space off Elizabeth Street into a wonderful hideaway serving fine wines and innovative cocktails. James has curated a tight wine list of approximately 50 bottles, which encompasses small-scale independent producers from across Australia and the globe. The bar’s list is fluid – changing and evolving often, out of necessity. But James sees this as a benefit, more than a hinderance, as this gives him the opportunity to showcase rarer drops.

Stickybeak, Woolloongabba
This two-level wine bar on Logan Road does things a little bit differently than most by offering guests an innovative self-serve experience. Equipped with ten WineEmotion machines, Stickybeak allow its patrons to sample its 80-strong wine list by the glass or tasting portion, without the usual hassle of corking, pouring, or storing. Stickybeak focuses on Australian wines, with 80 percent of the selection sourced locally – including small-scale producers like Stargazer Wine and Powell & Son – alongside some international options.

Adelita Wine Bar, Wynnum
This emerald-green beauty brought a touch of the inner-city to the Wynnum esplanade in 2022, wowing Wynnum locals with a beefy beverage list that traverses new-wave Australian wines (both familiar and adventurous) and out-of-the-box cocktails that play with sweet and savoury flavour profiles. In the kitchen, Adelita’s chefs are turning out plates of outstanding snacks and mains – everything you need to enjoy a breezy afternoon by the bay.

La Lune Wine Co, South Brisbane
Hospitality veterans Paul McGivern and Bailee Dewes are die-hard wine lovers and their passion shines bright at this Fish Lane cave à vin La Lune Wine Co. The wine list here is seriously lengthy and includes incredible drops from Australia and further abroad. Old-world wines from Bourgogne in France and Tuscany in Italy share rack space with obscure reds from Greece, premier champagne from Champagne and cutting-edge Australian up-and-comers.

Bar Rocco, Coorparooo
The sibling of cherished neighbourhood Italian restaurant Ramona Trattoria, Bar Rocco was designed to satiate its locals with a wide array of sips and share plates. The extensive wine list goes beyond just Italian varieties, featuring the likes of French champagne, touriga nacional from Portugal, Austrian zweigelt and more, plus a few high-tier drops available via Coravin in 75- and 150-ml pours. Guests can pair their wine with a delicious selection of Italian-inspired bites like fried zucchini flowers filled with lemon and herb buffalo ricotta or crumbed veal panino.

Mr Chester Wine Bar, Fortitude Valley
This Fortitude Valley haunt is regarded as one of Brisbane’s first (and best) new world-centric wine bars. The team at Mr Chester Wine Bar prefers to champion smaller boutique producers, digging deep into the story behind each glass and understanding the terroir of its origin. The hand-picked wine list takes in everything including Tasmanian sparkling and whites from Adelaide Hills to juicy reds from Swan Valley. Just about every time we visit, we leave with a new favourite.

The Old Seven, Camp Hill
After spending some time in France, The Old Seven’s owners Matt and Nellie brought a piece of French life back with them, opening The Old Seven in Brisbane’s outer suburbs. Boasting an intimate atmosphere, passionate staff and a killer list of libations, this Camp Hill-based wine maison (which also operates as a cafe by day) is a worthy entrant on this list. The 500-strong wine list features varietals from Australia, France, Italy and Spain, with a load of wines available by the glass alongside a small cocktail list and menu of epicurean delights.

Wine & Larder Bistro, Ashgrove
While we’re pretty sure Ashgrove locals would prefer the existence of Wine & Larder Bistro to remain secret, a wine bar this good can’t stay secret for long. Owned and operated by Mark Whitaker (an accomplished sommelier) and his partner Leah Shelton, Wine & Larder’s offering is ambitious and fun – deftly negotiating a balance between traditional sips and experimental varieties. More than 25 wines are available by the glass, encompassing Australian and international drops (including a few from Mark’s favourite region, Beaujolais) as well as some high-end sips served via Coravin.

Wineology, Brisbane City
Wineology is a new-age wine bar, bottle shop and tapas spot that looks to cater to those interested in learning more about wine, not just drinking it. It’s doing this with banks of enomatic wine-dispensing machines, which pour tasters of 100 perfectly temperature-controlled wines from Australia and abroad, giving guests the chance to sample a wide range of vino before committing to a drop. Beyond simply sampling wines, Wineology also offers expertly paired wine and dining experiences, plus educational workshops.

Cordeaux Social Club, West End
Cordeaux Social Club in West End opens early for stellar sandwiches and coffee, sure – but in the afternoon the space really comes alive with a concise-but-considered wine list and a Euro-inspired food offering. Pick a spot in the sun-dappled alfresco garden or secure a seat inside, then order a serve of whipped bottarga with rustic, hand-cut fries and a killer wine from the likes of Hughes and Hughes, Mac Forbes, Eclectic Violet and Sven Joschke.

Noir, Paddington
Every Friday and Saturday night, Given Terrace wine bar Noir rapidly fills with vino-seeking locals. It’s a testament to the community-oriented venue’s low-key, yet ambient atmosphere and cracking selection of wine. Expect to find an ever-changing list showcasing harder-to-find bottles with a lean towards international winemakers. Throw in a menu of stacked cheese and charcuterie boards and a tight selection of luxe toasties, and it should be clear now why Noir is perpetually busy – rock up early to make sure you snag a seat!

Barrels & Stills, Woolloongabba
Described as part lifestyle store and part wine and whisky bar, Barrels & Stills is a great emporium for those looking to pick up something nice to take home as well as a sit-in sipping spot featuring shelves of top-tier vino. The Ampersand Bar is a candle-lit abode where you’ll find a globe-trotting wine list that encompasses pet nats, lo-fi whites and reds, fortified wines and dessert wines. It’s safe to say that Barrels & Stills has a range suited to every taste.

Grape & Grazing, New Farm
This deli and wine bar caused a stir amongst New Farm locals when it opened in late 2024. Grape & Grazing’s wine list is broad and full of quality options, with a selection of premium drops (we’re not just talking top-end gear, but some rare stuff, too) available alongside a by-the-glass list encompassing wines from Australian and international producers. The team is also pouring an additional 22 varieties of Rockford wines by the glass – including the whole Rifle Range, 11 Basket Presses and sparkling black shiraz.

Snug, Coorparoo
Though it’s a bona fide brunch superstar, Snug is also one of Brisbane’s best wine bars. Opening at night on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Snug pivots from coffee, omurice and egg drop sandwiches to killer wines and Korean-inspired snacks and small plates like sweet potato and corn mandu with shiitake broth, clams with doenjang butter and enoki and abalone dup-bap. Snug’s by-the-glass wine list is tight but caters to most tastes, with the team careful to make sure that everything showcased pairs well with the kitchen fare. The menu features the likes of a picpoul from Ministry of Clouds, gamay from Sentio and La Violetta’s Spunk pet nat, to name a few.