Craft Wine Store

I used to walk past this obscure retail space on Musgrave Road in Red Hill every morning and every afternoon on my way to and from work. It was this indie-​looking bottle shop that unfortunately always seemed empty. Then on a recent drive past I noticed the indie-​looking bottle shop had closed but there was an alluring ‘Craft Coming Soon’ sign in the window.
Staying true to it’s independent bottle shop roots, Tony Harper (wine writer and former-​owner of Anise) and his team have refreshed this space to open a bottle shop with a difference. I don’t even want to call it a bottle shop for the connotations it promotes.
Gone are the standard «could get anywhere» bottles of wine, beer and spirits and instead shelves are adorned with hand-​selected brews from Australia and afar with a focus on introducing some of the best natural, organic and biodynamic drinks to Brisbane’s palates.
I was fortunate enough to meet Tony and sample a few of his favourites during a Christmas degustation tour. We sipped on organic Jean-​Paul Perardel champagne, an all natural first drop white wine which we all declared is a wine that can be «all things to all people», and a Natural Selection Red Wine.
This red wine was the stand out for me. Not being a red wine drinker I automatically declined a taste of this wine which is touted as «a collaborative experiment in natural winemaking.» At the insistance of the group I was with I relented and tried it. I’m glad I did. It was smooth, fresh-​tasting and unlike any red wine I’ve had mainly because it is one I’d drink again.
The point to all of the above is, whatever you’re looking for the guys at Craft will undoubtably have something for the occasion and in the process will arm you with a world of knowledge about brewing practices, wine making and so much more. It is the kind of «local» that you’d walk in for one thing and come out with many more, yet that’s the beauty of it. It isn’t a mass-​market store and to me, that is a part of its charm.
And, if you’re like me and geek out over packaging design, their range of wines with beautifully designed labels will give any dinner party host a beautiful gift!