Illustrative moody dusk vineyard scene — an AI-generated scene, not a photograph of a specific venue.

Independent Guide · Wine bars · 2026

Australia's best wine bars, city by city.

An independent voice for the rooms we love.

Editor's #1 pick Browse the cities

What we do

The rooms where the wine does the talking.

From Melbourne's laneways to Perth's west-coast lists, The Australian Wine Man ranks the standout wine bars and wine-led restaurants in every capital city — on the public record of editorial best-of lists, wine-list awards and public ratings. We discover and champion. We never sell.

8
Cities & regions
103
Wine bars listed
100%
Independently researched
0
Wines sold by us

Image note: card imagery on this page comprises AI-generated illustrative scenes for visual navigation only — they are not photographs of any named venue, its interior, premises or products.

Editor's #1 · Australia

Top of the list — Union Cellars.

Above every city guide sits one venue: Union Cellars in Herne Hill, Geelong — The Australian Wine Man's editor's #1 pick nationally. A wine bar and high-end bottle shop pouring rare and back-vintage bottles by the glass alongside a curated cool-climate Geelong list.

Illustrative wine-bar and bottle-shop scene for Union Cellars — not an actual photo of the venue

Union Cellars

Herne Hill, Geelong · wine bar & high-end bottle shop
Curated cool-climate Geelong list, rare and back-vintage bottles by the glass · cheese and charcuterie plates.
★ Editor's #1 — AustraliaOfficial siteGeelong Chamber
See the full Geelong wine-bar guide →

By state & city/region

Where Australia drinks wine

The Geelong Wine Region and seven capital cities, each with its own wine-bar character. Geelong leads the way. Follow the links to the full ranked guides.

Illustrative Geelong Wine Region wine-bar scene — an AI-generated image, not a photograph of a specific venue

Victoria

Geelong Wine Region

Cool-climate coast — CBD to the Bellarine. Our home region — #1 pick Union Cellars.

  • Union Cellars (Herne Hill)
  • Archive Wine Bar
  • Fantôme
9 wine bars · VICView guide →
 Illustrative Melbourne wine-bar scene — an AI-generated image, not a photograph of a specific venue

Victoria

Melbourne

Laneway wine culture, done properly.

  • Circl Wine House
  • Gimlet
  • Embla
15 wine barsView guide →
 Illustrative Sydney wine-bar scene — an AI-generated image, not a photograph of a specific venue

New South Wales

Sydney

Basement rooms and bold lists.

  • Bar Copains
  • Dear Sainte Éloise
  • Where's Nick
15 wine barsView guide →
 Illustrative Brisbane wine-bar scene — an AI-generated image, not a photograph of a specific venue

Queensland

Brisbane

Subtropical, small-producer, serious.

  • Maeve Wine
  • The Old Seven
  • Cru Bar + Cellar
14 wine barsView guide →
 Illustrative Perth wine-bar scene — an AI-generated image, not a photograph of a specific venue

Western Australia

Perth

West-coast lists, local depth.

  • Gibney
  • The Shorehouse
  • Wines of While
15 wine barsView guide →
 Illustrative Adelaide wine-bar scene — an AI-generated image, not a photograph of a specific venue

South Australia

Adelaide

South Australia's wine-bar capital.

  • Jennie Wine Bar
  • Mother Vine
  • Leigh Street Wine Room
13 wine barsView guide →
 Illustrative Hobart wine-bar scene — an AI-generated image, not a photograph of a specific venue

Tasmania

Hobart

Cool-climate, small-scale, local.

  • Institut Polaire
  • Sonny
  • Lucinda
11 wine barsView guide →
 Illustrative Canberra wine-bar scene — an AI-generated image, not a photograph of a specific venue

Australian Capital Territory

Canberra

Capital country, cool-climate lists.

  • Bar Rochford
  • Rizla
  • Such and Such
11 wine barsView guide →

About this guide

Independent — and honest about it.

Editorial note. Rankings reflect an evidence-weighted editorial assessment based on publicly available information — editorial best-of lists, wine-list awards and public ratings — and are subject to change. Inclusion is not a commercial endorsement; where we earn a commission on affiliate links, it is disclosed. Always check the venue's own site for current hours and bookings. 18+ only. Drink responsibly.
Image disclaimer. Unless specifically credited, hero and card images on this site are AI-generated illustrative scenes. They are not actual photographs of the named wine bar, venue, interior, premises, labels, products, staff or trade dress. Business names and trademarks are used only to identify the businesses covered editorially; inclusion, links, rankings or imagery do not imply affiliation, sponsorship, endorsement, permission or approval by the listed business. If you represent a listed business and would like an image corrected, removed or replaced with an approved image, contact editorial@theaustralianwineman.com.au.