First Look: Fountainhead Winehouse, a Hidden Haven in a Former Newstead Storeroom

Why do all wine shops look the same?

That’s the question LPO’s Dan Wilson and his friend Chris Banham asked themselves when they created Fountainhead Winehouse.

Most wine shops are predictable: bottles lined up along walls, often organised by variety or region, with a few boxes stacked here and there.

“I recently visited some famous wine shops in New York, and they all looked the same,” says Banham. “I thought, ‘Why not play around with that concept and create a space that felt warm, inviting, and more like a living room than a storeroom.’”

That’s exactly what he and Wilson have accomplished at Fountainhead, which opened on Wednesday. Hidden down a Newstead driveway, it feels like a kooky cross between a subterranean wine cellar and an ancient Roman living room.

“It had been used as a storage room for the last 30 years,” Wilson says. “There were black-and-white tiles on the floor, huge pillars, and everything was white besser block – it was quite dungeon-like, really.”

The space was stripped back, repainted and completely reimagined, with Banham taking on much of the work himself. The pair also enlisted architectural and interior designer Julia Cox and tapped designer George Park to create the textiles. Pieces by local artists are dotted throughout the space, including a sculpture titled Fountainhead by Miguel Aquilizan. 

Wilson, who will split his time between Fountainhead and LPO, has curated a diverse wine offering. There’s a strong focus on lesser-known wine regions – including the Jura, Trentino and China – and small producers from around the world, spanning a wide range of price points.

“We have wines that fit different briefs,” Wilson says. “This is a beautiful place, but we don’t only have fancy wine. We wanted to build something that’s not exclusionary, so people can come in and say, ‘I have $30, what can we do?’”

There’s an ever-changing list of wines by the glass, but guests can also buy a bottle to take away or enjoy in-house. In the future, Fountainhead will offer bookable advice and education sessions with the team for anyone keen to expand their palate or find a bottle for a special occasion. There will also be private masterclasses with visiting winemakers.

There’s a reason Banham and Wilson are so determined not to refer to Fountainhead as a wine shop or wine bar. “We refer to it as a winehouse,” says Wilson. “A welcome place to enjoy with people, celebrate, and break down the boundaries of exclusivity and hierarchy this industry has.”

Fountainhead Winehouse

54 Doggett Street, Newstead (in the basement)

No phone

Hours:

Wed to Sun 11am–10pm

@fountainhead.winehouse