ReWine Bar and Wineshop

ReWine is not your typical bottle shop. You may have seen owner Marshall Waters selling wine out of barrels at the Preston (now closed) or Queen Victoria Markets, or at his wine bar and shop in East Brunswick.

There are 12 large wooden barrels on display at the Lygon Street store, and slightly more at the Queen Victoria Market stall. You can taste any wine you want from the barrels, from shiraz and pinot, to less-mainstream varietals.

Your first purchase at ReWine will come in a new glass wine bottle. When you’ve finished it at home, wash it with hot water and return to any ReWine outlet to have it refilled with the same wine or another. Oxidation and tainting of the wines is prevented with a special argon-gas system.

And you’re not limited to a 750-millilitre bottle, either – if you can carry it, ReWine will sell it to you. The cost of a refill is $3 less than buying a new bottle.

Waters has strong relationships with big and small winemakers across south-eastern Australia. Because he works directly with producers, he can provide high quality wines at a fraction of the cost regular bottle shops charge.

This wine may be surplus to a winery’s bottling requirements for a vintage, or may be product from a boutique producer made on such a small scale it would be difficult to bring to market any other way.

At both the East Brunswick location and Queen Victoria Market, customers can purchase wines by the glass, but the Lygon Street bar has more space and closes later.

There’s a menu of small plates including cheese, charcuterie and jaffles at the East Brunswick store, and a small food offering at the Queen Victoria Market location.