Finds and stocks small producers right before they take off.

Cloudwine's companion store is all about lesser-known European producers.

Though these stores are now ubiquitous in the inner city, the quality of the wine selection – young, reasonably priced and often natural – hasn't slipped a bit.

Former sommelier Campbell Burton is behind this smart store, where 200 bottles of organic, sulphur-free wine rest in temperature controlled cabinets.

A sommelier, 230 wines and a licence to drink-in or take away. Magic.

Local skin-contact wine, Spanish ciders, obscure spirits and easy-drinking beers are all on the menu at this friendly neighbourood bottle shop and bar in Nicholson Street Mall.

Stocks more than 20 vintages of Penfolds Grange, plus 2000 other wines.

Reps less-common varietals such as Georgian saperavi and Italian nero d'avola.

Step in for 400 wines from small, biodynamic and low-intervention producers.

One of the most focused wine selections in town.

It's everything – a cafe, deli, wine bar and damn good bottle-o.

Twenty-four wines to drink in-house and 400 to take home.

An incredible sound system. Absurdly good value house wines. And an unusual canteen-style window that passes drinks right onto the footpath. This is one of Melbourne’s most fun wine bars.

A comfortable, lived-in wine bar with 500 bottles to take home or drink in.

Venue number two from the knowledgeable couple behind Seddon Wine Store.

This spot in the western suburbs has roughly 200 wines and the same again of beers, plus a deli cabinet filled with cured meats, pate, and a range of cheese. All of the above are available to enjoy in the relaxed shopfront overlooking the street.

Small but expertly curated.

A well-priced collection of local and international bottles.

Heaps of orange and biodynamic wines and a "no snobbery" policy.

A warm, communal bottle-o with more than 300 wines and 200 beers. Plus, tables out the front where you can sit and enjoy a glass.

The name says it all. Find it in Fitzroy, Northcote and Windsor.

The only spot on this list with a vacuum-sealed Coravin system, for keeping its by-the-glass options fresh.

These stats are impressive: 850 beers, 350 wines, 500 spirits and 40 years in the business.

Wines to suit all budgets and palates.

A good place to find higher-end bottles from Australia and Europe.

Take home, or drink in with a plate of cheese.

Well-priced, crowd-pleasing wines in Abbotsford and Fitzroy.

The best place in Melbourne to find Italian wines.

Two winemakers are behind this cosy wine bar, which pours natural drops from Australia and Europe. Sit in the heritage-listed building and enjoy a glass with some charcuterie, or grab a bottle and some deli snacks to go.

Pierre Stock was the sommelier and wine buyer at iconic bistro France-Soir for 10 years. This is his appointment-only wine destination, where you can snack and sip while he matches you with the perfect bottle (or case).

A neighbourhood wine bar serving a mix of Australian and European drops alongside small grazing plates. Go for a jamon plate, build-your-own cheeseboard, or order woodfired pizzas delivered from the nearby Il Caminetto. Enjoy wines by the glass or take your pick from more than 250 bottles next door.

A 70-seater neighbourhood wine bar in a former antiques-restoration shop. Bathe in the chandelier’s buttery glow in the front room, or head out back to get toasty by the fire. There’s a 180-strong wine wall, plus hummus swimming in chilli oil and charcuterie hampers to go.

A sleek neighbourhood wine bar and bottle shop with a wall of 600 wines to go, around 30 wines by the glass and whisky flights. Enjoy a glass with a hunk of Victorian-made cheese or takeaway from a nearby restaurant.

At this "mapped" bottle shop, a cartographer and a sommelier are cracking open wines you’ve never tried from under-represented regions around the world. Grab a bottle to go, or settle in with a glass and some charcuterie (or order in from a nearby restaurant).

This drink-in bottle shop pours wild ales, natural wines and sour Negronis. Come for beer-infused cocktails, Belgian lambics and plenty of snacks.