Minimum Wines Opens Community Wine House in Northcote

On a crisp Saturday afternoon, the roller door at 7/177 Beavers Road in Northcote is up. Inside, the scent of fermenting grapes from the working winery mingles with freshly baked bread. It is not a private cellar door. It is a neighbourhood wine house where anyone can walk in, grab a glass of natural wine, and linger at a communal table.

Launched on 14 July by Matt and Leni Purbrick, the Community Wine House is the latest venture from the couple behind Grown & Gathered farm and Minimum Wines. The urban winery in a Northcote warehouse doubles as a bar, a natural grocery store, and a free community gathering space, all in one.

“We are missing casual in Melbourne,” Matt Purbrick said. “People can just come in, calm down and hang out.”

The space is open Fridays 4pm to 10pm, Saturdays midday to 10pm and Sundays midday to 6pm. Walk-ins only, with no bookings. The wine list is a tight run of Minimum’s own organic, vegan and zero-zero natural wines from the Goulburn Valley. Simple snacks from the fridge and shelves complement the pours: cheese plates, sardines, pickles and loaves from Ovens Street Bakery, alongside regeneratively farmed eggs and Bundarra Farm meats available to buy and take home.

Alongside the wine, there are beers from Sobremesa, non-alcoholic options from Mischief Brews, and Small Batch coffee for those who would rather skip the vino.

“We just want people to feel safe,” Matt Purbrick said. “Safe around wine, safe hanging out, safe even if they do not know anything about wine.”

That philosophy extends beyond the bar. The warehouse is available free of charge to local community groups on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. “Our house is your house,” Matt said. The couple plans to roll out regular events: wine immersion sessions, talks, movie screenings, family-friendly afternoons and even “no phone” analogue nights.

If you want a relaxed weekend drop-in without fuss, this is the spot. You will not find a full kitchen, just expertly chosen pantry items that reward a slow afternoon. And if you are a local group looking for a free venue, email [email protected] to lock in a weekday evening before the calendar fills.

A quick word of advice: do not just punch the street address into your maps app. Search “Community Wine House” instead. The Beavers Road address can lead you to a dead end, while the service road entrance is tucked behind the CERES environmental park, directly opposite.

There is something here that sets it apart from the typical Melbourne wine bar. Where most spots specialise in one thing, this place pulls together a working winery, a weekly grocery run for regeneratively farmed provisions, and a shared hireable space under a single roof. It is less a dedicated bar and more a hangout that happens to pour excellent natural wine.

Getting there is easy by tram. Routes 11 and 96 stop about 700 metres away, and Northcote station is a 1.1-kilometre walk. The Merri Creek trail runs right by, so cycling is an option. If you drive, a small number of free car parks are available on site.

While you are there, cross the road to explore CERES Community Environment Park for its Saturday market or a coffee at the nursery cafe. The Community Wine House already stocks Ovens Street Bakery bread, so you can load up on loaves and then wander onto High Street, where northside venues often feature on the Urban Wine Walk circuit.

The Purbricks returned to Melbourne last year after years on their Tabilk farm. They have brought the farm’s ethos with them: low-intervention, high-warmth, and a belief that a good glass of wine does not need a white tablecloth. In a city full of polished wine bars, this warehouse roll-up door is worth keeping an eye on. The analogue nights cannot come soon enough.