Blackhearts and Sparrows is, by some blessing from a higher power, my local bottle shop. This is…read morevery, very good news for the wino inside of me, but very, very bad news for my bank balance. Blackhearts truly are wine purveyors. It's unlikely you'll find anything below the $15 mark in here, and that is a good thing! Here's what you do... Pick your budget and your occasion, walk inside and within three seconds you will be offered help. The customer service here is NEXT LEVEL. For instance, I set myself a budget of $60 to buy a nice bottle of wine for my mum... I walked in and out in under five minutes with a bottle of wine she still talks about. There are plenty of beers too - locally made and international with outrageous labels and flavours you would never think would work (but they do). This is a craft beer heaven. As mentioned in previous reviews, the spirit selection isn't huge - it is all craft gins and whiskeys, something for a special occasion not to throw into a punch bowl for your house party. Bonus points to Blackhearts for stocking pre-bottled cocktails from The Everleigh! Grab a Negroni, you won't regret it.

What exactly is your policy on charging customers the same price as displayed on the shelf?…read more. Second time I've been charged differently to the advertised shelf price and the response by your salesman was just buy 6 bottles to get a 10% discount. Rude and really not right at all. . Prices are there show the price of a bottle, not as a bloody guide and then be advised it's more. Second time in your stores and your Richmond store has to do much better to keep people like me returning.

Some nights in our household there is a desperate, urgent need for wine. Whether it's a hard day at…read morework, a fight with a friend or, y'know, it's just a Tuesday, sometimes a glass of wine is all you need to ease the pain. Enter Brunswick East Wine Store. Sure, you could just pop down to the local IGA and grab a bottle of something that sounds fancy there, but why not go somewhere were ALL the wine is good - no guessing required. The lovely staff at Brunswick East Wine know exactly what they are talking about. Just give them a budget/occasion/colour and they'll point you where you need to go. But hey, why not buy a glass and enjoy a cheese and truffle toastie while you're in there? Not just a wine store, but a bar too! It's venues like these that make me feel smug to live in such a wonderful suburb. Cheers!

I'm a big fan of wine stores that let you enjoy a glass (or five) before you make a selection to…read moretake home. Come here for a glass of vino and a plate of cheese to wind down after work, and then speak with knowledgeable owner Tim about the options to take home. There's an excellent selection and I love that the bottles are sorted by weight, rather than varietal, and that there's a wide range of prices which means you can easily pop in for a bottle of what I like to call "Tuesday night vino" (read: cheap and cheerful) or something a little more fancy.

I went in here one day during the recent summer's four day heatwave. I grabbed a six pack of Sol…read moreand the kid at the counter started talking crap to me. I respect that, I don't know what I was thinking, but obviously not all of my faculties were intact on account of the endless heat. I live in a weatherboard house so I hadn't slept much that week. Thanks kid if you're reading this - I'm glad someone's out there guiding people into more sensible decision making through strategic abuse and subtle criticism of my implied lack of masculinity. The Coronas were a much better choice.

I used to live in Fitzroy, and upon my move to Carlton North the very first thing I thought was;…read more"Wow. This part of town is a lot more grown-up." Case in point is Rathdowne Cellars. Don't come here if you are looking for a sneaky six-pack on the way to your Northside house party or if you are looking for a cheap bottle of wine to drink with your spaghetti. But you should come here if; * You like fine wine * You like discussing fine wine * You have the moolah to buy fine wine Rathdowne Cellars also stock beers, but only the imported fancy kind! So check it out if you need to impress your in-laws or you need to buy a present for that difficult birthday gal/guy.

I wish I knew enough about wine to get a job at Rathdowne Cellars. The staff here are so friendly…read moreand helpful, and the range is massive. Unlike some specialty cellars, you don't need to feel uncomfortable if you've really got no clue about wine - the team is happy to explain things and make recommendations. Rathdowne Cellars run courses in wine appreciation (starting with absolute beginners), as well as tasting nights - check the website for the dates. Another great thing about Rathdowne Cellars is their online store, so if you don't live locally you can still buy from their phenomenal selection, or just browse before making the trip in. They even have an online gift registry - yay.

I love love love Piedimonte's IGA. Their range is great, you're supporting a local business and…read morethey give back to the community! They have heaps of options. If you want pasta, you can choose from fresh delicious pasta ... to $0.90 a packet dried pasta. Latina style ravioli to local made fresh ravioli. Their deli selection is fantastic - a lot of Australian products to choose from. But also exquisite Italian prosciutto or French cheese etc. They do their own baked goods, make coffee, sell homewares, to hot fresh chickens, specialty gelato, plenty of organic options too! Definitely worth a visit.

Harvest Wine & Liquor Store is the quintessential boutique alcohol shop. It stocks almost every…read moreboutique beer you can imagine from Australia and around the world (Europe in particular), a range of top quality wines (including preservative free, organic and biodynamic) and a good range of top shelf spirits and liqueurs. It is certainly not a cheap place where you would go to pick up a case before heading off to a party or barbeque. But if you want serious quality or have a particular taste for quality booze then Harvest is the place for you. The man who owns and works at Harvest is very very knowledgeable and friendly. He is passionate about quality liquor and wants to pass on his knowledge to anyone who wants it. Harvest is also a great place to go to buy presents for friends and family who enjoy a good beverage from time to time. And they also stock a range of class European canned beers for those who are heading to festivals like Meredith and Golden Plains and don't want to drink either VB or Carlton Draught.

If, like me, cheap wine makes you sneeze and splutter so much that you turn from a cheap date into…read morea sick date with barely any warning, Harvest Wine & Liquor is the place to go. Stocking an incredible range of wines, beers, ciders, spirits and more, Harvest Wine & Liquor is hands down the best off license in the area and boasts probably the best range of organic wine that I've yet found in Melbourne. As well as retailing, Harvest Wine & Liquor arranges roughly two tastings a month either within the shop itself or at neighbouring High Street bars, and there are invariably excellent offers available on the night on bottles of cider and wine. Predictably, Harvest Wine & Liquor isn't cheap. This isn't the place to nab yourself cheap cleanskin or cooking wine. But if you're looking for an excellent selection of high quality booze, Harvest Wine & Liquor is the place to go. Bar none.

Wide selection of craft beer and wine, staff is knowledgeable and friendly, haven't noticed any…read moreunsavory dark individuals lurking up and down the aisles either so that's a big plus as a woman, but I'm only giving it 4 stars because I'm pretty sure the wine guy last time I was in might not have been totally European in heritage.

I've noticed a few of these joints pop up over the last couple of years and I gotta say I was…read morebloody sceptical to begin with. All of this 'Hmmm,' chin rub, 'it's got a real passionfruit texture and a sense a bit of chocolate in the after palette' gives me the shits to no end. So I avoided the joint for want of not promoting this kind of overt wankery and wine snobbery. Then I discovered they have beer inside. Not just any beer neither, Blackhearts & Sparrows stock a wild range of brews from around the world and they actually know their shit. I'm a sucker for the 'big' beers: IPAs, stouts and the likes. These dudes not only stock a huge range of these kinds of 'speciality' beers, but they offer tastings and steer you in the direction of what's good, or new, or, exciting. They don't get pushy if you're on a budget and, yes, their wine selection is pretty impressive. If you're into that kind of shit.