Archive Wine Bar

For some of the finest bar snacks in Geelong and one of the most impressive wine lists in Victoria, look no further than Archive Wine Bar. This narrow hole-in-the-wall was started by Ray Nadeson and Maree Collis (owners of Lethbridge Wines) and partners Graham and Ingrid Sutherland. It boasts a 170-strong list of wines by the glass, and Graham can often be spotted at the bar armed with a trusty Coravin. Barolo, Burgundy, Yarra Valley, you name the region, they’ve got it. This isn’t the spot to visit if you’re looking for a new-age natty number, but an old-world tipple by the glass that you can’t get elsewhere without spending a small fortune on the bottle. A 1989 Vouvray presents itself in pristine condition, its sweet nectar as pronounced and smooth as it would have been when bottled. And it’s paired beautifully with the venue’s grazing platter. A small selection of charcuterie is thoughtfully assembled and totes a local French teacher’s neighbour’s curried tomato relish, Lard Ass’s cultured butter, peppery, fennel-laced salami, soft French cheese and more. The walls inside the bar are lined with panels from wine boxes by some notable producers – Domaine de la Romanee-Conti and Domaine William Fèvre to name a few. Graham, who is currently studying his WSET Level 4 Diploma wants to put Geelong on the map for wine. With that in mind, he was the first to start teaching WSET Level 1 and 2 at the venue itself. The bar is pumping all throughout the day with punters heading in and out in solid streams, yet Graham manages to have a chat with wine fanatics and sommeliers that hang onto his words like honey. Heading outdoors, there is a surprisingly vast beer garden. Parasols and tables dot it and there’s an adjoining, kitschy undercover area whose walls are lined with an impressive array of magnums that were consumed at Graham’s 40th birthday. Geelong is well and truly putting it on by adding a boozy feather like this one to its cap.