Vine Providore

Inside the old Reschs Brewery building on Bourke Street, Redfern, this independent wine merchant has traded since 2002, long enough to have outlasted several waves of inner-Sydney retail turnover. The range runs wide rather than narrow: everyday drinking bottles sit near old-and-rare wine, and the shelves extend into exotic spirits and a solid local and imported beer selection, reflecting a shop built for browsing rather than a quick top-up. Its home in a heritage industrial building gives it a sense of place unusual for a bottle shop, a link to Redfern's brewing history rather than a generic retail fit-out. It has been picked out in guides to Sydney's natural wine scene, a reputation earned through range and staff knowledge rather than marketing. Open seven days, into the evening most nights, it draws from across the inner south, from Redfern regulars restocking a home cellar to visitors curious about the building itself. For anyone tracking down harder-to-find bottles in inner Sydney, it is worth the detour off Redfern Street.