Image credit: Caroline McCredie

Copains Bar a Vin, NSW

1/12

The name means “friends” in French and odds are you’ll spot two pals – Morgan McGlone (ex-Belles Hot Chicken) and Nathan Sasi (formerly at Nomad and Mercado) – behind the pans or on the floor of this Surry Hills corner bar. Inside glasses, you’ll find well-chosen, Euro-leaning drops and you might hear dad-vibe Hall & Oates on the stereo. Just like hanging out at a mate’s place.

Image credit: Matt Dunne

Pencilmark Wine Room, Vic

2/12

Ballarat has some serious food and wine chops these days and this cool 20 seater is a main player. Stop by for a fun three-course set menu by chef and co owner Derek Boath or a low-key glass and snack (try a plush nebbiolo and a plate of pork and fennel polpette) every day of the week.

Image credit: Jess Kearney

Bar Heather, NSW

3/12

You can treat Bar Heather in Byron Bay like a proper sit-down restaurant or a place to pop into for a cheeky glass of natural pinot noir and venison tartare with gnocco fritto. Owned by wine importers James Audas and Tom Sheer, with food by Ollie Wong-Hee (ex-Sixpenny and Ester in Sydney), it has a tonne of character and cred.

Bar Francine, Qld

4/12

A hallmark of a good wine bar is a sense of spontaneity; it should feel like you can call in at the end of the weekend – without a booking – to ward off the Sunday Scaries with a glass of picpoul and a little brandade on toast. Bar Francine in Brisbane’s West End keeps walk-in tables free to help make that Monday transition a little easier.

Clover, Vic

5/12

Natural wine and food cooked over fire – there’s something about that combo that feels earthy and honest. Clover in Melbourne’s Richmond, with its handsome stained-glass window frontage and pretty, ivy-draped courtyard, celebrates both these things in equal measure, with a sprinkle of Parisian bonhomie. Wine maestro Lyndon Kubis has numerous bottles on the go at any time so you’ll always find something that piques your interest.

Image credit: Kahii Kiasaten Wine Bar

Kahii, NSW

6/12

There’s no law that says the wine world has to be dominated by Europe and its colonial offshoots. Kahii in Sydney’s CBD is an intriguing combination of a kissaten – a Japanese-style coffee house – during the day and a Japanese-inflected wine bar at night. In its after-dark format there’s a largely French list (though Australia features, too), with Japanese snacks prepared by nearby restaurant Kuro.

Molto, Tas

7/12

The team from Tasmania’s pioneering Stefano Lubiana Wines has opened a Hobart showcase for their own products that also features the very best drops from the rest of the island state, the mainland and beyond. The ever-changing chalkboard by-the-glass list – usually about 15 wines at any time – might include a McLaren Vale grenache, a Piedmontese barbaresco and a local riesling, just for starters. Pair your choice with delicate bites, such as farinata with XO sauce.

Casa, WA

8/12

Come for the natural wines and we can all but guarantee you’ll stay for the food, which might be a club sandwich or a plate of Mexican-inflected amberjack crudo. Casa in Mount Hawthorn loves a collab and has previously held one-off dinners featuring Melbourne chefs Rosheen Kaul from Etta and Bar Liberty’s Casey Wall.

Image credit: Nearly Wine Bar

Nearly, SA

9/12

Adelaide does a very nice line in petite, neighbourly wine bars – hardly surprising when several of the country’s best wine regions are on the city’s doorstep. This matesy, walk-ins-only spot (179 Hindley Street) focuses almost entirely on South Australian drops from small, minimal-intervention producers such as Adelina, Brave New Wine and Bink. The snacks are low-key, including simple cheese and salumi plates.

Image credit: Paranormal Wines

Paranormal Wines, ACT

10/12

You’ll find the best of the Canberra region’s cool-climate vino on the tight by-the glass list at this super-chilled joint in Campbell. But these guys don’t play only on their own patch; there are lo-fi options from the rest of Australia and around the globe, to pair with snacks from Sydney’s LP’s Quality Meats and anchovy toast soldiers.

Wines of While, WA

11/12

Every wine poured at this Perth wine store and bar is natural, fuss-free and made by smallscale producers from all over the world. Food is equally simple but just as thoughtful: perhaps a couple of “ice” mackerel – a lesser-known fish – served with a pil pil sauce or a delicate smoked eel and kohlrabi salad.