Pop some corks at Brisbane’s top spots for a perfect glass of champagne
Put the bottles on ice and get ready to pop some corks – World Champagne Day is looming and we’re fizzing with excitement. Held every year on the fourth Friday of October, World Champagne Day is celebrated by oenophiles and enthusiasts across the globe. If you’re itching to get amongst the action with a flute of fizz or two, here is a list of Brisbane bars and restaurants with some truly impressive champagne collections.
Winnifred’s, Fortitude Valley: When it comes to champagne, the first port of call for any serious sipper should be Winnifred’s. This emporium of effervescence is dedicated to grower champagne – independent producers that source their grapes from a single vineyard or closely located vineyards. Winnifred’s has the largest collection of grower champagne in the southern hemisphere, with approximately 14,000 bottles and 363 cuvees (sourced from 63 independent growers and a number of storied Grande Marque houses) on hand. If you can manage to nab a stool at Winnifred’s champagne bar, Coteaux du Petit Morin, you’ll be able to savour by-the-glass drops from Charles Heidsieck, C.H. Piconnet, Arthur Lelievre, Jean-Marc Sélèque and more.
Want a more in-depth experience? Winnifred’s has just launched Les Reines du Champagne (The Queens of Champagne) – a Champagne flight showcasing cuvées from a number of amazing female grower producers. In addition to this, the team has introduced a secret list of exceptional vintage Champagnes available by the glass, featuring drops from Emmanuel Brochet, Jacques Lassaigne and Rousseaux Batteux.
Cru Bar + Cellar, Fortitude Valley: Long regarded as housing one of the biggest and most diverse troves of wines in Brisbane, Cru Bar + Cellar is a wonderland for champagne drinkers. The venue has been awarded Australia’s Best Champagne List, with experts praising the institution for the complexity of its range, which includes the iconic Grande Marques to the region’s rising stars. Cru’s Coravin system also includes champagne, so you’ll no doubt find some rare belters to sample.
Petite, Fortitude Valley: Not quite a wine bar, not quite a bistro, the one thing everyone can agree on when it comes to Petite is that its champagne selection is impeccable. Cameron and Jordan Votan’s French-inspired sibling to Happy Boy and Snack Man continues the group’s longstanding tradition of offering customers a bang-on wine list. At Petite, the specialty is grower champagne and cremant (which includes four options by the glass). You’ll find winners from growers like Maxime Oudiette, Domaine Bichery and Gaspard Brochet, alongside established names like Jacques Selosse and Champagne Salon. If you have a particular taste, you can tap into Snack Man’s broader list, which is bound to include a few more options for champagne cravers.
C’est Bon, Woolloongabba: Few restaurants are as synonymous with French culinary excellence like C’est Bon, so it tracks that the restaurant’s champagne list is similarly exceptional. The venue’s cellar is loaded with bottles from grand marques and growers, with guests able to choose between the likes of Taittinger’s Brut Prestige, magnums of Gosset’s Grand Blanc de Blancs, Agrapart & Fils’ 7 crus Brut, Vouette & Sorbée’s Fidèle Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature, and Michel Gonet’s 6g Blanc de Noirs Brut.
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SK Steak & Oyster, Fortitude Valley: The Calile’s glamorous steak and seafood restaurant is known for its attention to detail and exceptional quality, which translates to its champagne selection. Curated by head sommelier Claire Mun, SK’s list offers something for everyone, leading with four prestige champagnes available by the glass (a glass of Charles Heidsieck Rosé Réserve is a great place to start, we’re told), plus an extensive selection by the bottle – ranging in size from half bottles to magnums. Grower champagnes are well-represented at SK – think Egly-Ouriet, Jacques Selosses and Jérôme Prévost – and there’s a strong selection from classic champagne houses, with impressive vintage depth.
La Cache à Vín, Spring Hill: While La Cache à Vín goes large on big, bold reds from across France, it also boasts a stellar 45-strong selection of champagnes, encompassing “rare and unforgettable” drops from big-name producers like Pol Roger, Laurent Perrier and Bollinger, as well as sublime sips from a clutch of smaller producers, like Pierre Paillard, Franck Pascal and Frères Mignon. Of special note are Paul Hazard and Laurianne Lejour – growers that both produce less than 20,000 bottles a year, which La Cache imports and serves by the glass.
Marlowe, South Brisbane: Though more compact than some of the other lists in this round-up, Marlowe’s champagne selection is a tightly curated edit that offers an expressive snapshot of the Champagne region. Limited to just 13 selections, Fanda Group beverage director Peter Marchant has emphasised balance and producer integrity, showcasing both recognisable grand marques and distinctive lesser-seen wines from grower-producers. Highlights include Franck Bonville’s Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, Albert Levasseur’s Brut Nature aperitif-style non-vintage, and Henri Giraud’s gastronomic Blanc de Noirs.
Supernormal, Brisbane City: The champagne selection at Supernormal has been built on a simple philosophy – champagne just suits the Brisbane lifestyle. As the Supernormal team is super enthusiastic about champagne, don’t expect the list to remain static. The ever-changing selection is constantly updated with new discoveries, bottlings and vintages, showcasing champagne’s versatility and how it can match the food menu’s savoury, umami characteristics. Supernormal’s list typically balances the big names (those known for precision and long bottle ageing) with small, family-run growers. When we asked the team for a recommendation, they offered the Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Blancs NV, which expresses the character of the chardonnay – taut and tensile – while also spotlighting the maison’s unique style, which is described as “powerful and generous”.
Montrachet, Bowen Hills: A consistent fixture when it comes to wine list awards, French institution Montrachet is a lock to have some top-tier champagne any time you visit. A quick scan of the list should be all the proof you need, especially when you spy names like Ulysse Collin, Vouette & Sorbée, Agrapart & Fils, Jacques Selosse and Egly-Ouriet side by side.
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Grape & Grazing, New Farm: Though smaller than some of the big-name restaurants on this list, real oenophiles know that Grape & Grazing is a veritable trove of top-shelf champagne. The list here ranges between 40 and 50 options, divided into Brut Non Vintage, Brut Vintage, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs and Rosé. Notes on each selection’s base, dosage and disgorgement are listed, where applicable, giving sippers insight into the sweetness and complexity of each drop. Names like Egly-Ouriet, Bertrand-Delespierre and Armand de Bignac sit alongside Dom Pérignon, Tattinger and Louis Roderer, giving a curated cross-section of Champagne’s best.
Rothwell’s Bar & Grill, Brisbane City: While it’s hard to go pasted of Rothwell’s famed ice-cold martinis, the restaurant packs one of the best champagne lists in the city. Only got time for a glass? Best make it a good one. Rothwell’s serves some of the finest bubbles around by the glass, including Krug, Dom Pérignon and Bollinger Rosé. If you’ve got time to linger (lucky you), the restaurant’s not-so-short list also features non-vintage drops from the likes of Barrat-Masson, Etienne Calsac and Egly-Ouriet.
OTTO, South Bank: Though Italian at heart, OTTO Brisbane’s wine list isn’t short on top-shelf champagne. Head sommelier Antoine Heurtier and his beverage team comes correct with a collection filled with non-vintage and vintage belters. You’ll spy some familiar faces on the list, including Krug, Pol Roger and Charles Heidsieck, but a good chunk of OTTO’s selection is dedicated to independent, terroir-driven growers like Bertrand-Delespierre, Egly-Ouriet, Jérôme Prévost and Laherte Frère.
The Wolf, Brisbane City: Ensconced in opulently colourful and comfortable surrounds of The Wolf, guests are free to kick back and indulge. In addition to the restaurant’s Euro-leaning menu, The Wolf’s beverage list features a thoughtful wine list encompassing plenty of champagne, including big names from Krug and Dom Pérignon. The restaurant is also known to host highly praised champagne masterclasses, so if you want to deepen your relationship with the iconic bubbly beverage, this is the place to do it.
Emporium Hotel, South Brisbane: From The Terrace to Belle Epoque, champagne is a big theme across all of Emporium Hotel’s venues, but none more so than The Reserve Wine Bar and Cellar, which houses a vast collection of the rarest wines in the world. This trove encompasses some of most prestigious Champagne brands in the world, including Dom Pérignon, Veuve Fourny, Ruinart, Moët & Chandon, Bollinger and Mumm, to name a few. On Friday 17 October, champagne lovers are encouraged to head to Emporium Hotel’s Frangipani Ballroom for Tour de Champagne, which will showcase more than 20 prestigious Champagne houses and approximately 40 cuvées, available alongside oysters, caviar and artisanal French cheeses. Get your tickets here.
Pompette, Brisbane City: If it’s champagne you seek, snag a stool at Pompette’s 16-m-long marble champagne and oyster bar. Tassis Group’s French-inspired restaurant boasts a beverage menu anchored by a weighty champagne selection, with 40 types of French champagne available. Swing through on a Sunday and you can enjoy Pompette’s Bottomless Bubbly Banquet, which offers guests bottomless French bubbles as well as a decadent 9-course Parisian-inspired banquet.
South City Wine, Woolloongabba: At South City Wine, craftsmanship, elegance and timeless prestige is celebrated through this French-style wine bar’s champagne list. The venue’s house pour, Laurenti Grand Cuvée, is a stellar tone-setting sip thanks to its refined structure and delicate balance, while perennial favourites such as Taittinger’s Cuvée Prestige and vintage expressions like the 2015 Taittinger Brut Millésimé, offer depth, richness and a touch of history in every glass. Those that are keen to push the boat out can also find exceptional options like a 2016 Pol Roger, 2012 Dom Pérignon and 2014 Louis Roederer Cristal on the list.
Midtown, South Brisbane: Martinis might reign supreme at Midtown, but the intimate bar’s champagne selection also packs a punch, with cuvees from heavyweight makes like Louis Roederer and Laurent-Perrier available. On Friday October 24, Midtown will host some Champagne Day celebrations, boasting free-flowing fizz from Laurent-Perrier, $3 Tasmanian oysters and a decadent caviar menu.
Club Felix, Brisbane City: Perched between Naldham House’s brasserie and The Fifty Six, Club Felix is an opulent bar that does two things exceptionally well – cocktails and champagne. Of the latter, Club Felix boasts 18 selections available by the glass alongside a suite of French wines all under Coravin.
Honourable mentions: If you just can’t get enough champagne, be sure to also check out Wineology, Blackbird and Walter’s Steakhouse & Bar in The City, Rosmarino and Mosconi in Fortitude Valley, Hervé’s Restaurant & Bar in Albion, and La Lune Wine Bar in South Brisbane.