A living room for wine lovers – Ruby’s Wine Shop opens in Albion
Last week, Ruby’s Wine Shop opened its doors in Albion, debuting with a thoughtful selection of minimal-intervention wines from Australia and beyond. Owner Tamara Husler has created an inviting space where anyone – novice or enthusiast – can explore new styles with confidence. With just 20 seats and a warm, personal touch, this dog-friendly drop spot will likely quickly become a local favourite.
Tamara Husler says she’s come a long way since she first got into wine, but she didn’t turn into a connoisseur overnight.
“I started off drinking Moscato,” Tamara reveals with a chuckle. “Thinking back to my early and mid 20s, I would go into wine shops not knowing what to buy and feeling overwhelmed by all of the options or intimidated by the staff who work there. I wanted to create a space that wasn’t like that.”
That’s exactly what Tamara has done with Ruby’s Wine Shop in Albion – an inviting and approachable hybrid bottle shop–wine bar that officially opened to the public last Friday.
From the moment Tamara opened the doors to her character-filled Sandgate Road shop, wine lovers from all walks of life flocked to snag one of the 20 available seats. Those who missed out on a perch congregated near the amply stocked shelves or in corners, as Tamara’s border collie Ruby (the venue’s namesake and greeter) roamed about the venue collecting pats from each visitor.
“Friday was absolutely insane – crazy and unexpected, but so much fun,” says Tamara. “There were so many locals here, it seemed like they really enjoyed themselves and were really excited that a spot like this has opened here.”
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Tamara’s journey from emergency nurse to bottle shop operator closely echoes her overall wine education – a fact-finding process that involved a fair bit of research. In addition to visiting local haunts armed with a boatload of questions, Tamara also reached out to operators who had trod pathways similar to her own.
“I honestly just spoke to anyone who would listen to me and answer questions,” explains Tamara, who tells us she connected with Kirstie Petrie of After Dark Wine fame and Dan Wilson of terrific Tarragindi wine shop LPO Wine.
“[Dan’s] been a really good mentor to me throughout this process,” says Tamara. “He invited me to be a casual at his shop so he could show me the processes and how to run things. He’s always available for a chat and to answer any questions that I might have.”
Once armed with the know-how and confidence to craft her own haunt, Tamara set out to curate a selection of unique vino from local producers, Australian labels and global makers. The resulting selection nudges approximately 100 options (including six to eight wines available by the glass) that covers most tastes and price points.
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“There’s so much wine in the world, so I’ve chosen to focus on the sustainability side of things – the minimal-intervention side of winemaking – to narrow my scope,” Tamara reveals. “That’s going to make it a little bit easier to pick wines, but that’s also the kind of wine that I enjoy drinking.”
On the shelves you’ll see wines from Australian makers such as Minim, La Petite Mort, Guroo, Crusher, Sven Joschke and Poppelvej, to name a few, plus European labels like Fumey Chatelain and Gut Oggau. There’s even Ruby’s own pet nat, an effervescent number made in conjunction with St. Judes Estate in Ballandean.
“It’s just really easy, fresh, bubbly and fruity,” says Tamara. “If someone comes in and they say they’re not usually a wine drinker and that they prefer beer, I pour this. They love it.”
Soon, Ruby’s Wine Shop will be incorporating a number of Swiss wines into its selection, with Tamara managing to secure a limited amount of rare exported sips.
“It’s going to be evolving,” says Tamara of Ruby’s offering. “I just want to listen to the community and what they want as well and curate a selection that works for them.”
While Ruby’s Wine Shop doesn’t currently sell any snacks of its own, guests are welcome to bring their own food. QR codes around the space can be used to order from Olive Thyme next door.
When coupled with its comfortable and warm atmosphere, Ruby’s Wine Shop is already well-poised to become a cherished watering hole for Albion locals and cross-suburb adventurers alike. While the majority of customers will likely pop in for a takeaway bottle, for some, sitting down over a glass will prove to be an irresistible prospect.
“Everyone commented on how pretty the space was, how warm and welcoming it felt,” says Tamara. “That’s exactly what I wanted to achieve – I really wanted this living room feeling. I saw a little bit of a gap in the market and felt like people might want another option other than a wine bar or a pub – something a little bit in the middle.”
“[Over the weekend] people were sitting around the communal table and talking to each other, just groups of people who didn’t know each other playing games, ordering in food from next door and and just having a good chat. It’s just a space of openness and friendliness.”
Ruby’s Wine Shop is now open to the public. Operating hours and other details can be found in The Directory.