Step inside Notes Wine Shop, Everton Park’s colourful new vino joint
Brisbane’s wine bar-bottle shop hybrid trend is steadily spreading to the suburbs. Now, Everton Park is getting in on the action with the arrival of Notes Wine Shop, a cosy new spot created for easygoing sips, friendly chats and discovering something new. Whether you’re browsing or staying for a glass, it’s designed to feel like home.
An ongoing trend in Brisbane’s hospitality evolution has been the proliferation of bottle shop and wine bar hybrids – informal neighbourhood haunts where locals can pop in for a bottle to take home or linger over a glass or two.
Though increasing in number, there are precious few of these venues in Brisbane’s outer reaches. With her brand-new Everton Park wine shop, Notes, Sarah Nightingale-Hickey is looking to change that.
“Travelling around Melbourne, Sydney and even overseas, it felt like they’ve got so many cool, low-key, casual places,” says Sarah. “Brisbane doesn’t really have that – we’re slowly getting it, which is great, but I thought we needed more places like that, especially in the ‘burbs.”
Notes Wine Shop opened to the public on Trouts Road last weekend, with Sarah pulling back the curtain on a cosy and colourful repository that the community can call its own.
“I’m a big fan of not having to make a lot of effort – I don’t want to have to get dressed up,” says Sarah. “I wanted something that just felt like home, something really fresh and light with bright colours and patterns.”
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The space itself features a sky-blue colour scheme with mirrored accents and artwork from Sunshine Coast artist Emma Martin. Between a few low-set chairs outside and a strip of stools inside, Notes boasts seats for eight guests and standing room for 20. This intimate setup is one of the venue’s best assets, with locals encouraged to get to know their neighbours.
“I want it to be very approachable, accessible and easy, and just create a really fun environment,” Sarah explains.
When it came to curating her dream wine list, Sarah – who has exchanged a career in project management to indulge her oenophilic passions – has crafted a selection informed by her own tastes alongside input from grape-savvy consultants and distributors.
The venue’s shelves and wine fridges house vino from a hand-picked selection of Australian and international producers, with the overall collection blending classic and new-wave expressions. Though purposefully concise to start, Sarah is eager to nurture and grow the selection based on input from the community.
“I’ve kept it fairly small at the moment to see what the demographic is after,” explains Sarah. “We have the flexibility to adapt and change, as well.”
Drops from LATTA, Gentle Folk Wine, A.R.C Wines, Sven Joschke and Sigurd share shelf space with imported bottles from Les Athletes du Vin, Giovanni Rosso, Les Bottes Rouges and Tenuta di Fessina. Sarah is also making her own vino in collaboration with a Stanthorpe-based winemaker, which will debut in August.
Notes also stocks a tight selection of new-age cask wines from Cult Cru and Carussin, with plenty of non-alcoholic options also available. A tight by-the-glass menu will change daily and offer visitors a snapshot of what’s on the shelves.
Need a recommendation? Sarah is happy to help. Most importantly, however, Sarah is eager to let those who visit Notes indulge in the things they enjoy.
“If you don’t know wine or if you just want something that tastes good, come on in.”
Notes Wine Shop is now open to the public – get more info in The Directory.
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