Meet The Maker at Brooks of Melbourne

"The most stunning restaurant wine display, I have ever seen." overheard at the bar, Brooks of Melbourne

The picture above is of a bar that I intend to spend time at, three to four nights per week during the month of July. In the black and white sketch edit, the bottles of wine are lined up, like soldiers. Ready to do their duty in this up-scale restaurant at the smart end of town. That restaurant is, of course, Brooks of Melbourne. Old-fashioned customer service reigns supreme in the superbly decked out basement location. Named as a nod to a gentleman's club in London- you could easily guess that the wines on show are well-aged, high profile French beauties and other, sought after 'drinks'.

The fact is, on closer inspection, that is not the case at all. Sommelier extraordinaire, Matthew Brooke, has one of Melbourne's toughest gigs.. for it is up to Matt to select the wines that will match, and stand up to, chef Nic Poelaert's daring creations from the kitchen.

Fortunately, Matt excels at his task.

colourful labels

During the month of July, (and with a cheeky finale on August 1st), Matt has invited more than 30 wine producers to make a personal appearance at Brooks. Each wine maker will bring along a selection of their wines to sample, and each of the makers will have at least one of their wines available to buy by the glass on Matt's inspiring wine list.

This amazing opportunity is where the Brooks bar seen above, starts to fill with colour. Meeting the maker allows the wine drinker to hear the stories of how these wines came about, what drove the maker to create such wines, and you can even find out how a wine went from an idea- to being bottled- to being served at Brooks.

Mark in your diary at least one afternoon where you will come and sit at the bar, #MeetTheMaker and swap a yarn or two- all over a glass of wine, of course!

Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays until 1/8/2013.

4:30pm-7:00pm at the bar to meet the makers, stay longer and dine if you wish.

See the wine maker line up here: http://brooksofmelbourne.com/meet-the-maker-dates/

Call +61 3 9001 8755 for dinner reservations or visit: http://brooksofmelbourne.com/reservations/

I will be there (almost) every day- so come and say hi. Feel free to share your pictures and stories of your #MeetTheMaker experience via twitter/instagram @LadyOenotria or email ladyoenotria@gmail.com

fun at the bar, Brooks Melbourne

Recline, Wine & Dine

Just about as soon as I became of legal drinking age I discovered the delight of Hotel Lobby Bars. My gal pal and I decided that we'd like to frock up and head out to drink pretty cocktails in elegant surrounds. We lived on the Gold Coast, certainly weren't staying in any fine hotel, and chose the Surfers Paradise Marriott (Lobby Lounge Bar) as our first grown-up drinks venue.

This was to be the beginning of a life long hobby. Hotel lobby bars are usually grand, exaggerated, architectural masterpieces. Luxuriously fitted out, with a fine attention to detail by way of accessories, flowers and cocktail lists. The clientele is always greatly varied, with an ambiance of confident, worldly, happy people.

Recently, I discovered The Travellers Bar in the lobby of the Rendezvous Grand Hotel (previously Duxton Hotel) at 328 Flinders Street, Melbourne. They have an impressive cocktail list plus a wine list covering local and international wines.

The bar snacks are tasty, on-trend and tapas-style so that you can mix and match flavours as you wish. I have visited on Friday evenings where the vibe is 'Playful Elegance' and mid-afternoon on a weekday seems to be more 'Recline and Wine'.

As you'd expect with a hotel that was built in 1912, the décor is simply beautiful, complete with stained glass windows partially muting the busy Flinders Street view. The ornate ceiling trims perfectly offset the fresh, modern lounge furnishings and the staff look dapper in waistcoats and ties.

The Travellers Bar perfectly fits the bill for relaxation, rest and the opportunity to Recline, Wine & Dine. It is a venue that I will have on high rotation over the Spring months and I look forward to trying most of the wine list. For a Lady that likes to stop mid-dailygrind at any time of the day, Hotel Lobby bars are the bomb. Email me via LadyOenotria@gmail.com to share your favourite Recline, Wine & Dine venues.

Befriend a Sommelier

Almost a decade ago, I moved from Brunswick to Southbank and all the culinary delights that came with the location. One evening I strolled into Number 8 Restaurant and Wine Bar and took a riverside seat. It was early in the week, early in the evening and I was very fortunate to meet David Nichols, head Sommelier. I then confessed that I did not know how to order French or European wines.

David's answer?

• ALWAYS consult the Sommelier staff
• READ the on-menu recommendations
• EXPERIMENT, EXPERIMENT, EXPERIMENT

Some of my beloved would probably say that I have taken that advice a fraction to far- however I have come to enjoy wines with food so much more that it has been totally worth it. During Mr Nichols tenure I would have visited Number 8 somewhere between fifty and one hundred times. (You'll have to ask Visa for the exact number).

Christmas with my brother, Liam

I have visited for after work drinks, boozy and non-boozy lunches, birthdays, first dates, last dates, career celebrations and even many Christmas day meals. I have sent clients there, taken friends there and told complete strangers to visit. Walking in to Number 8 is exactly like slipping in to your favourite comfy jeans.

In all that time, I have rarely had the same wine twice. I engage the services of the Sommelier staff on hand, I express mood, occasion and food preferences. Sometimes I have not met the staff member before but I know that to enhance my dining experience I need to be open and honest with them so that they may do the job the are trained to do. The job that they are passionate about. The task they absolutely delight in- if you let them.

This year, Tim Stow, previously of PM24 has taken the helm as Head Sommelier at Number 8. I haven't met Tim yet, but I certainly plan to. Every restaurant I visit now, I seek the advice of the Wine Stewards or Sommeliers. No matter how many times you visit, they will know the food and wine intimately. They will know about seasonal variances and Vintage conditions. Tap into that knowledge and have the best possible dining experience that is on offer.

Riverside at Crown, 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank.

For Bookings phone: 03)9292 7899