A staggering 1,500 wines and over 150 by-the-glass options spearhead the menu at Melbourne’s Circl Wine House.
The newly opened wine bar and restaurant is an exciting addition to the city’s already competitive sommelier landscape.
The Melbourne CBD venue sits just off Little Bourke Street in Punch Lane, in the former Bar Saracen venue.
It was developed by a group of wine-loving friends who wished to encourage a culture of accessibility and discovery around wines. The extensive by-the-glass list will feature limited-edition and hard-to-track-down wines.
Leading the team of sommeliers is Head Sommelier and Venue Manager Xavier Vigier.
“At Circl we really want to bring our guests wines they’ve never heard of before. There’s a new market and audience in wine that we’re very much conscious of,” says Vigier.
“We will challenge the status quo by offering rare and allocated wines by the glass to allow anyone the chance to try wines they otherwise wouldn’t be able to reach.”
Vigier adds that the extensive by-the-glass offering also provides customers with the chance to have a glass rather than committing to a full bottle.
One “extremely rare” bottle will be released each week, with a limit of 75ml per person.
Vigier is an award-winning Paris-born sommelier who emigrated to Australia in 2013. His career has seen him in roles with Merivale, Catalina and lauded wine connoisseurs Ten Minutes by Tractor. In 2021 he was recognised as the best sommelier at Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards.
Executive Chef Elias Salomonsson will lead the kitchen. Although wines are a crucial element of the venue, the food offering has evidently been deeply considered.
The menu is lined with the likes of caviar served with crumpets, smoked eel tart, Loddon Estate duck with Davidson plum BBQ sauce and arrowhead squid with nduja, morcilla and celeriac.
“Ultimately, we want to be known for our flexible, accessible and enjoyable food offering that delivers our ‘circle’ philosophy – creating memorable food and wine experiences together with family and friends, for any number of occasions,” says Salomonsson.
Expert cheesemonger Victor Persinette-Gautrez from K-Sein Fromagerie has also curated an offering of cheeses.
The menu will feature one of the largest Champagne selections in the country, with 135 bottles available.
The venue was redesigned by MARCH.STUDIO architects. It features two dining rooms, with the upstairs one boasting a room-length glass-enclosed wine cellar as its backdrop.
Circl is open Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm till late, along with Thursday and Friday at lunchtime.
