Co-owners Lisa Saunders and daughter Toni Sayers outside The Wine List, Euroa’s new wine bar and bottle shop.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Since opening its doors over the Easter weekend, The Wine List in Euroa has become a go-to spot for locals and visitors alike.
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It’s the first wine bar and bottle shop of its kind in the region, and it’s already drawing a crowd.
“(The opening) was so crazy, so busy (Easter) Friday through to (Easter) Sunday,” owner Toni Sayers said.
“There was a line to get in.”
Tucked inside a thoughtfully designed space on Binney St, the venue offers more than just drinks.
“It’s part wine bar, part bottle shop, part community hub and it’s family-friendly too,” Toni said.
“There’s a backyard with a cubby house and toys, so kids can entertain themselves.”
Toni opened The Wine List with her mum, Lisa Saunders, whose hospitality experience includes running iconic Melbourne pubs such as The Rising Sun, The Vine and The Imperial with her late husband, Greg, between 1995 and 2005.
“Mum’s background in hospo made it possible,” Toni said.
“She’s had to teach me how to pour a beer.”
With its clean design and inner-city feel, the space has a distinctly Melburnian atmosphere — for a moment, you might forget you’re in country Victoria.
“All wines and drinks are all Australians and hand picked by us,” Toni said.
“We only offer drinks that you can’t find anywhere else.
Toni gets things in order behind the scenes.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
“Smaller brands to support locals and support Victoria.”
With a rotating craft beer tap, award-winning non-alcoholic options and a short seasonal menu featuring homemade focaccia with stracciatella and chilli honey, tinned fish with sourdough, and warmed olives, the bar offers what Toni calls “relaxed, unpretentious drinking and dining”.
Toni and her husband, an architectural builder, designed and built the venue themselves.
“Husband did all the fit-out and I had the design in mind,” she said.
“I have been helping hubby with his building company so learned a few things along the way.”
Originally from Melbourne, Toni and her husband moved to Euroa four and a half years ago after purchasing a house sight-unseen during lockdown.
“The town doesn’t see us as people who moved here from Melbourne — they see us as members of this community,” she said.
The team has already started planning events, including a Mother’s Day tapas lunch, and is looking to bring in acoustic artists down the track.
“We wanted to create a place of transit to come to because it’s different from what is around in the region,” Toni said.
“People come here because it’s different.”
Whether you’re passing through town or planning a date night, The Wine List has you covered.
It’s open Thursday to Monday and well worth a visit.
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