Collingwood’s first sustainable wine dispensary is the summation of Rahel Goldmann and Ron Goldmann-Davis' 30 years of collective hospitality experience. After working in restaurants and wine stores across Europe and Australia, the German/Australian duo were inspired to find a way to bring sustainable wines to consumers – sans single-use packaging.
While vignerons and producers have been making great strides over the last decade, the delivery vessels of their enviro-friendly products offer up a jarring contradiction: sustainably made wines served in single-use glass, with single-use closures and single-use labels. Goldmann and Davis were inspired to rethink this process and find a way to reduce needless waste. With a bar/bottleshop in mind, the first step to achieving this was to eliminate disposable packaging in the process.
Moving towards a dispensary model made perfect sense, taking wine straight from the barrel in the winery, to 30-litre kegs stored at the Smith Street venue. Much like buying a growler from your favourite brewery, at Glou you can purchase reusable glass bottles of your favourite wine to take home – and bring them back to be refilled when you’re ready. The added benefit? Roughly a 30 per cent discount compared to your average wine retailer.
So, what’s on pour? An ever-changing rotation of 16 locally produced wines – on tap, of course. Part of the appeal of Glou is being introduced to something a little different, so go in with an open mind and an adventurous palate. The venue is set up much more like a cellar door than a wine bar, in that wines are typically described simply by producer. You’re welcome to taste anything you like before committing to a glass, so take a seat at the bar and find a favourite. Goldmann and Davis are often behind the bench and are more than happy to offer suggestions if you’re feeling indecisive. Make sure to say hi to Goya, the in-house Kelpie x Border Collie, if you’re lucky enough to be blessed by his adorable presence.
The Glou interior is light, airy and minimalist – similarly, the food offering is more elaborate snack than meal. Chef Yolanda Whelan serves up thoughtfully curated vegan cheeseboards and vegan snacks like rhubarb ceviche and caponata to pair with your wines.
In addition to the bricks-and-mortar store, Glou is an online retailer offering one-off purchases, or weekly, fortnightly and monthly subscriptions. Standalone purchases can be made in a range of volumes, from half to two litres. Subscriptions are fully customisable – from the number of bottles, size of bottles and wine type (‘red-ish’, ‘white-ish’ or ‘mixed bunch’).