If you're a fan of lo-fi, natural wines and craft beer, it's likely you've seen the inside of a Blackhearts & Sparrows at some point. Siblings Paul and Jessica Ghaie opened the original store in Windsor in 2006, with the aim of making great wine both affordable and accessible. Today, the brand encompasses 12 locations across the state (and one in Tasmania).
An on-premise licensed venue feels like a long time coming for Jessica and Paul, and while we have been patiently waiting, the pair have been scouting the perfect location. Enter Perry's: a 'refreshment club' that has serviced Collingwood locals for a century and a half, through numerous scandals, caretakers and name changes.
After surviving the Temperance Movement of World War II and resultant neighbouring 'sly grog' shops, the venue emerges post-lockdown as a smorgasbord of textures, colours and eras.
Simply described on the website as "a space to enjoy good times with your favourite people", Perry's makes for a very charismatic place to unwind, collaborate and create. The venue is available for hire seven days a week as a private event space, with the option to 'dry hire' to shoot content or host corporate events. Or if you prefer your celebrations a little more lubricated, a range of packages featuring signature Blackhearts producers are available.
The space includes a tasting room, courtyard, dancefloor, and dining room with an eclectic old-meets-new aesthetic. Exposed brick walls and stained-glass windows collide with art deco curves and painstaking attention to detail. Overall, it's a little less than a pub, a little more than a bar. And the old girl is ready for some new adventures.
Perry's is currently available exclusively for private venue hire, with a calendar of public events to be released in the new year.