How Melbourne’s best wine bars are built

About this episode

What actually makes a wine bar successful? In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, we sit down with Lyndon Kubis, the force behind some of Melbourne’s most loved venues including Toorak Cellars, Milton Wine Shop, The Alps and Clover. From starting at 18 years old with zero plan… to building a portfolio of iconic neighbourhood wine bars, Lyndon breaks down what really drives success in hospitality. This isn’t about wine lists or interior design. It’s about people, culture, and creating spaces that make people feel something. We cover: How Lyndon accidentally built a wine bar empire Why “vibe” matters more than product The shift in how Australians drink wine today Natural wine as fine wine The realities of running venues post-COVID How to scale without losing soul If you’re in hospitality, wine, or building anything customer-facing, this episode is a masterclass. The Halliday Wine Companion Podcast is hosted by Halliday editor Anna Webster. Lyndon Kubis on Instagram Halliday Wine Companion Halliday Wine Companion on Instagram Anna Webster on Instagram Buy the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion 01:00 How Lyndon got into wine 02:10 Buying his first wine shop at 22 04:00 Turning a bottle shop into a wine bar 06:00 Inspiration from Paris wine culture 08:30 What actually makes a venue successful 10:15 Why people come back (hint: it’s not the wine) 12:30 Location myths and reality in hospitality 14:00 The importance of “vibe” 16:00 Building team culture in wine bars 17:30 Expanding to Milton, The Alps & beyond 20:00 Opening in “dry suburbs” and licensing challenges 22:30 Why food became essential 24:30 Opening The Moon in Collingwood 26:00 Scaling back and focusing geographically 27:30 Launching Clover and modern bistro culture 29:00 How Australians are drinking wine differently 31:00 Natural wine vs fine wine 33:30 Building an online wine business during COVID 35:00 Importing wines and global relationships 38:00 Managing multiple venues 39:00 Biggest lessons in hospitality 40:00 Challenges in today’s market 41:30 What’s nextSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.