This urban bar on the border of Victoria and New South Wales showcases producers from Rutherglen and the world alongside wine-friendly snacks and hearty meals in a heritage setting.
Filament bulbs strung from the original pressed-tin ceiling lend a friendly glow to this historic shopfront, formerly an Indian restaurant and now known for fine wines and good times.
Singles should take a seat at the bar, groups in the main dining room and more intimate gatherings in the low-lit, moody annex in the covered side laneway.
The tiled and timber-topped bar is a fine spot for casual bites and drinks, which include cocktails such as Aperol Spritz and Negronis, and beers and ciders. On the facing wall, stacked wine bottles reach towards the ceiling waiting to be drunk in-house or bought to take away. In between, high tables with timber stools braced in leather and lit by candles encourage lengthy sessions revelling in Rutherglen’s wine culture.
The concept for Thousand Pound, opened in early 2015, was pretty simple, says co-owner Eliza Brown. “It was a place for us to go out and drink. We really wanted Rutherglen to have a wine presence in the main street – to concentrate on local wines.”
Thousand Pound’s wine selection focuses on family-owned vineyards – the bar itself is owned by the Brown family, proprietors of prestige local wineries All Saints, Mount Ophir Estate and St Leonards. Given family connections, the cellar has quite a few back-vintages from local growers. Great for history buffs.
While the list is heavily weighted towards local vineyards, it also embraces standout styles from other regions such as sauvignon blanc from New Zealand’s Waipara Valley, German riesling, Tuscan Chianti, French Beaujolais, Austrian grüner veltliner and even a Moroccan syrah.
It’s the sort of joint where you can come and compare a tempranillo from Rutherglen with one from its heartland in Spain’s storied Rioja region, or benchmark a Rhône syrah against a suite of Rutherglen’s top shirazes. Or just, you know, enjoy a great glass of wine.
