If there’s a mentality shared amongst members of Australia’s hospitality scene lately, it’s the importance of making lemonade out of lemons. The past two pandemic-racked years have seen a record amount of proverbial citrus being juiced across the industry, as silver linings are wrought from the fragments of sabotaged plans and ideas. Half Moon Wine Store is a great example of this enterprising ingenuity and resilience. It’s the brainchild of Brisbane-born boys Jordan Shertock and Alex Farquhar, who returned to their home town at the height of the pandemic, leaving behind plum roles in Melbourne’s lockdown-arrested wine scene. Jordan and Alex elected to use the change of scenery to act on some long-held dreams of entrepreneurship, teaming up to create a fresh-faced local bottle shop that reflected their personal tastes and respective knowledge of the vino industry. Half Moon Wine Store opened quietly today, Wednesday December 1, on Brereton Street in South Brisbane (look for Getta Burger’s yellow exterior and you’ll spy Half Moon next door). The duo officially hoisted the roller-door entry that shields the bottle shop’s minimally decorated interior, which is furnished simply with shelves and fridges flush with wine, beer and spirits. Half Moon’s interior is deceptively deep, boasting room for vinyl decks (which spins an assortment of records and will be utilised for wine-tasting events accompanied by DJ sets) and storage with e-commerce facilities at the rear. The aesthetically utilitarian decor serves to draw and keep attention on the stock, with vividly coloured labels and bottles of various hues offering plenty of eye candy for browsing clientele.

When conceptualising Half Moon Wine Store’s identity, personality and offering, Jordan and Alex first committed to being transparent about its selections from the outset. The duo places flavour at the top of Half Moon’s list of criteria, followed by a focus on ethical, sustainable, organic and small-scale makers. While shoppers will see some familiar names and labels on shelves, Half Moon is also championing a host of producers, suppliers and importers that, until now, haven’t been showcased prominently in Brisbane. Though the range is eclectic (with some emergent and trending varietals showcased), Jordan and Alex are eschewing buzzwords and spin in favour of passion-fuelled salesmanship and no-BS knowledge – it’s simply good gear made by good people. When it comes to wine, Half Moon boasts plenty of boutique red, white, rosé, bubbles and orange/amber drops, from big, bold bottles and textured, skins-y sips to a selection of boutique box wine. Australian makers like Commune of Buttons, Jauma Wines, Minim Wine and Das Juice can be spied alongside a broad array of European wines (including a strong representation of Italian and French imports), including esoteric burgundy from smaller, lesser known elevations and a dark, fizzy and smashable low-alcohol drop from German maker Vin de la Gamba. Half Moon also stocks a curated array of craft beers (you’ll see local fave Range Brewing tucked next to plenty of mid-strength and low-alcohol options), small-batch canned aperitivo from Bizarro, as well as a cache of boutique amaro and vermouth. The bottle shop’s online store is also operational, with free next-day delivery on orders (minimum of three bottles) within a 10-km radius of Half Moon’s South Brisbane location.

Half Moon Wine Store is now open to the public. Keen to drop in? Check the Stumble Guide first for operating hours and contact details.