It’s not often you can pinpoint the exact genesis of a business idea but for Archie Cox, it came when he was sipping on a carafe of chablis in the streets of Lyon back in 2015. Working for LVMH at the time, which incorporates some of the world’s most renowned wines and spirits including Moët & Chandon, Krug, Veuve Clicquot, Hennessy and Château d’Yquem, Archie experienced what he calls an epiphany as the waiter placed the carafe on the timber table alongside a fresh baguette and selection of cheese. In Europe, it’s not uncommon to drink wine out of a ceramic jug or glass vessel, but in Australia, things are pretty different. This was the beginning of Carafe Wine. Officially kicking off in 2020, Carafe Wine is urging Gold Coasters to rethink the way we drink by delivering premium Australian wine on tap. By eliminating the bottles, Carafe Wine is reducing the carbon footprint of wine consumption (from bottling, packaging and transport) by up to 90-percent.

You’ll find Carafe Wine on tap across a range of Gold Coast-based venues including Mamasan Kitchen + Bar, Miami Marketta, Double Barrel Kitchen & Bar and The Star, to name just a few, but as of this week, you can also sip at Carafe Wine’s brand-new educational facility in Southport. Before you go thinking it’s some kind of stodgy classroom, Carafe Wine is all about the fun side of wine. Archie remembers a conversation he had with Bruce Tyrell, of Tyrell’s Wines, who once said to him that there are only two types of wine – the kind you like and the kind you don’t. It’s a sentiment that has stuck with Archie throughout his entire career. “Bruce broke it down, wine is just wine, it’s not about the brand on the glass – just enjoy the journey,” Archie says. “The biggest thing we want from Carafe Wine is to break down the barrier between people who know about wine and the people who want to know about wine. It’s about finding a region and variety you like and drinking more from that region,” he says. “Drink for regionality not labels, that’s why we source our wine from all over Australia.”

Among the current tanks, you’ll find a sip-worthy selection including a crisp sauvignon blanc from Adelaide Hills to an easy-to-drink sangiovese, however, this will change depending on what Archie can get his hands on. Archie has grand plans to roll out rosé blending classes on a Saturday afternoon and a champagne masterclass on a Friday night as well as delve into creating ports, fortified wines and maybe even a vermouth. A Gold Coast boy born and bred, before wine Archie owned live music venue The Playroom in Tallebudgera, which hosted everyone from The Cure, The Angels and Midnight Oil to the late Michael Hutchence (who Archie personally carried out over the roof and down the back stairs to avoid the hoards that gathered below, but that’s another story for another day). You’ll find a homage to the live-music institution behind the bar where you can enjoy a glass from the tap ‘Playroom to Pinot’.

Carafe Wine is now open! Skip over to our Stumble Guide for all of the delicious details.