When Wines of While opened in 2018, the natural wine bar was a hit, not least because it was Perth’s first venue to focus exclusively on organically farmed wines. But even for those unmoved by Loire Valley chenin, owner Sam Winfield’s farmhouse cooking was another draw; ditto the bar’s electric, standing-room-only atmosphere, when it hosted guest chefs and winemakers. Wines – as it’s referred to locally – didn’t just shake things up out west: it turned heads nationally and was named GT’s Bar of the Year in 2019.
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In 2023, fans had more reason to celebrate when Winfield had found new owners to continue what he started: (re)enter stage left, Emma Pegrum and Tom van Beem. She’s a prolific Perth creative. He’s a wine importer as well as Wines’ opening bar manager returning to where it all started. Of all the changes the couple have implemented, two stand out. One is redesigning the bar and replacing the shelving and wine fridges with tables and booths. This makeover didn’t just add 18 seats to the space: it also repositioned Wines as a restaurant that sells takeaway wine instead of a wine shop that happened to serve food.
The other big change is securing the services of head chef Jack Short. Previously of Melbourne’s Manze and Bar Romantica, Short innately gets the small plate, small menu format of wine bars. He also gets the importance of good ingredients and how astute thinking can salvage the reputation of even the most forlorn dishes.
Two mains from Wines of While (credit: Emma Pegrum)
Crisp fingers of buttery chickpea showered with pecorino feel like tasting panisse for the first time. Chicken cacciatore studded with plump green olives served on Paris mash is anything but ho-hum. Rum baba soaked in a syrup made from rare Haitian rhums agricole speaks to an unwavering commitment to provenance.
Toothsome twists of casarecce doused in salsa verde, meanwhile, are typical of Short’s formidable pasta game, although he also possesses a knack for seafood both cooked – a peppery salad of grilled octopus, rockmelon and frisée, say – and raw. Get a load of that amberjack crudo crunchy with salted cucumber!
Despite these switch-ups, the new owners have wisely preserved many of the things to appreciate about Wines. The focus is still on organically farmed vino (although Swan Draught is still on tap); pillowy house sourdough is still some of Perth’s best bread; and chummy waiters are as welcoming to the posse looking to party as it is the solo diner on a Saturday. In short, all the signs suggest that, under the custodianship of team Pegrum-van Beem, Wines looks set to remain one of Australia’s great (natural) wine bars. Let the cheering commence.
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Emma Pegrum
