Most oenophiles can trace the origins of their wine obsession to a particular point in time, perhaps even to a specific drop. Troy Brown’s love affair with vino really crystalised ten years ago when, while on a holiday to Puligny-Montrachet in Côte de Beaune, he was introduced to (and became enamoured with) the wines of Burgundy. Here he tasted wines that blew his mind to such an extent that he decided to embark on a quest to learn the art of viticulture, educating himself on how wines are made and what makes them taste good.

It’s a journey that has taken Troy to some of the world’s best growing regions and wineries, and even to the precipice of commencing a Masters of Food and Wine at the University of Bologna with the intent of starting a vineyard in Italy alongside his wife Natalee. While Troy and Natalee had to put their overseas plans on hold due to family reasons, the couple decided that if they couldn’t make wine, they might as well sell it. The idea for Wineology, Troy and Natalee’s newly opened wine bar on Adelaide Street, spawned from the duo’s desire to share the knowledge they’ve gleaned from their travels, opening a locale where wine lovers can taste some of the finest drops from around the globe without the eye-watering travel costs associated with cross-continent gallivanting.

Wineology isn’t your conventional wine bar. It’s equipped with 12 state-of-the-art enomatic wine dispensers manufactured in Greve in Chianti, each capable of apportioning small tastes and large pours of 96 wines, all told. Though an unfamiliar service method compared to most Brisbane boozers, the use of these machines is much more common across Europe, where local wine bars use them to dispense vino made from surrounding wineries. “I’ve visited one in Bordeaux and there’s one in Rioja, but my favourite one is in Montalcino where they’ve got 100 sangiovese by the glass,” says Troy. “It’s all brunello di Montalcino or rosso di Montalcino. The beauty of that is that you can really taste what winemaking is about and what terroir is about.”

So, how do these machines work? Simply exchange a credit card or driver’s licence like you would a bar tab, then insert a provided card into the machine to purchase a 30-ml taster, half serve or full serve of one of the machine-encased bottles. Positions one through 96 are arranged by body, starting with light whites and moving toward big, bold and full-bodied reds.

Head wineologist Rowena Collings has worked with Troy and Natalee to curate the bar’s impressive 250-strong selection of vino, with the 96 enomatic sips joined by many more bottles on the shelves. The overall range includes a mix of Australian, New Zealand and international options, with well-priced everyday drinking wines mixed in with some special occasion and super-premium sips (including a 2018 Penfolds Grange, which is available for tastings). “We’re trying to stick with regions that are known for producing a particular grape, that have a track record,” says Troy of Wineology’s curatorial ethos. “We do have a couple of rare birds in there, but if we’re going to do a sangiovese it’s probably going to come from Chianti, while our shiraz will come from McLaren Vale.”

Wineology doubles as a bottle shop, so if you find a drop you like, simply pluck it from the shelf to take home or pay a bit extra for corkage and enjoy it on site. A range of classic cocktails, spirits and European and mainstream beers are also available for those that are after something other than wine.

Much like the wine bars of Europe, Wineology doesn’t believe in serving just quaffables – food is as important as the drinks themselves. In the kitchen, Troy’s cousin Carlen Uphill (whose resume includes positions as head chef at hatted restaurants like Ortiga and Peasant) is turning out a menu of tapas-style dishes, many of which look to either reflect the cuisine of a particular wine region or pair with the flavour profile of a certain grape variety. The hearty cinghiale ravioli with spinach, leek hay, basil, house-made ricotta, herb oil and wild boar ragu matches up nicely with a glass of sangiovese, while the blue swimmer crab agnolotti meshes well with a crisp German riesling.

Other menu highlights include cheese and charcuterie boards, house-made truffle knodel with wild fungi and burnt-butter sugo, burnt maple lamb ribs with Persian fetta and charcoal salt, roasted bone marrow with oxtail ragu, and mesquite-rubbed venison backstrap with garlic buffalo fetta and Tuscan cabbage. All of the food and drink is served within a classy yet approachable space that boasts room for 38. Clui Design has fashioned the venue to favour comfort, from the plush leather stools, upholstered banquettes and fluted-glass behind the bar to the colour-flecked marble countertops, sheer curtains and pops of blush-pink.

Wineology is now open to the public for dine-in and takeaway custom, seven days a week. Head to The Weekend Edition’s Stumble Guide for operating hours, booking details and more information on the available wines.

This article was written by James Frostick from The Weekend Edition.