A new team of hospitality owners has turned a former Peel Street coworking meeting room into a casual drinkery with a huge list of international and local drops.

Nestled between Gondola Gondola and Peel St Restaurant is Jennie, a moody bar with a globe-trotting wine list.

Scott Taddeo, long-time manager of Alfred’s nearby, is part of the ownership group of the new venture, which promises a rotating portfolio of 180 wines, with 20 to be made available by the glass.

The wine list will be about 60 per cent international and 40 per cent local, which Scott expects may surprise some visitors. But it was a deliberate decision by he and his partners.

“For us, looking into any good wine bars either throughout the country and abroad, wine’s such a good way to connect with food and travel – it’s such an interesting way to tell stories,” he says.

Through wine, Scott hopes to continue to pour up new and interesting stories tailored to his clientele’s tastes.

“We have the luxury as a wine bar for people to feel comfortable in our suggestions,” Scott says, adding that the rotating list will keep the Jennie experience fresh and exciting.

Scott Taddeo

Scott says they picked the name Jennie “because it’s kind of unassuming”, but it is also an old term for a 500ml wine bottle, which he says also represents the bar’s small team.

Alongside Scott, Jennie is owned by Scott Quick, owner of Alfred’s and Malt & Juniper, Matt and Lachlan Harrison, who previously worked at Alfred’s, and Matt Holding of Malt & Juniper.

The space is inspired by Melbourne wine bar The Alps and Perth’s Wines of While – both cosy bars with moody, intimate vibes and neat floor plans.

Carved out of a space that was once a meeting room, Jennie’s pendant lights sit above a huge African mahogany table. Shelves made from the same timber line the walls, stacked with a huge selection of reds. Low wine fridges and timber counters run along the back of the space, where you might expect to see a bar for the staff to serve from.

Instead, Scott has opted to keep the space open and the staff on the floor, which he says is to enable an open but intimate feeling with customers.

As for food, Jennie will have a rotating selection of meat, cheese, terrines, pates, dips and oysters.

Jennie is now open at 7 Peel Street and operates from midday seven days a week.

Connect with the business on Instagram.