The highly anticipated Bottle Shock launched over the weekend, a gamified wine bar aimed at ‘shocking’ people out of their traditional views on wine, and inviting everyone to play with their palate.
Set in a reimagined 120-year-old cold store in Gumeracha, the bar is the brainchild of Unico Zelo’s Brendan Carter alongside Henry Doyle and Simon Dacey.
Trio Brendan, Henry and Noah Ward built a global following through their YouTube channel Wine for the People, and this is the real-life version. A place where you can sip, guess, get it wrong, and have fun doing it.
The launch has already attracted some 200 people to the tucked away Gumeracha location, from average punters to some of the most knowledgeable people in South Australian wine.
“We’ve had great response so far,” says Henry.
“The blind tasting format is really fun and engaging. We’re having people who know nothing about wine to come in and enjoy it all the way to wine masters.”
Bottle Shock is perched in a prime spot nestled in the Adelaide Hills. The venue, formerly Applewood Gin Distillery, has undergone a serious transformation from formal to fun in a process Henry describes as “invigorating.”
The industrial, masculine black fit-out has been stripped back in favour of light, recycled materials and upbeat energy with a sprinkle of 80s pop. Floor-to-ceiling windows now hinge open to reveal the lush Hills surrounds, with all-white tables made from recycled plastic lining the room, each one facing out to let the landscape in.
“We have a fantastic old building that we’re working with here. It’s a 1920s cold store, so we didn’t want the typical wine bar aesthetic,” says Henry.
“It’s a bright, buzzing party space, not a place where you whisper over a glass of Bordeaux, and the design really ties in the exterior.”
The original brick walls remain, a nod to the building’s heritage, but that’s where tradition ends.
For those new to the party, here’s how Bottle Shock works.
Instead of being told what you’re tasting, you’re handed a set of cards and five mystery wines. Each flight has a different theme — price, place, style, or structure.
In ‘The Price is Right,’ you match wines to dollar values. ‘Geoguessr’ challenges you to spot the local drop.
“It’s not about getting it right,” adds Henry. “It’s about how price, region, or style shape the experience. Being wrong is part of the fun.”
Other flights pit old school against new school like bold Barossa Shiraz versus funky chilled Grenache.
“I came up with that flight by asking, what does my dad like drinking versus what do I like drinking?” Henry laughs.
But the real magic of Bottle Shock lies in its embrace of personal taste. Whether a wine reminds you of lemon tarts or leather boots, if you taste it, if you feel it, it’s right. Your feelings are valid.
“If a wine reminds you of your childhood because your nan used to make you lemon tarts, and there’s something in that riesling that flips your brain and makes you go, ‘that reminds me of nan’s lemon tarts,’ that’s the right answer,” he says.
“If the winemaker doesn’t agree, maybe they haven’t had your nan’s lemon tarts.”
And in true flipping-the-script fashion, the team are also stacking the calendar with fun, no-snooze events.
On Thursday nights, the space invites industry heads, locals or anyone who wants to nerd out on wine to come round, “like a community club, but for wine people,” Henry explains.
Expect quizzes, wine chats, and collaborations with That’s Enrico, the new Lobethal pizzeria from master dough maker Enrico Sgarbossa.
“Where do you go when you want to hang out with other wine people? You come to Bottle Shock and talk about wines from around the world,” obviously.
It’s $20 a head or bring your own bottle. No fuss. No rules. Just chat.
As for the most “shocking” at Bottle Shock so far, “there’s a flight featuring a French Pinot Noir and a cheap, approachable Adelaide Hills one… and people consistently picked the Adelaide Hills one as the more premium of the two,” says Henry – proof that wine wank may very well be a thing of the past.
Forget snobbery and forget trying to get it “right.” Bottle Shock is about drinking what you love, learning a little, and having a damn good time doing it. Just bring your curiosity, the rest is up to you.
The venue is open now and available for tastings, bookings and events with talks of wine masterclasses on the horizon. Stay tuned.
WHAT: Bottle Shock now open
WHEN: Thursday – Sunday, 12 – 6pm
For their Instagram, click here.
For the website, click here.
More News
