What do you get when you mix one of Australia’s most respected wine critics with a retail heavyweight who helped turn Dan Murphy’s into a household name? An exciting new venture that’s ready to challenge the status quo in the world of wine.

Jeremy Oliver, the internationally renowned wine critic behind Oliver’s Wines, has spent the past year making waves in the online wine world. But now, he’s taking the leap into bricks and mortar – and he’s doing it with none other than Tony Leon, the former Dan Murphy’s GM who helped grow the liquor brand from a single store to 88.

Together, they’re planning a new kind of wine retail experience. Think: flagship stores with wine bars, education spaces, and real human connection – all seamlessly tied to Oliver’s growing digital platform.

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Oliver says the move from purely digital to a physical store presence is all about connection and customer experience.

“A high-profile bricks and mortar presence can drive sales via our online platform in a way that is too hard to deliver when purely online,” he explains.

“But a physical multi-purpose operation featuring a wine bar plus event and education spaces will greatly help us create and nurture customer relationships. Visitors to our stores will discover our unique brand story and experience the depth and truly personalised nature of our online/offline presence.”

The first store is set to open in Melbourne’s inner suburbs, with Sydney and Brisbane in the pipeline. But this isn’t just about popping corks and pouring wine, Oliver says it’s about rewriting the rulebook on how wine retail works in Australia.

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Leon says the timing for the new venture couldn’t be better.

“The major retailers are cutting back to smaller ranges of core products from major brands, while the smaller independents are struggling to create a point of difference. So our timing couldn’t be better,” he says. “We can fill this niche and we have a story to tell.”

And the opportunity is big. The local liquor retail scene is shifting fast. Major players are consolidating and narrowing their offerings. Coles Liquor, for example, is rolling its First Choice, Vintage Cellars and Liquorland stores under the one Liquorland brand. Meanwhile, the Endeavour Group, owner of Dan Murphy’s and BWS, has seen its share price dip by 25 per cent over the past year.

That, says Oliver, spells opportunity for smaller players who are willing to do things differently.

“This creates massive opportunities for those like us who don’t believe that’s what enthusiastic wine drinkers want, whatever their level of knowledge,” Oliver says. “We can do things at a store level that are too hard for the big guys and too challenging for most of the smaller ones.”

A shared past

Leon and Oliver share more than a passion for good wine – they also share a history. Both got their start in the industry working for the original Dan Murphy, and they’ve stayed deeply connected to the evolving Aussie wine scene ever since.

“Tony tells everyone how old he is, but he looks as fresh and as engaged as ever I can remember him,” laughs Oliver. “He loves developing retail brands in Australian liquor and to be honest there’s nobody I’d prefer to handle our commercial operations. And it’s a quirky thing we both had our starts in this industry working for Dan Murphy himself.”

Oliver’s Wines is set to become a go-to destination for wine lovers who want more than just another bottle on a shelf. With a strong online presence already in place – including a recommendation engine, mobile apps, and even a WeChat store for Chinese consumers – this new venture is about discovery, storytelling, and making wine retail personal again.

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