Australian Wine Centre
Australian Wine Centre
4.5
9:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
About
For more than 25 years we have built a reputation for our selective and eclectic range of wines as well as our ability to deliver wines to our customers around the world. Conveniently located in the heart of Sydney at Circular Quay, we stock wines from the most innovative and quality driven producers in the country, as well as maintaining a deep inventory of old and rare vintages.
Duration: < 1 hour
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Central Business District
The Sydney Central Business District is abuzz with energy. Power brokers run to and from high rise buildings and after-work drink places, high-end shoppers tour venues like the QVB, and fine diners frequent the many celebrity chef restaurants. For a dose of culture, walk to the NSW Art Gallery, or visit the Sydney Museum. To escape the hustle and bustle, reconnect with nature at the Sydney Botanical Gardens or picnic lunch at High Park. No matter your interest, be sure to check the full calendar of events hosted by the city, from the Sydney Festival in January to October’s Good Food Month at Hyde Park.
How to get there
- Circular Quay • 4 min walk
- Wynyard • 6 min walk
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4.5
27 reviews
Excellent
16
Very good
9
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
1
UmbriaGirl
Waterloo, Canada37 contributions
Sept 2017 • Couples
By pure luck, we found the Australian Wine Centre yesterday and spent an invaluable half hour there with Zach. Not only did we leave with two excellent new wines to try, but he gave us great information for our week ahead in Barossa and McLaren Vale. Fabulous resource for both wine and information. Thanks Zach!
Written 3 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there! Thanks for coming in to the store and thank you for your kind review - I'm thrilled you enjoyed your visit! I hope that you enjoyed the Barossa and McLaren wine while you were there, and I hope to see you when you're next in town.
Kind regards,
Zachary Phillips
Written 23 September 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Bill Pierce
Melbourne, FL533 contributions
Nov 2016 • Couples
Great small wine shop next to the Marriott. Good place to stop on your way to a cruise or stock your hotel room. They also ship to US. Mike is very knowledgable and extremely helpful. Good selection of both local and world wines.
Written 1 November 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pegtrav
Arlington, VA126 contributions
Sept 2015
This wine "Center" is on the harbor Quay. Even if you have its address, you could easily miss this very convenient wine shop because it is below street level--sort of--depending from which direction you walk towards it. Nonetheless, the search's extra minute or two is work the effort as the staff is very helpful and the prices fair.
Written 22 October 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank your for your visit and for taking the time to review us, and for highlighting our location. We currently on the corner or George and Alfred Street, below street level, directly across from the Four Seasons Hotel. We're glad that the extra effort of searching was worthwhile for you. Enjoy the wine!
Written 25 January 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Delia_for_pope
Sydney, Australia26 contributions
June 2016 • Friends
Despite these jokers receiving an order weeks in advance from my mother for my birthday, and being told it had to arrive by 14th June, the order was 2 days late. They blamed the long weekend - fellas the long weekends are in the diary and can be planned around.
When the order did arrive it was two bottles short ! It was a gift from my mother and had I not checked with her they would have got away with charging her for 6 bottles and delivering 4.
When I called there was no apology or offer of compensation - they didn't really seem to care at all.
There are plenty of places to buy wine in Sydney - this place is right opposite where the cruise ships come in so they over inflate their prices and stock poor quality wines. No-one who lives in Sydney shops here. Avoid it.
When the order did arrive it was two bottles short ! It was a gift from my mother and had I not checked with her they would have got away with charging her for 6 bottles and delivering 4.
When I called there was no apology or offer of compensation - they didn't really seem to care at all.
There are plenty of places to buy wine in Sydney - this place is right opposite where the cruise ships come in so they over inflate their prices and stock poor quality wines. No-one who lives in Sydney shops here. Avoid it.
Written 16 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Charles,
Thank you for taking the time to post your comments on Tripadvisor – we appreciate all feedback and use it to make improvements to our business. We would like to once again apologise for the discrepancies that occurred in dispatching your order. We trust that you have now received the wines in full and will enjoy the selection. We would also like to take this opportunity to briefly address the concerns you raise here.
We have identified that your order was short delivered due to a picking error. We take the utmost care in putting together the many consignments and deliveries that we carry out both here and abroad every year, however, we can only identify human error as the cause of the short delivery in this instance. We did in fact apologise for the mistake over the phone, and then undertook measures to rectify the problem immediately. This included having the balance of the wines couriered to you that very same day, along with an extra bottle of wine at our expense and with our compliments. We hope that this provided appropriate recompense for your disappointment.
We would like to point out that when the order was placed the purchaser requested that the order be sent via Australia Post (our carrier for standard shipping Australia-wide) rather than a courier service. The order was deliberately held by us so that it would arrive on the day requested and we had been assured by Australia Post that we had left enough time for it to arrive on the requested day. Unfortunately, we have no power over the postal service and whatever delays they may suffer. We do offer a courier service which provides same day delivery for more urgent deliveries.
You are correct about our location. We are presently in Circular Quay on Alfred Street in the CBD - we do not, however, inflate our prices because of this. We are an independent store that has been operating for over 25 years and do not compete in range, and therefore price, with the larger chains. We focus on small batch, high quality wines which are not commonly represented in most retail stores or sold overseas. We have many loyal customers, both overseas and from Australia, who choose to shop with us on a regular basis due to our selection and expertise. Other reviews, both on Trip Advisor and our website, are evidentiary of this.
As to us selling low quality wines, we would invite you to come into our store and examine our selection, or to have a cursory look at our website and let us know your thoughts. We take great care in our selection and would welcome any feedback pertaining to our range.
Again, we sincerely apologise for the errors made with your order and will do our best to ensure this does not occur again.
Many thanks,
Zachary Phillips
AWC
Written 20 June 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
warren t
Manila, Philippines227 contributions
Aug 2018 • Family
I had a hard time looking for a wine shop. I am staying at the Rocks area and wanted some wine for when I get back to my hotel to try. I went to another shop close to Ash Street and the choices there were mostly above AUD100 per bottle and it seems they target foreign wine from Italy and France. Their Australian wine was more expensive than foreign wine. Glad I found this place finally after a week in Sydney as am now being introduced to great Australian Wine by a helpful gentlemen. I do not get this. This is Australia, a wine producing country. And it seems getting an Australian wine is harder and more expensive most times compared to Italian and French wine be it in a shop or a restaurant.
Written 17 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Warren,
Thank you for taking the time to review us - it is greatly appreciated, and I am glad that you enjoyed your selection of wines from us. You are correct about the state of Aussie wine in Sydney. While there are some great independent retailers and restaurants which focus on Australian wines, many have an exhaustive collection of foreign wines. As a city, we seem to have never supported our wine industry the way that Melbourne, Perth or Adelaide do. But I am glad you found us and that we were able to help you. I look forward to seeing you again when you're next in town!
Many thanks,
Australian Wine Centre
Written 18 August 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
MattF443202
Baltimore, MD14 contributions
Oct 2017 • Business
The store had a great selection of wine and a small selection of cigars. I was looking to purchase a few cigars for my stay and the staff was very friendly and helpful.
Written 8 November 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TomLaw
Seattle100 contributions
Mar 2017 • Solo
Michael Upfold runs this tight little shop with the customer in mind. Helpful, knowledgeable and instructive. He asked me to describe the wine I was looking for and he came up with several selections that would qualify. He was so convincing that I reorganized my suitcase to carry two examples home. Now I am stuck with shipping by the case but even that still leaves the overall pricing less than in the US. Thanks Michael!
Written 29 March 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EvanXTX
3 contributions
June 2016 • Couples
My girlfriend and I travelled to Sydney for the Vivid festival and was suggested this place by both our hotel and the sommelier of a restaurant. We both love our wine and we weren't disappointed at all - the range is HUGE, mostly Australian with some great European wines, and we spent quite a while browsing, and the staff member was able to answer all our questions. We ended up buying 4 bottles of wine and an Australian gin, and cannot wait to try them - we will definitely be coming back when were are next in Sydney. Thanks, AWC!
Written 19 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Evan,
Many thanks for visiting our store, and for taking the time to share your thoughts. I'm glad you enjoyed your visit! It's great to hear that both hotels and sommeliers are recommending us. Our range is extensive - I hope that we were able to help you choose something to your tastes. Let us know! We continuously change our selections of Australian Gin, as there are so many these days, but we like to think we stock some of the most unique and delicious ones in the country.
We look forward to seeing you again!
Many thanks,
Zachary Phillips,
Australian Wine Centre
Written 24 June 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
FrankXDz
Washington DC, DC6 contributions
Sept 2015
We travel to Australia annually visiting friends and wineries. We gave up lugging wine back to the US years ago to save ware and tear on my body and avoid luggage disasters. Our solution was the Australian Wine Center (AWC). We merge our wine findings with the AWC team knowledge and experience and select our annual purchase of fantastic wine for shipment back to US. The AWC staff especially Mike Upfold and Rob McGregor have never let us down by recommending wines that not only meet our taste but are unheard of in the US. The AWC has never failed in getting us wines and vintages that we would never be able to normally purchase even at the winery.
In all the years of doing business with the AWC, we have had only one bottle of wine be "Off" after delivery and after AWC and we directly emailed the winery they (being the winery) admitted to having a storage problem and replaced my wine bottle for future shipment by the AWC and all of the wine they shipped to AWC!
Shipping has been simple and easy with coordination and communications from purchase to delivery. If we could add a "Sixth Bullet" to this review, we would not hesitate. Yes - the experience and satisfaction has been that good!
In all the years of doing business with the AWC, we have had only one bottle of wine be "Off" after delivery and after AWC and we directly emailed the winery they (being the winery) admitted to having a storage problem and replaced my wine bottle for future shipment by the AWC and all of the wine they shipped to AWC!
Shipping has been simple and easy with coordination and communications from purchase to delivery. If we could add a "Sixth Bullet" to this review, we would not hesitate. Yes - the experience and satisfaction has been that good!
Written 30 May 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Frank,
Thank you so much for your glowing review. We are always thrilled to hear back from our customers, and to know that they have had such a positive experience with us. As always, please feel free to get in touch any time - we look forward to seeing you soon and helping you select some new wines to try!
Many thanks,
AWC
Written 1 June 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
SphinxKitten
Sydney, Australia5 contributions
Dec 2015 • Couples
As a local Sydney sider, I don't have a lot of time for local attractions, but this is one I really love. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable and have a great grasp of Australian wines. They stock such a wide variety, and include some truly wonderful boutique growers that you don't see elsewhere. There is a huge range of wines and spirits from across the country; they have the best of the Barossa, Hunter, Margaret River, Yarra and all the other great regions of Australia. Whether you are a local or a tourist, they will always give you the time of day and a great recommendation for a night at home, a night out, a date or a party. I cannot recommend the Australian Wine Centre highly enough!
Written 23 February 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Coming form the US & trying to buy wines before boarding ship at the quay for a cruise, I'm attempting to find some familiar high quality Aussie selections and find very little online that I'd like to purchase-big names that I know as a wine educator-like Leeuwin Estates Chardonnay, any number of highly rated wines from Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, even bigger names in Barrossa,etc. Seems like a narrow inventory of selections, so why bother? I can buy AU good wines in hawaii enroute and probably at as good or lesser prices than I can find here. what am I missing here?
Written 13 April 2016
Zachary P
Sydney Olympic Park, Australia
Robert,
Thank you for getting in touch with us. Can I just quickly confirm whether you've received any of the emails that I've sent you? If not, please check you Spam or Junk folder.
As to the wines, yes, we do have some of the big names of Australian wines - Tobreck, Penfolds, Yarra Yering et cetera. You can get some of these in the US, though we often stock back vintages which will not be commericially available overseas. For example, we currently have a 1990 Yarra Yering Dry Red No 1, and a 2001 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon, a 2009 Tyrrell's 4 Acres Shiraz, as well as many others.
You may be aware that only a minority of Australian wines are exported. While you are familiar with these, you are missing many of the small, boutique, single vineyard wines which are hard to find in Australia, let alone overseas and are so often among the most unique, interesting and arguably delicious wines in the country. These are the wines we largely focus on. We also taste everything before we stock it, so you can be assured of its quality. We stock producers like Sami Odi, Standish, S.C Pannell, Bindi et cetera. As a wine educator, I'm sure that these would be of interest to you, as they provide a deeper insight into Australian wine as well as what is truly being done in the country. It would be like if an Australian went to the USA and wanted to drink Opus One and not Littorai.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email us. I'd be happy to elaborate on these points further at your convenience, if you so desired. Thank you for your time. When get to Sydney, we would be more than happy to show you around the store and talk about the wines.
Many thanks,
Zachary Phillips, AWC
Written 15 April 2016
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