How Melbourne’s best wine bars are built | Lyndon Kubis (Toorak Cellars, Milton Wine Shop, The Alps, Clover)

<p>What actually makes a wine bar successful?</p> <p>In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, we sit down with <strong>Lyndon Kubis</strong>, the force behind some of Melbourne&rsquo;s most loved venues including Toorak Cellars, Milton Wine Shop, The Alps and Clover.</p> <p>From starting at 18 years old with zero plan&hellip; to building a portfolio of iconic neighbourhood wine bars, Lyndon breaks down what <em>really</em> drives success in hospitality.</p> <p>This isn&rsquo;t about wine lists or interior design.<br>It&rsquo;s about people, culture, and creating spaces that make people feel something.</p> <p>We cover:</p> <ul> <li aria-level="1">How Lyndon accidentally built a wine bar empire</li> <li aria-level="1">Why &ldquo;vibe&rdquo; matters more than product</li> <li aria-level="1">The shift in how Australians drink wine today</li> <li aria-level="1">Natural wine as fine wine</li> <li aria-level="1">The realities of running venues post-COVID</li> <li aria-level="1">How to scale without losing soul</li> </ul> <p>If you&rsquo;re in hospitality, wine, or building anything customer-facing, this episode is a masterclass.</p> <p>The Halliday Wine Companion Podcast is hosted by Halliday editor Anna Webster.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lyndonkubis">Lyndon Kubis on Instagram</a></strong></p> <p><strong><a href="https://winecompanion.com.au/">Halliday Wine Companion</a></strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/winecompanion/"><strong>Halliday&nbsp;Wine Companion on Instagram</strong></a></p> <p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/annawebster_"><strong>Anna Webster on Instagram</strong></a></p> <p><strong><a href="https://shop.winecompanion.com.au/products/2026-halliday-wine-companion">Buy the <em>2026 Halliday Wine Companion</em></a></strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;01:00 How Lyndon got into wine<br>02:10 Buying his first wine shop at 22<br>04:00 Turning a bottle shop into a wine bar<br>06:00 Inspiration from Paris wine culture<br>08:30 What actually makes a venue successful<br>10:15 Why people come back (hint: it&rsquo;s not the wine)<br>12:30 Location myths and reality in hospitality<br>14:00 The importance of &ldquo;vibe&rdquo;<br>16:00 Building team culture in wine bars<br>17:30 Expanding to Milton, The Alps &amp; beyond<br>20:00 Opening in &ldquo;dry suburbs&rdquo; and licensing challenges<br>22:30 Why food became essential<br>24:30 Opening The Moon in Collingwood<br>26:00 Scaling back and focusing geographically<br>27:30 Launching Clover and modern bistro culture<br>29:00 How Australians are drinking wine differently<br>31:00 Natural wine vs fine wine<br>33:30 Building an online wine business during COVID<br>35:00 Importing wines and global relationships<br>38:00 Managing multiple venues<br>39:00 Biggest lessons in hospitality<br>40:00 Challenges in today&rsquo;s market<br>41:30 What&rsquo;s next</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>