New digs. Same IB vibes. And finally, an address without wheels.
We've spent a fair bit of time taking Innocent Bystander on the road. Music festivals, food markets, laneways and just about anywhere else we can park our black Airstream and convince a few people to stop for a glass.
But after all that travelling, we figured it might be nice to have somewhere to hang our hat. Somewhere with good neighbours, plenty of personality and preferably a fridge full of wine.
Melbourne, we think we've found the spot.
Our new pop-up cellar door is officially open in String Bean Alley at Queen Victoria Market.
It's a little less mobile than what you're used to from us, but everything else is very much IB.
Same wine. New postcode.
We've taken everything we love about our Mobile Cellar Door and squeezed it into a shipping container in one of Melbourne's most iconic markets.
You'll find your favourite Innocent Bystander wines by the glass, bottles to take home and plenty of opportunities to discover something you weren't expecting to love.
There's no traditional cellar door stuffiness here. No need to know your Pinot Gris from your Pinot Noir before you walk in. Just pull up a crate, grab a glass and make yourself at home.
We've even installed a foosball table, because apparently just sitting around drinking wine wasn't competitive enough.
Friendly games encouraged. Questionable celebrations tolerated.
Good neighbours. Better afternoons.
We seem to have landed in a pretty good part of town.
Right alongside us you'll find Brick Lane Brewing and Antagonist Spirits, with food from Brick Lane Kitchen right next door.
Which means your innocent plan to "just pop into the market" now has the potential to turn into a rather excellent afternoon.
We accept absolutely no responsibility for this.
And that's exactly what we love about String Bean Alley. It's got that unmistakable Melbourne market energy, a little grit around the edges and plenty of interesting people passing through. It's the kind of place where you can stop for a quick glass, bump into someone you know and suddenly realise you've been there a lot longer than planned.
Not a bad way to spend an afternoon, really.
The wheels are still turning.
Now, before anyone gets worried, we're not retiring the Mobile Cellar Door.
Quite the opposite.
Having a new home in Melbourne means our black Airstream can keep doing what it was born to do. Hitting the road, turning up somewhere unexpected and introducing Innocent Bystander to new people around the country.
Meanwhile, String Bean Alley will be holding the fort, giving our Melbourne friends somewhere to find us without checking Instagram to see which postcode we're in this week.
And we're only getting started.
We've got Friday night trading planned in the lead-up to Christmas, along with a few special visits and collaborations in the works. We're also looking forward to getting up to a little mischief with our new neighbours.
More on that soon.
Melbourne, make yourself at home.
Whether you're wandering through Queen Vic Market, catching up with mates or just looking for an excuse to extend your lunch break, we'd love to see you.
Come for a glass. Discover a new favourite. Challenge someone to foosball.
Just don't expect us to go easy on you.
Find us: String Bean Alley, Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne
Opening hours:
Thursday & Friday: 10am – 3pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10am – 4pm
A little less mobile. A lot more Melbourne.
Innocent Bystander. Born Different. Best Paired With People.
