Five Leaves Left: Hobart books and wine shop pairs owner’s two great loves in small, attractive space

For many of us, books and wine are as natural a pairing as cheese and crackers. Hospitality veteran Clinton Elvin knows that better than anyone and his new shop is a haven for lovers of literature and wine alike.

Five Leaves Left, a wine and books store, recently opened in Hobart. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

It might be tucked away in a quiet corner of the city but hospitality veteran Clinton Elvin’s new books and wine shop is still turning heads with its unique offering and distinct aesthetic charms.

Five Leaves Left opened on Victoria St in October and stocks an impressive range of “left-of-centre” wines and new and used books.

Mr Elvin, who used to run a craft beer bottle shop in Sydney, has populated the small but striking space with his carefully curated selections of literary fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and ‘lo-fi’ wines, which receive minimal intervention during the production process.

Clinton Elvin, owner of Five Leaves Left, a wine and books store that recently opened in Hobart. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

While the shop is located in an area that doesn’t see a large amount of foot traffic, Mr Elvin said he had chosen the site specifically for its proximity to like-minded businesses such as Fullers Bookshop and the restaurant Dier Makr, as well as its companion wine bar Lucinda, on Collins St

“I know that it’s a bit niche and a bit out of the way but people still find [the shop] every day,” he said.

Five Leaves Left, a wine and books store that recently opened in Hobart. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“It’s not for everyone but the people that are coming here really seem to enjoy what’s happening.

“I love books and I wanted to work with books but I didn’t really want to open up a bookstore and just fill it with books, I wanted them to be just ones that I cared about.

“Working in alcohol for years, I figured I’d just combine them and I’d be a little bit more confident, I suppose. And then the more I thought about it, the more I just wanted to do that – to have a really small selection of both, but a thoughtful collection.”

Five Leaves Left, a wine and books store that recently opened in Hobart. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Loading up on pet nats and white wines for summer, Mr Elvin has started holding tastings on Saturdays.

As for the literary side of the business, he specialises in ‘dirty realism’, popularised by North American authors like Raymond Carver, Frederick Barthelme, and Charles Bukowski.

Five Leaves Left is open from 10am to 8pm from Tuesday to Saturday.

Originally published as Five Leaves Left: Hobart books and wine shop pairs owner’s two great loves in small, attractive space