Brush with death prompts Brisbane wine aficionado to open Bayside bar
Sam’s Wine Bar will open to a booked out restaurant in Brisbane’s north this week and you may have to wait up to three weeks before you can get a table. Find out why.
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The dining scene continues to flourish in Brisbane’s north with the welcome addition of Sam’s Wine Bar, a passion project founded by bayside local Samantha Cook-Bateman.
A brush with death gave Ms Cook-Bateman the courage to “do something crazy … just because” and pursue her dream of opening the carefully curated wine bar in the century-old Sandgate Billiard Saloon on Rainbow St.
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“It’s (been) five years since I woke up from the 2am emergency surgery that saved my life,” Ms Cook-Bateman said, explaining how her experience with endometriosis changed her outlook, prompting her to “remember how special and … wonderful life is, even in the middle of a global pandemic”.
Ms Cook-Bateman channelled that fervour for life into her new venture, where she spent upwards of 100 days building, sanding, painting, tiling and choosing equipment ahead of the restaurant and bar’s launch on Friday September 18.
“This is her baby,” said manager Daniel Puttee.
“She is a big, big wine aficionado, and it’s always been a bit of a dream.”
The bar enlisted the help of local sommeliers to ensure the extensive wine list offered something unique to the area, with 57 different options currently available.
“We have everything from riesling to cabernet sauvignon, with a 60:40 ratio of Australian wine to imported wine,” Mr Puttee said.
“Then we plan to rotate the list every few months and get a whole batch of new options in.
“There’s nothing else available like this here, and everybody we’ve spoken to is excited for a dedicated place to go and drink wine.”
Tapas-style food will accompany the wine during the evening service, providing “gourmet, premium meals” carefully created by head chef Paul Brett, while breakfast and lunch will also offer modern Australian fare.
The restaurant is booked out for dinner from opening night until October 3, but will take walk-ins willing to be seated outside, weather permitting.