Natural Science Wine & Liquor

Every label on the shelf here is Australian-made, a deliberate stance in a category usually dominated by imports and big-distributor deals. Opened in 2023 in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, Natural Science stocks wine, craft beer and spirits exclusively from small, independent local producers, with a mix-and-match policy that rewards curiosity over brand loyalty. The shop doubles as a bar on trading nights, pouring bottles by the glass so shoppers can taste before they commit. It's a suburban address rather than a city strip, which suits the project — Blackburn locals get first crack at producers who might otherwise sell out before reaching inner-city shelves. Open Wednesday to Sunday afternoons and evenings, closed the first two days of the week. Worth the detour for anyone assembling a case of genuinely independent Australian drops rather than working through the supermarket aisle.