Bud of Love is a low-key and homely wine bar and shop in the heart of Footscray. The small room has a large communal table lined with board games, QR codes for local restaurants and just a few dozen natural and low-intervention wines to sip here or takeaway. Farah Sabet and her brother Yousseh are behind the bar, which started as an online wine store during lockdown.
The wine list is a small selection of mainly lesser-known producers. Hits have included an ultra-light pinot meunier by McLaren Vale producer Adlib and a Moonlight pét-nat made with zibibbo (a white North African and Italian grape) sourced from SA’s Riverland region. You might also find makers like Das Juice and Konpira Maru popping out from the shelves. Everything is available for drink-in or take-home, plus there’s a constantly-changing by-the-glass selection. Non-wine drinkers will also find two taps of Hop Nation beers and a fridge full of local tins.
There’s a tight menu of bar snacks spanning charcuterie and cheese plates, cheesy jaffles and Mount Zero olives. If you’re after something heartier, Bud of Love is slotted between decades-old Ethiopian and Vietnamese eateries and bars that you can order takeaway from.
