Contentious Character Winery

19/06/2026

Kingston Foreshore, cool-climate wines, waterfront dining, Modern Australian-European share plates and Canberra's only Contentious Character Seafood Pie... now that's a combination worth getting a little contentious about.

A huge thank you to and the team at This Is Canberra for the feature, and to everyone who has dropped by, shared a bottle and helped make our new waterfront home feel so welcome.

Whether you're joining us for a long lunch, a sunset wine, date night or a catch-up with friends, we'd love to welcome you in and show you around our new waterfront home.

You'll find us at 156/45 Eastlake Parade, Kingston Foreshore ACT 2604, right next to Molto. Follow the waterfront, we'll take care of the rest.

Book your table: https://tinyurl.com/4f6erjre

03/06/2026

CONTENTIOUS CHARACTER URBAN WINERY IS NOW OPEN AT KINGSTON FORESHORE FROM THURSDAY 4 JUNE 2026.

Who said wineries belong in the countryside?

We've packed up from Dairy Road, brought the winery into the city, and opened the doors to our brand-new waterfront home in the former Cinnabar site, right next to Molto.

The wines are still as delicious as ever. The view, however, got a serious upgrade.

Whether you're joining us for a full à la carte lunch, a leisurely dinner, a guided wine tasting, or simply a glass by the water, we've got a seat waiting for you.

Expect modern European dining, award-winning cool-climate wines, waterfront views, and the kind of afternoon that starts with one glass and somehow ends with dessert.

Contentious Character Urban Winery
156/45 Eastlake Parade, Kingston ACT 2604

Open Thursday to Sunday
11am - 10pm

Full À La Carte Dining
Wine Tastings Available Thursday to Sunday

Come and see what happens when Canberra's urban winery moves to the Foreshore.

Bookings are now open, so secure your spot and experience our new waterfront home.

Book here: https://tinyurl.com/4f6erjre

Read more about our move from Dairy Road to Kingston Foreshore in HerCanberra:
https://hercanberra.com.au/food-drink/food-wine/contentious-character-winery-kingston-foreshore/

Contentious Character is opening an urban winery at the Kingston Foreshore. We have your first look at the space and the menu.

15/04/2026

VIVA LA VERDELHO!

Ciao amici, this weekend we’re joining the Little Italia Festival in Kingston and we’d love to see you there.

We’ll be pouring our full range of wines, from crisp whites to bold reds and everything in between, so you can sip your way through your favourites. Delizioso.

What’s flowing
• Our full wine lineup, taste your way through the range
• Winemaker’s mulled wine, rich, warm and seriously good
• Aperol Spritz, because it’s always spritz season

Where
• 21 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston ACT (Former Transport Depot)

When
• Saturday 18 April 2026
• 11:00am to 5:30pm

Grab your amici, bring your appetite, and come sip your way through Italy -Contentious Character style.

Salute!

08/04/2026

Good wine, good company, and just enough dancing to surprise yourself… sounds like a pretty great night, right?

We’re stepping just outside the cellar door and teaming up with Prestige Dance Company for something a little different, the Prestige Pop Up Party.

Because let’s be honest, the kids have had their turn. This one is for the adults.

Think a relaxed night of great wine, good music, and a dance floor that is open and welcoming, with zero pressure. Whether you are there for a sip, a swirl, or a spontaneous twirl, we have got you covered.

We will be bringing the wine. Prestige brings the vibe. You just need to show up.

Event details
• Date: Friday 10 April
• Time: 6.30pm to 8.30pm
• Location: 3A 1 Beaconsfield Street, Fyshwick ACT
• Ticket: $20 per person

What is included
• Complimentary glass on arrival
• Additional wines available for purchase
• Light refreshments provided

No experience required, no expectations, just a genuinely fun night out. Swing by after work and ease into your evening with us.

Tickets are available now via the link: https://tinyurl.com/fa2vzuz7

Come for the wine, stay for the dance floor, and leave wondering why you do not do this more often.

27/03/2026

We’ve been busy as usual tracking down wines that make life a little more interesting and this one’s well worth a chat.

Our 2022 Pinot Noir has landed, bringing all the silky, juicy, slightly cheeky goodness you want in a proper Pinot. Bright cherry, a touch of spice, and a finish so smooth it probably should come with a warning.

It hails from Central Otago, where:
• Cool climates keep things fresh and vibrant
• Mineral rich soils add depth and character
• The result Elegant, expressive, dangerously easy drinking Pinot

But let’s be honest, no need to fly overseas, we’ve already done the hard work for you.

At Contentious Character, we bring different wines together in one place so you can try, compare, and find what you love. No fuss, no pretence, just good wine and good times.

Pair it with duck or chicken breast and you’re laughing. It’s one of those combos that makes you feel a bit fancy, even if you’re just here for the wine and vibes.

And here’s the fun part, getting your hands on it is about to get even easier. We’re settling nicely into an urban neighbourhood very soon.

Stay tuned. Or better yet, come thirsty.

24/03/2026

ALERT - fuel prices!

Relax… this is about as close as we’re getting to the topic.

What you’re looking at isn’t a fuel spill - just a pattern we’ve been quietly admiring as the space comes together.

And before anyone asks… no, we’re not weighing in on fuel prices (we’ll leave that to the experts).

This is your first little glimpse of what’s coming - the entry into our new cellar door & restaurant, right here in our urban neighbourhood.

We’re still putting the finishing touches in place, taking our time to get every detail exactly right - because when the doors open, we’re going for a proper wow moment, not a rushed one.

Now for the upside: we’re so close, getting here is easy - less time on the road, less fuel consumed, and more left for what actually matters… the wine, and a very good time.

Our kind of response to the current “fuel situation.”

Not long now.

20/03/2026

Life is like a Cabernet.

2023 in South Australia?
Rough. Wet. Properly challenging.

But tough seasons don’t break you, they build character.

Our 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon is exactly that.
Resilient, bold, and better for what it’s been through.

Bit like us, really…
New cellar door. New restaurant. Same stubborn attitude.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and, in this case, a damn good drink.

When life throws you lemons?
We’ll take Cabernet.

Perfect with a proper coq au vin, and yes, it’s also our not-so-secret mulled wine base.

Pouring at the National Folk Festival this Easter 2026.

Stronger, louder, and ready to pour. Come see what we’ve built.

17/03/2026

We’ve spotted a problem.

Wine shelves.
Completely empty.

Bit of a rookie mistake for an urban winery.

Don’t worry - we’re fixing it.

The new space will be ready for private dinners, cocktail parties and proper sit-down feasts.

Rumour has it we might be pouring Thursday to Sunday.

First step though…

Fill the shelves.

13/03/2026

So we took a bottle of our 2021 Premium Chardonnay up the hill.

You know… purely for research.

Bright citrus, juicy stone fruit, a little creamy texture and that crisp acidity that makes the next sip feel like a very sensible decision.

Great view.
Great wine.

Naturally we started scanning the horizon to see if we could spot our new restaurant from up there.

Turns out the Chardonnay was much easier to find.

The restaurant… still keeping itself a bit mysterious.

Not for much longer though.

10/03/2026

For a while there… it felt like we were dealing with a lot of loose strings.

But lately, those strings are finally starting to attach and pull together into something pretty special.

Behind the scenes our new Contentious Character urban winery is slowly taking shape - piece by piece, thread by thread.

There’s been plenty of moving parts.
A few late nights.
And yes… a fair bit of wine involved (strictly for quality control).

The exciting part?

Reservations will be opening soon.

And trust us - you might want to keep an eye on this space, because seats could disappear quickly.