Shop, sip and snack at Winespeake in Daylesford

After several years sitting vacant, the former IGA supermarket on a prominent corner of Daylesford's main drag has had quite the makeover. Hello Winespeake Cellar + Deli – where have you been?

Not that far away, it turns out. Owner Jen Latta and team were the bright sparks behind Dos Deli and Wine & the Country, the cult cheese and wine stores that sat alongside each other just a couple of hundred metres away at the other end of Vincent Street, Daylesford.

Now, they have taken their top-notch wine and cheese to their beautiful new digs, literally rolling the massive cheese cabinet down the street. And the result is worth a detour.

Winespeake (named as a nod to Jen's husband's Ballarat vineyard Eastern Peake) may be first and foremost a wine and cheese shop with serious chops, but it has instantly become the coolest spot to sit and sip (and graze) bang in the centre of town, too.

Under social distancing restrictions, it seats about 20 comfortably, either propped on stools looking out at new views of town, or around the local stringybark table, which will also host wine tastings, masterclasses and other events.

Wines by the glass are from an ever-changing list, and snacks are of the cheese and charcuterie platters and tinned seafood variety.

Wines on the shelves might look familiar from restaurant lists – including two-hatted Lake House just up the road. There's no need to be intimidated, though – a range of budgets and regions are represented.

Coffee, and the toasties that gained a following at Dos, as well as baguettes and pastries from French bakery Le Peche Gourmand in nearby Creswick, are available for takeaway only.

There's also a selection of gourmet gifts and treats, and $35 cheese and charcuterie take-home packs, making it the perfect place (or website) to stock up on the good stuff for the weekend and beyond. Raise a glass to that.

Open daily 10am-late. Shop 4, 26 Vincent Street, Daylesford, winespeake.com.au