Grayson’s Wine Cafe emerged from an idea by Ellie’s cellar owner Gordon Polley. Gordon wanted to celebrate the wine he sold in his off-licences and the idea of Grayson’s wine bar began to take shape. It's a new venture from the off-licence owner and it's going well. From our visit, it's clear that Grayson's has developed into something very different from Perth's other eateries and bars.

Grayson's is a place with a clear sense of community, with staff that know their wine and are happy to talk to you about it (even if you know nothing about wine). Their approach is one of maintaining steady awareness of the needs of their clientele. Because of this, Grayson's is always evolving. They host special evenings, experiment with the menu, they're always happy to try something new if they think it will appeal to their regulars. It’s clear that Grayson's is a place where you can feel comfortable and surprised in equal measure.

What's good here?

We spoke to manager Tina McCarron about the cafe. First off, we had to find out which wine is her favourite at the moment. She told us that it is the Messeri Negroamaro Primitivo; a blend of Italian reds, with full body and a blend of fruit and spice flavours.

It apparently goes particularly well with cheese. This is good news because it makes for a perfect accompaniment to Tina's other favourite item; Grayson's sharing platters (£17) which are really good value and satisfyingly filling.

Grayson's seems designed to get you to stick around for the evening. They host a variety of different themed nights, there's an up to date schedule available on their Facebook page, simply click here to see what's on.

Shake yourself out of the 'usual'

We all have experienced the habit of picking the same drink every time. We get used to something we know we like and it can stop us taking a chance on something new. Tina explained that Grayson's even has a solution to this problem in the form of 'flights'. This is a menu item that allows people to try a selection of smaller servings of drinks they might not have tried otherwise.

These are already proving popular at Grayson's, with Gin ‘flights’ being the clear winner. You select three 15ml tasters from list of approximately forty-five different gins along with a free mixer, all for £8. They also offer vodka ‘flights’ from a selection of sixteen different vodkas.

Being a wine cafe there is, of course, the chance to sample wines as well. Grayson's wine ‘flights’ are slightly different but the principle is the same. Select three wines from their extensive menu to get a taste of something new.

More to it than wine

Grayson’s tried a food and wine night back in September and it was so popular (tickets sold out within two hours) that they've decided to make them into a more regular fixture. They even hosted three separate nights in December as there were so many people wanting to attend during the festive period. It’s safe to say that they’ve been a runaway success.

They also have a popular ‘bring your own vinyl’ night (they have a three-speed vinyl deck available to use). The dates of these vary so make sure you like and follow their Facebook page to keep up to date on the next one.

Their next organised event is a 'Mexican Food and Wine Night' organised for 6th February. You need to book for this as Grayson's events are popular and their loyal fan-base can sweep in for tickets pretty quickly. Click here for more details.

Stay Rewarded as you Wine and Dine

Grayson's is one of many local businesses that offer something extra. If you are a Mi Rewards member you can earn Mi Points on every purchase at Grayson's. These points can be collected up and converted into a Perth Gift Card, which is redeemable in over sixty businesses throughout Perth (Grayson's included).

If you would like to join Mi Rewards and earn points when you shop local you can join by clicking this link. It's quick, easy, and FREE to join.

Tina had this to say about Mi Rewards: "It’s great to encourage local people to use local indie businesses with the help of the reward points, perks, and prizes customers can get when they're Mi Rewards members."