ferment. the orange wine centre.

Thanks for the recommendation Peter, we're glad you and your friends had a great time.

Hi Cathy,Thanks so much for your feedback. Glad to here you enjoyed the wine selection and atmosphere.

Thank you for taking the time to write a review of Ferment. The Orange Wine Centre. We are a relatively new business run by a husband and wife team and value constructive feedback.Presently we have over 50 wines available by the glass, which I think can be viewed as being very extensive by anyone’s measure. We are able to do this because we have invested in state of the art Enomatic machines, which allow customers to purchase a taste, half a glass or a full glass of any of the 24 wines in those machines. In addition, we are the cellar door for a number of wineries including Cook’s Lot, Carillion, Tamburlaine, Topers and Montoro – which means we always have those wines “on the pour”. We also actively promote the local wine industry by offering glasses of various wines from time to time.We agree that it is great to be able to get out into the vineyards to taste and buy wine. However our business model recognises that many of the small (and some not so small) Orange wineries don’t have the capacity to be open mid week. We also have the advantage of being open until 8pm most nights, when most traditional cellar doors are closed. In addition, many of our clients neither have the time or inclination to visit multiple wineries and so appreciate the convenience of being able to taste and purchase wines in a single location in the centre of Orange. We also have a number of wines (including recent Trophy and gold medal winners from the Orange Wine Show) that are not available to taste or purchase anywhere else. For those wineries we either act as a cellar door in an official or unofficial capacity. If you have travelled to Italy, you may be familiar with the concept of an Enoteca. Our concept is similar.We are passionate advocates of the local wine industry and that is why our policy is to never undercut cellar door prices. We have a consistent pricing model that means that some of our wines will be priced the same as cellar door, but some will be a dollar or two higher depending on the wholesale prices that we are offered by the various wineries.Yes, our venue is small and deliberately so as we wanted an intimate atmosphere where we could provide superior customer service. Like any popular place, it will sometimes be difficult to secure a seat during peak trading times on a Friday or Saturday night. However, as we are not restaurant, customers come and go regularly and our staff are always on hand to help seat customers where required. We are fortunate enough to live in a country town where the locals (including a number of winemakers) are very friendly and are more than happy to welcome and chat to visitors on the communal tables or at the bar. That is the atmosphere that we set out to create and are delighted to have achieved it.In regards to our cheese boards, they are ever changing depending on what is available and is eating best at the time. We are proud that we have been able, in conjunction with our cheese supplier, to introduce locals and visitors alike to some of the best cheeses in the world. We also feature local cheeses, but our cheese boards are not as you suggested described on our menu as being a “local cheese platter”. What we are currently serving is a direct result of the feedback that we have received over the last 10 months.

Visited Ferment on Wednesday 8th October. Pleasant and knowledgeable staff. Generous free tastings of local wines. Interesting wine "dispensers" and self serve idea, which is a great way to encourage trying new wines. Clear pricing of these wines too. Can imagine locals calling in for after work drinks.A small but well utilised space. Great idea for any tourist region to showcase their small local vineyards. No pressure to purchase here either.Helen B

Great little bar in Orange. This is also a wine centre during the day. Fantastic selection of wine, you can also purchase a wine card and try the selected wines in the wine vending machines. The staff were very knowledgeable and passionate and would happily recommend wines to your taste. It was very busy when we visited, but we were happy to sit by the bar and enjoy the fire and the atmosphere.

Just what Orange has needed for some time. Great atmosphere! Great staff and of course, great wine and food from the surrounding district and further afield!

I am sorry that you had a disappointing experience at Ferment. Without the date of your visit - we have checked our records and the date of your review cannot have been the date you visited - we can not provide specific feedback. However your post would indicate that you don't understand the nature of our business. We are neither a restaurant nor a fast outlet. What we are is a regional wine tasting and education centre. While we do serve food to compliment the wine tasting and endeavour to do so in an efficient manner, our prime business is wine tasting and sales. We pride ourselves on the one on one experience we provide to our customers. Hence your perception that the staff member was "chatting" the other customers, was in all likelihood a staff member answering the questions of a customer about the wines and the region. While we endevour to staff so that delays are minimised, the nature of our business is that there may be times where we have customers who are particularly interested in the wines and therefore require additional staff time. If you have visited cellar doors in the past, you would be familiar with this dynamic.

This place is awesome. Most of the wines are in glass cases and you get a card to access a taste, 1/2 pour or a glass. We went the Friday night of the long June weekend and the bar was busy but comfortable with a mix of local and Sydney people. We shared a table with a group of local ladies and had great chats on the greater region. The food is shared plates of cheese, olives and cured meats and dips and while we did not have any as we were heading to dinner it all looked great. When you want to leave you hand in the card and they tally the bill. We had about 7 or 8 tastes and the cost was about $26.

A great place with excellent hosts who are friendly and welcoming, a cosy fire and a good selection of wines. Ferment is a must on a visit to Orange.

We went in this super little wine bar on the first day they opened and were blown away by the staff's knowledge, the large choice of wines, the lovely snacks and the tasteful decor in the historic building which they had restored. It is the closest thing to an Italian enoteca I have seen outside of Italy. Don't miss it!!

We were there for only a short time (less than an hour), but enjoyed the wines and the food a lot. Lovely cheeses and charcuterie platters, most, if not all, local produce. The card system, and the fact that you get the wine yourseld, and choose how much as well as which wine, and that you know what it costs from the get go, make it like a game as well as providing great tastes. Some were wines we had never heard of, which was a plus as well. We'll definitely be back whenever we're in Orange. For longer next time, we hope.

We spent a few hours here on a drizzly Saturday afternoon, being charmed by the owners and bar staff while quaffing local wines and devouring regional cheese and charcuterie. This place is what a wine bar should be: modern (they use neat wine machines so you can serve your own glasses) and old-fashioned at the same time (all the staff were pleasant, knowledgeable and friendly). The food offerings were delicious (we had a mixed cheese, meat and olive platter) and the lunch options looked delicious. It will be even better when dinner options are available - it's a venue you don't want to leave!

I visited Orange for a business meeting last week and dropped in to the Ferment Wine Centre on Hill St for pre-dinner drinks and snacks. What an excellent enterprise; top quality local wines are highly visible and the cheese/cooked meats were delicious. I have never before seen the wall-mounted dispensers which can provide either a mouthful, a half-glass or a full glass of the wine of your choice. The wine is automatically replaced by argon for preservation. The staff were very friendly and obviously know their wines and food. Highly recommended; when in Orange do not miss Ferment.

During a recent trip to Australia we found ourselves in Orange and were delighted to stumble across Ferment. Newly opened and housed in an interesting old building this fabulous wine bar combines an edgy interior with a great selection of local wines and produce to feast on. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable about what they served. A real gem!