Opening its doors this Thursday (May 15th) in Mount Eden, Normanby Fine Wine & Spirits is the highly anticipated flagship from Liz Wheadon — a name that carries weight in the world of wine. With more than 30 years of experience, and a reputation for both curation and connection, Wheadon has long been a champion of accessible, engaging wine experiences. Normanby is the culmination of that vision: part retail space, part casual wine bar and café, part beautifully designed neighbourhood destination that feels as considered as the bottles on its shelves.

With more than 1,300 wines, sakes, spirits and craft beers to discover, many sourced through Wheadon’s longstanding international relationships, Normanby’s offering is curated with care — rare finds alongside everyday favourites, all chosen for their story, provenance, and drinkability. But this isn’t a place for gatekeeping or pretension. Whether you’re a seasoned collector or just beginning your journey, you’ll find warm, knowledgeable guidance from a team who love what they do, within a space thoughtfully designed around how people actually discover, shop for, and enjoy fine wine, spirits, sake, and craft beer.

“We wanted to create something we couldn’t quite find elsewhere — an environment where choosing wine, spirits and sake, whether in person or online, is enjoyable, approachable, and genuinely interesting, no matter your taste or budget. Normanby is fine wine and spirits — done differently — and we’re incredibly excited to open our doors to a new era of retail,” says Wheadon.

The experience extends beyond retail. Normanby’s rotating by-the-glass list encourages easy exploration, while any bottle in-store can be enjoyed onsite for a simple corkage. There’s a thoughtful food offering designed to complement the wines and spirits — think anchovies on toast, chicken liver pâté, and Basque-style cheesecake — plus coffee and pastries each morning via a welcoming street-side window. Deli fare and artisanal breads by Sabato are available for you to savour at home with a bottle (or two) of your choosing, too, and pre-batched cocktails from Theo Mynott (formerly of Panacea) add another layer of intrigue, rounding out a space designed to move with the rhythms of the day.

Normanby’s dedicated private tasting room, La Cave, further adds to the offering. With capacity for up to 15 guests, this intimate space caters to private celebrations, tastings, and small events — details of which can be found here.

Inside, the interiors (curated by The Estate at Webb’s and designed by the experts at CTRL-Space) blur the line between gallery and gathering place — a tactile, lived-in space filled with furniture and objects available to buy, just like the bottles. The entire ever-evolving collection of furniture, art, and objet d’art are all available to purchase, bringing the ‘try before you buy’ model into a contemporary setting.

Normanby is a place that recognises the joy of discovery, the beauty of sharing knowledge, and the value of slowing down. It’s a destination shaped by taste and intuition, grounded in experience but always future-facing.

Normanby Fine Wine & Spirits invites you to linger, ask questions, and take something home — whether that’s a great bottle, a new favourite producer, or simply a better way of enjoying the moment.

Opening:
Thursday 15th May

Café opening hours:
Monday — Wednesday, 7.30am until 4pm
Thursday — Friday, 7.30am until 4pm
Saturday — Sunday, 8am until 4pm

Wine Bar opening hours:
Monday — Wednesday: 11am until 8pm
Thursday — Friday: 11am until 10pm
Saturday, 11am until 9pm
Sunday, 11am until 4pm

Retail Store hours:
Monday — Saturday: 9am until 9pm
Sunday: 9am until 4pm

normanbyfinewines.co.nz