We tried NONHQ, the world’s first alcohol-free cellar door

Jo Stewart Jo Stewart
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A tour of the world’s first non-alcoholic cellar door reveals complex flavours hidden behind a nondescript building in suburban Melbourne, as Jo Stewart discovers.

April 6, 2019 is a date that is very close to the heart of Aaron Trotman. As founder of non-alcoholic wine alternative NON, it was the day his vision finally hit pay dirt with his very first sale to Beaconsfield fine dining restaurant O.MY. Since then, the NON juggernaut has rolled on, with the zero-alcohol tipple now stocked in restaurants and bars across Australia, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, USA and beyond. There have also been other highlights, including hosting a fine dining experience at New York’s three Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park and more recently, the opening of the NONHQ cellar door for tours and tastings.

a glass and bottle of NON, Melbourne's first alcohol-free cellar door
NON is a sophisticated wine alternative. (Image: Glen Wilkie)

The location

Located in suburban south-east Melbourne on a street mostly populated by industrial manufacturing businesses, the NONHQ cellar door is a surprise package. The ultra-modern, clean and sleek interiors signal to visitors that we’re in for an out-of-the-ordinary cellar door experience.

a look inside NON HQ tasting room
The tasting room has sleek interiors. (Image: Nic Stephens)

The tour tasting experience

Stepping into the state-of-the-art kitchen, I’m introduced to the methods, techniques and ingredients the team use to perfect the balance of tannin, salinity, acidity and fruit that end up in each bottle of NON.

a hand picking NON ingredients at Melbourne's first alcohol-free cellar door
The NON ingredients create a depth of flavour.

From hand-steeping Egyptian chamomile to roasting batches of fresh cherries in the oven, much time and care is dedicated to creating a depth of flavour that lingers on the palate.

pouring NON 3 drink into a glass at Melbourne's first alcohol-free cellar door
NON 3 Toasted Cinnamon & Yuzu is the perfect accompaniment to a summer picnic.

In the moody, intimate tasting room, I’m treated to a sensory journey as each glass is paired to cheese and charcuterie, with Aaron sharing tasting notes and some stories of what went on behind the scenes to create each variety.

a reserved table inside NONHQ, first alcohol-free cellar door in Melbourne
Treat yourself to a sensory journey at NONHQ. (Image: Nic Stephens)

The tart and slightly savoury NON3 Toasted Cinnamon & Yuzu screams summer picnic while a bottle of NON7 Stewed Cherry & Coffee would be a great addition to a cosy winter dinner by an open fireplace.

the process of making NON 3 Toasted Cinnamon
The team balances the tannin, salinity, and acidity of fruit in each bottle of NON. (Image: Annika Kafcaloudis)

Aaron explains that NON is “a solution to an empty wine glass" by giving both drinkers and non-drinkers a sophisticated wine alternative that pairs well with food. NON drinks are also vegan, gluten-free and halal-certified, meaning people from all walks of life have embraced the brand.

three bottles of NON beverages on display, first alcohol-free cellar door
NON beverages draw upon flavours like salted raspberry, toasted cinnamon and coffee. (Image: Nic Stephens)

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Elevating the wine-tasting experience

The road to creating an innovative alt-wine product from scratch hasn’t been easy. Tenacity and grit were required to get the brand up and running, but with the cellar door tours experiencing strong bookings, Aaron feels he’s onto a winner, despite running mostly on blind faith.

“I literally jumped off a cliff and built a plane on the way down. And I still am," says Aaron.

a photo of NON founder Aaron Trotman
Meet NON founder Aaron Trotman. (Image: Glen Wilkie)

The NONHQ Tour details

The NONHQ Tour experience includes a meet the makers and experts behind NON, a flavour workshop in the NON kitchen, an intimate behind-the-scenes tour of the production process, a tasting experience of the range paired with cheese and charcuterie, and a complimentary bottle of NON to take home (RRP $30).

You can pre-book the NONHQ Tour for $50 on the website.

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Jo Stewart
Jo Stewart is a freelance features writer who pens stories about nature, pop culture, music, art, design and more from her home in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria. When not writing, you can find her trawling through vinyl records and vintage fashion at op shops, antique stores and garage sales.
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Victoria’s surprising new outdoor adventure hotspot

    Craig Tansley Craig Tansley
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    A town charmingly paused in time has become a hot mountain biking destination. 

    There’s a forest reserve full of eucalyptus and pines surrounding town – when you combine all the greenery with a main street of grand old buildings still standing from the Victorian Gold Rush, Creswick looks more period movie set than a 21st-century town.  

    old gold bank Victoria
    Grand buildings from the Victorian gold rush. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    This entire region of Victoria – the Central Goldfields – is as pretty-as-a-picture, but there’s something extra-special about Creswick. I used to live 30 minutes north; I’d drive in some evenings to cruise its main street at dusk, and pretend I was travelling back in time. 

    It was sleepy back then, but that’s changed. Where I used to walk through its forest, now I’m hurtling down the state’s best new mountain bike trails. There’s a 60-kilometre network of mountain bike trails – dubbed Djuwang Baring – which make Creswick the state’s hottest new mountain biking destination.  

    Meet Victoria’s new mountain biking capital 

    Creswick bike trail
    This historic town has become a mountain biking hotspot.

    Victoria has a habit of turning quiet country towns into mountain biking hotspots. I was there in the mid-2000s when the tiny Otways village of Forrest embarked on an ambitious plan to save itself (after the death of its timber cutting industry) courtesy of some of the world’s best mountain bike trails. A screaming success it proved to be, and soon mountain bike trails began popping up all over Victoria. 

    I’m no expert, so I like that a lot of Creswick’s trails are as scenic as they are challenging. I prefer intermediate trails, such as Down Martuk, with its flowing berms and a view round every corner. Everyone from outright beginners to experts can be happy here. There’s trails that take me down technical rock sections with plenty of bumps. But there’s enough on offer to appeal to day-trippers, as much as hard-core mountain-bikers. 

    I love that the trails empty onto that grand old main street. There’s bars still standing from the Gold Rush of the 1850s I can refuel at. Like the award-winning Farmers Arms, not to be confused with the pub sharing its name in Daylesford. It’s stood since 1857. And The American Creswick built two years later, or Odessa Wine Bar, part of Leaver’s Hotel in an 1856-built former gold exchange bank.  

    The Woodlands
    The Woodlands is set on a large bushland property. (Image: Vanessa Smith Photography)

    Creswick is also full of great cafes and restaurants, many of them set in the same old buildings that have stood for 170 years. So whether you’re here for the rush of the trails or the calm of town life, Creswick provides. 

    A traveller’s checklist 

    Staying there 

    1970s log cabin
    Inside the Woodlands, a chic 1970s log cabin. (Image: Vanessa Smith Photography)

    RACV Goldfields Resort is a contemporary stay with a restaurant, swimming pool and golf course. The Woodlands in nearby Lal Lal comprises a chic log cabin set on a 16-hectare property abundant in native wildlife. 

    Eating there 

    Le Peche Gourmand
    Le Peche Gourmand makes for the perfect pitstop for carb and sugar-loading.

    The menu at Odessa at Leaver’s Hotel includes some Thai-inspired fare. Fuel up for your ride on baguettes and pastries from French patisserie Le Peche Gourmand. The Farmers Arms has been a much-loved local institution since 1857. 

    Playing there 

    Miss NorthcottsGarden
    Miss Northcotts Garden is a charming garden store with tea room. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Creswick State Forest has a variety of hiking trails, including a section of the 210-kilometre-long Goldfields Track. Miss Northcotts Garden is a quaint garden store with tea room.