INFLUENCES from the Barossa Valley – including from a well-known industry figure and the emerging Tribus winery – are inspiring a new venue in Adelaide.
Septimus House of Cheese and Wine is a French-inspired experience developing a city cellar door for regional wine brands, including from the world-renowned Barossa Valley, and providing them with the opportunity to build their business and brand outside of the region.
Septimus owner Ian Coker has developed the experience in the heart of Adelaide, highlighting a range of new and iconic wineries in the venue.
The new wine bar, which opened in March 2025, has partnered with local emerging wine brand Tribus Wines to bring the Barossa label to the city.
Mr Coker moved to Adelaide 11 years ago, originally for business, and said he would visit wineries and get bombarded with different terms, so he decided to learn more about wine. This began the idea that developed into Septimus.
This marked the engineer’s first step into hospitality, backed by formal wine training, strong roots in Adelaide’s visual art scene and passion for the project.
Septimus fuses numerous influences into one — and Mr Coker has invested 10 years into making his dream a reality.
Previously residing in Melbourne, Mr Coker said he saw potential with Septimus, and Adelaide, which led to him taking the plunge to buy the property.
“There was an opportunity to buy this property in Adelaide, and I could see that Adelaide could be the same as Melbourne in the 1990s, and 2000s,” he said.
“I could visualise it as an atmospheric property where people wanted to get out, drink beautiful wine, eat delicious cheese and engage in conversations.
“The tattoo studio business owners were not continuing the lease, so I saw this as the perfect opportunity to turn it from the studio into a wine and cheese bar.
“I spent 18 hours a day in the middle of summer for three months swinging hammers and doing renovations, and with my Dad having a passion in restoring houses, I developed the same passion and enjoyed doing renovations and design as an engineer.
“This city cellar door concept is something that I have been working on for quite some time.
“I have always been passionate about wine brands that are well known but I am particularly passionate about those that are emerging. I see this concept as being an incredible resource for brands that are new and or starting out.
“We hope that by offering a space where a wine brand can grow and develop, so can their business. We want to give businesses an opportunity and be a part of nurturing a new collection of wine makers and wine brands, giving them a platform and venue to display and sell their wines from.
“I have worked closely with a range of wineries at a local and international level, and it is a privilege to celebrate and unite them under one roof at Septimus.”
Mr Coker said he was aiming to remove the snobby reputation around drinking wine.
“The dream of this venue has been 10 years in the making, and this is just one exciting instalment for the venue,” he said.
“Whether you are stopping by for a quick drink or settling in for one of our experiences, we promise that Septimus is equal parts sophisticated and welcoming.
“I am on a mission to strip away the snobbery around wine, arming my staff with a rich knowledge of varieties, flavours, and regions so they can pass it on to customers with confidence.”
Mr Coker said that the Barossa Valley was special to him.
“Barossa is the premium benchmark of regional wine in Australia and the most revered wine region in the country, and of course SA is one of the wine capitals of the world,” he said.
“When they think Australian wine, it is the Barossa, and its shiraz.
“I have built some phenomenal relationships with winemakers and growers from the Barossa; they are so welcoming and giving.
“You have people like Adrian Hoffman, who is one of the most revered names in wine making and growing, and he is so humble.
“He just loves what he does, and they want to connect people together and the most important drink which is wine.
“I have also got to know the three guys from Tribus, and they are resilient as anything and lovely people and dedicated to their craft, and to see them nominated for Young Gun of the Year was extremely exciting.
“I am proud to already stock and sell their wines at Septimus.”
Mr Coker said the name Septimus was quite iconic.
“Septimus means ‘seventh born’, which ties in perfectly with our rotating menu of seven cheeses paired with seven wines—from sparkling to whites and reds,” he said.
“It was a pretty iconic name which sticks out in your mind and visually it was nice, there’s no other brands out there with that name.”
Mr Coker said Septimus had seating available across two levels, and will cater for up to 50 patrons.
The venue has been thoughtfully restored, preserving the building’s character while adding a contemporary touch as it is located on the outskirts of the historic Adelaide Fruit and Produce Exchange.
Septimus has a carefully curated wine list and a standout seven cheese and wine pairing as its signature experience.
Mr Coker said cheese and wine was the perfect combination.
“Our venue is a celebration of culture right from the curated vintages appearing on our wine and cheese list all the way through to our collection of art and music.,” he said.
“This is the start of an exciting hospitality journey for our team and it combines our love for all local wine with our passion for French vintages and cheeses.
“Wine and cheese are the perfect pairing and we don’t have a kitchen as it is a lot of work and hard work to make profit, plus labour costs would go through the roof.
“Cheese is one of the best foods to pair with wine as wine is terrible for your teeth but cheese is protective for your teeth.
“When I have a wine, I love food and so we have beautiful fresh imported cheese and high quality local and imported meats which is perfect and easy accompaniment to wine pairing.”
Septimus is located at 220 Grenfell Street, Adelaide and open from Wednesday to Sunday 11am to 12am. For further information visit the website (www.septimus.au/).
