A small-scale artisan winery could be created in Islington as part of plans lodged with Newcastle council.
Winemaker Tim Ward has submitted a change-of-use application to convert a studio at a property on Fern Street into a winery.
The business will not be a cellar door. The plans said tastings, tours and workshops would be included, but they would be by appointment only and occur infrequently.
"The arrangement by appointment ensures there is no risk of overcrowding of the venue occurring," documents lodged with the application state.
"The low number of patrons will also enable staff to monitor potential risks."
The winery 300 metres off Beaumont Street would have capacity to process about 20 tonnes of grapes per season, producing 13,000 litres of wine.
The proposal will involve installation of a 1000-litre airbag press, crusher, fermentation and storage vessels including stainless steel tanks and oak barrels, and warehousing of bottled products.
The property is approved as a manager's residence, studio and attached garage, with only the studio set to change as part of the proposal.
No substantive building work or changes to the building layout are proposed as part of the application.
Documents lodged with the application state the winery will have minimal impacts on the surrounding area due to the smaller scale and seasonal nature of the operations.
A separate application is being prepared for Liquor and Gaming NSW for a producers/wholesale liquor licence.
