Follow Up: The Wine Cellar - Fayetteville's New Wine Bar

I was lucky enough to make it to the grand opening of The Wine Cellar here in Fayetteville and I couldn't be happier. I suppose it helped that opening day was the same day I found out I passed the bar exam so my mood was already elevated.

I was mostly correct on my earlier description of the place. I can add that the exact brand of wine dispenser is the Enomatic, a custom-made Italian model. When you first walk in the door, the first thing you see is the Enomatic dominating the left wall just in front of you. 16 reds and 8 whites can be featured at any one time. The machine itself sets the mood with its sleek metal and wood construction. According to the staff, the supplier sent the wrong model for dispensing the red wines because customers are unable to select the glass size.

The whites are encased in a refrigerated compartment behind clear glass so the view of the bottles is unobstructed. With the whites, customers are able to select the 1 oz tasting size, 2.5 oz half glass or 5 oz full glass. Since I'm not a huge fan of the whites, I was pretty disappointed not to be able to get smaller glasses of the reds. The Italian manufacturer should arrive in the States before long to correct the problem.

The Wine Cellar does offer some appetizers. Cheese plates, served with all the fixin's, a wonderful red pepper hummus - which will be available only occasionally - and my personal favorite, the smoked salmon plate. Some others I've not had a chance to try, but the Bruschetta ordered by a neighboring table looked great!

Finally, the staff has to be mentioned. They are knowledgeable, friendly and there to make sure your visit is absolutely perfect. Barb, the Cellar's wine afficionado, has been self-educating in wine for ten years. Aleks, a certified sommelier, is a wonderful host and educator as well. A visit to their website shows a 12-month calendar of wine appreciation. Each month will focus on certain varietals or certain regions, and will be sure to expand the knowledge of customers.

I hear from Aleks that he will soon be leading some wine education/tasting classes. You can count on me to be there and I hope many more will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. I encourage you to join their email list at the website (link at the top of this post) and they'll keep you up to date!

New Wine Bar Coming to Fayetteville

Thanks to some good friends in Dallas, I had the opportunity to experience my first wine bar, Vino 100. I came back thinking that opening a wine bar in Northwest Arkansas would be a great idea (if only I had the money!).

Now, I hear from an insider that a local development group will be opening one just off Dickson Street in August called The Wine Cellar. It's going to be an upscale full service bar with a great technological twist for wine dispensing. The system they are installing will hold 24 bottles, mixed reds and whites, and will preserve the wine for up to 60 days. I'm not sure if this is the same system in the picture below, but it seems similar.

If you can use an ATM machine, you'll be able to use the self-service wine bar at The Wine Cellar. Insert your card (shown at the top left of the machine in the picture) and your account information will be brought up on the screen. When you find the wine of your choice, you will use the screen to select the amount of wine you want - tasting glass, half glass or full glass. Place your glass under the spout and you will have a perfectly measured glass of wine.


All in all, I think is going to be a great asset to the Fayetteville entertainment district. It is very neat technology and will make the wine bar experience very novel. The sommelier and wait staff will be able to spend more time with the customers discussing the wine selection rather than running back and forth from the bar all the time. I also this will pique in interest in wine education. I'm really excited about the future of this bar and fully intend to make regular appearances.