A Bar-Slash-Wine-Shop is Taking Over Park View’s Union Drinkery Next Fall

A new lounge-in wine shop is coming to Parkview this Fall.

Saint-Vincent, a wine shop with a 4,000-square-foot backyard for self-service drinking and an upstairs full-service bar, is the brainchild of long-time friends and veterans of the D.C. nightlife industry Peyton Sherwood (of The Midlands Beer Garden) and Frederick Uku (former bartender at The Red Hen). It’s opening in the spot currently occupied by Union Drinkery, at 3212 Georgia Avenue NW, the Washington City Paper reported Tuesday.

Union Drinkery will be closing on April 27 after nearly three years in the area, due to low traction and shifting patronage due to gentrification in the area, general manager Daniel Raycrow told DCist.

Saint Vincent is slated to open in the soon-to-be-vacant venue next Fall, and the concept for the space is quite unlike anything else in D.C.. On the first floor, they’ll be selling wine bottles for in-house consumption, sans table service, in a large, dog-friendly outdoor patio behind the shop. On the second floor, they plan to serve a menu of cocktails and wines by the glass, alongside a hearty food menu with pasta and DIY charcuterie boards. The upstairs will also have room for a small stage to showcase live local music.

Sherwood and Uku hope the spot will challenge the status quo of D.C. bar life, defining their goals with the space in opposition to what the standard wine bar looks like. For example, rather than rushing patrons to finish their wine in order to turn tables quickly, they want to let customers stay for long periods of time, offering Wi-Fi and opening at 11 a.m. to create a calm atmosphere away from the hustle and bustle of city life. They also plan to avoid marking up their bottles the way many wine bars do, which they believe they can afford by not offering table service in the back terrace.

At other wine bars, “you’re not just paying for the wine,” Sherwood told the Washington City Paper. “You’re paying for the sommelier. You’re paying to cover the hourly wage of your server, bartender, food cost, etc.”

Customers will be limited to opening their purchased bottles on site, as per local laws —though the establishment is allowed to put corks in bottles that patrons open on-site and can’t finish, so taking leftovers to-go will also be an option.

In terms of decor, Sherwood says he hopes to create a secret garden-type ambiance on the back patio, using wrought iron tables and chairs, ivy, and large trees sourced from Virginia. The upstairs indoor lounge will be a bit cozier, with plush couches and chairs.

• All Midlands Beer Coverage [EDC]
• At Saint Vincent, You Can Buy a Bottle of Wine, Then Sip It in an Enormous Garden [WCP]
• Union Drinkery On Georgia Ave. Is Closing This Month [DCist]
• Union Drinkery [Official]