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bodhipooh t1_jahvsbl wrote

In my experience, the definition of wine bar in JC (and the area at large) is basically a place that sells wine by the glass. Which is SO SAD. Really good wine bars are SO GREAT and much more than just buying a glass of wine. Would love to see a proper wine bar around here.

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possums101 t1_jahwjtg wrote

Were you going to share what a “proper” wine bar is…?

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fandagan t1_jahxd42 wrote

Third and Vine was pretty good.

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possums101 t1_jai3qi3 wrote

I meant what qualities make a proper wine bar.

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fandagan t1_jaifj6l wrote

That's a fair question. I am not OP so I can't say for them but for me it means a few things. Wine should be the main focus of the bar... Meaning it comes first on the menu. There should be a wide selection/variety of wine by the glass and bottle that changes over time (not the same 4-8 reds and whites available everywhere else). The staff should be somewhat knowledgeable about wine or at least the owner/manager should have a cheat sheet prepared so that you feel like you're talking to someone who is passionate about wine. And of course a more laidback, loungy atmosphere.

Other nice to haves include serving food specifically meant to accompany wine, tasting flights, the owner having special relationships with specific vineyards, celebrating Beaujolais Day, and so on.

Ideally, I'd want the wine equivalent of what Cork City is to beer in Hoboken. I always leave with another morsel of knowledge about beer or a brewery and I appreciate it. Third and Vine, for all its faults, was very much like how I described.

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jgweiss t1_jak2e0q wrote

I mean, ideally this place will not be lazy and deliver on a few of those fronts, specifically a rotating menu and wine-focused foods. they are moving in basically across from Lo Fi who are not shy about rotating their cocktails, so hopefully they rise to the occasion.

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bodhipooh t1_jaik4x8 wrote

THANK YOU. You nailed it. It is SO OBVIOUS there is nothing like that. Where I disagree is that I never felt Third and Vine was a real wine bar. It tried, and it did get some aspects right, but the ambiance was never quite right. Terroir in NYC was pretty close to a good version of a wine bar, very much wine focused, with food options tailored to pair well with the extensive wine options.

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PrincipleOfMoments t1_jaie9t9 wrote

Yeah, JC absolutely needs a proper wine bar. If you've ever been to one, you don't really need an articulated definition, you just know there's nothing like that in town right now.

In my experience, the closest we currently have is the bar connected to Satis, but since it is part of a restaurant, it closes way too early.

The first few years of Thrid & Vine were great, but things dropped off a cliff seemingly overnight and its eventual closure was more merciful than disappointing.

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bdigital4 t1_jaimx62 wrote

Agreed on the lower part of Satis. Haven’t been since pre Covid, but it used to get packed and they had great wine there

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Brudesandwich t1_jai1thu wrote

Blame the liquor laws in NJ, which the Governor is trying to amend

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TheFraudAccountant t1_jai6cib wrote

Can you describe how the liquor laws are preventing OPs idea of what a wine bar is supposed to be?

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moobycow t1_jajlt1l wrote

It's really freaking expensive to get licenses so, you simply don't wind up with many specialty type of establishments.

It's not that they prevent them, it's that they make it difficult and expensive to try anything so you wind up with less variety and options overall.

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