By Christine Imbs
It's been said that "Necessity is the mother of invention." But apparently not all great ideas are born out of necessity. Sometimes all it takes is a group of friends and a good bottle of wine.
Take for example the The Vine Wine Bar and Bistro in St. Charles, the brain child of Chad and Alisha McDermott, Tim and Terri Schneider, and Nick and Kate Brockmeyer. One fall evening in 2006, the three couples were sitting beside a fire in one of their backyards enjoying a bottle of wine. They began discussing where they could go locally to do exactly what they were doing at that moment—enjoying a bit of the grape, some good conversation, and maybe a nice dinner. The problem was what they were looking for simply didn't exist at that time in St. Charles.
"You could get a lot of Missouri wines, but we really like wine from around the world," explains Chad McDermott. "So there was no place around here to go that we liked and enjoyed. Finally one of us suggested we open our own wine bar. And it sounded like a good idea."
And it appears to be a good idea that's taken off. According to McDermott, since The Vine opened on Memorial Day in 2007, they've developed a good following of regulars. And, of course, with the nice weather, things really begin to pick up.
"When the tourists start showing up, things get popping around here," he says. "And we really lucked out with this building. There's nothing else like it here."
The Vine resides in the old Hamilton House on South Main Street which was previously used for private parties. The interior seats about 40 people and maintains the charm of the old buildings along Main Street. There's also a banquet room upstairs. But perhaps the biggest draw are the two patios—one out front just perfect for people watching, and another more secluded one in the back where live music can be heard.
"The back patio is a kind of hidden treasure," McDermott adds. "It's quiet and off the road, plus it's nice and shady. Once people find it, that's where they make their reservations the next time they come."
Naturally The Vine's focus is on wine. Altogether there are about 125 different varieties from around the world including selections from Argentina, Australia, Italy, Greece, and France, to name a few. There are even a few Missouri wines thrown in for good measure. Prices are reasonable ranging from $10 up to $210 per bottle with 30-40 percent falling below $30. Over 30 wines are available by the glass. There are also wine tastings on Saturdays from 1 to 5 o'clock, a Wine of the Month Club, and a retail shop where you can purchase any of the wines they serve.
Of course man does not live by wine alone, and The Vine offers some extraordinary food selections. The lunch menu includes a good variety of sandwiches, crepes and salads, while the dinner menu offers some incredible entrees such as grilled salmon topped with a sun dried tomato & rosemary pesto. Naturally the menus do change with the season, but there are several mainstays that customers keep coming back for including their classic Caesar salad—voted number 1 in St. Louis
by the Riverfront Times; the lobster bisque, featuring large chunks of lobster meat; lobster stuffed portobello caps; and an eight ounce filet mignon. As for dessert, you can't go wrong with Alisha's chocolate chocolate chip cake.
"It's one of our specialties and it's made by my wife," says McDermott. "She's actually in the wedding cake business. We also have an extensive selection of cheeses. A lot of
people stop by just to sit out on one of
our patios to enjoy a cheese plate and
bottle of wine. And that's okay with us. It's exactly the type of atmosphere we set out
to create."
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TalkingPOINTS
The Vine
325 S. Main St., St. Charles, MO 63301
636-946-VINE
www.thevineonmain.com
Hours
Monday 5 - 10 p.m.
Tuesday through Thursday
11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Friday through Saturday
11 a.m. - 12 midnight
Sunday 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. |
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