The Wine Cellar Wine Bar - Fayetteville, AR

Yes…I know, I’ve written about another Wine Bar in Fayetteville that I really liked – but as it turns out…there’s 2!! In Fayetteville.  There may be more, but my attention seems to lie within this friendly little neighborhood by the college and where there is a lot of character in this friendly little town.

The Wine Cellar is much different than Bordino’s, but equally good, if not a little better (Hope I didn’t just shoot myself in the foot – don’t want to bite the hand that feeds ya! Haha).

The Wine Cellar is a quaint brick building inside and out, which gives the feel of Tuscany….no, I’ve never been but it’s how I imagine it would be.  In the early evening, its quiet and you can sit outside on the patio or inside – there’s some great music being played by Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Al Green and other greats on the music system.   The Wine Cellar has something a little different than I’ve seen at most Wine Bars worth going to – they have a wine tap system…that holds 24 wines (16 reds and 8 whites) tapped on a wine preservation system, so the wine stays fresh for a long period of time.  You can purchase a pre-paid card so that you can try as many wines as you like without having to wait for the bartender or server.  Just go get it yourself whenever you want! It’s awesome – it's almost like being at home.  There are also wines by the glass and bottle for purchase, as well as a full bar and not to mention great food! Later in the night, it gets a little more active, as most places do.

The staff at The Wine Cellar, though is truly what makes it a place to go back again and again – Evan the GM, always remembers everyone’s name and is warm and welcoming.  Mia the bartender/server is a little more quiet but just as warm and welcoming -  and Aleks the Wine Manager, who is also a Level 3 Sommelier – which does not make him pretentious or snooty as some can be, but he en joys sharing his knowledge and giving suggestions that some of us wine drinkers may not consider – but most important, he has a great sense of humor and isjust real nice to talk to.

  My 1^st time at The Wine Cellar, I came in just for, well….wine. But it happened to be on the same night that they were holding a wine class (they have one every 6 weeks) – my 1^st thought was “Is it my Birthday?!”  The class was held by Aleks (obviously), it cost $25 for 5 red tastings BUT! This was a blind tasting with somewhat of a competition. We had to:

1)      Figure out which wine would sell at less than $10 retail (4 were over $20, 1 under $10)

2)    Figure out which wine was from France 

3)      What did all 5 have in common

There were prizes given for each, if answered correctly…let’s just say that I didn’t get a prize (doh!) but I don’t think there’s any wrong or right answer in wine tasting – we all have different palates! I know…whatever makes me sleep at night.

So, if you’re ever in Fayetteville, you got to give this place a try. It’s one of my home’s away from home away from home.

Cheers!

http://www.fayettevillewinecellar.com/