Four business professionals originally from Oak Cliff opened a wine bar serving flatbreads, charcuterie, and cakelettes on South Akard Street in the Cedars district this summer. Called Distinctive Vines, the bar is a joint venture by the group of Dallas ISD graduates who met over 20 years ago — three as co-workers in the IT industry, and the fourth, a neighbor. CultureMap Dallas reported on the new bar first.
Doland McGown had the idea for Distinctive Vines after frequenting San Antonio’s Copa Wine Bar, a place he describes as “laid-back, where you don’t have to be intimidated if you don’t know wine.”
Laid-back and low-key is exactly the atmosphere McGown, along with partners Theo Kirk, Lyle Matthis, and Verlin Taylor, are hoping to cultivate at their new wine bar in a historic space formerly occupied by a Piggly Wiggly grocery store in the 1920s. They say they want the new bar with the original brick walls to be a Cheers spot for the neighborhood, as well as a hangout for guests staying at the nearby Lorenzo Hotel, future convention attendees, and really, anyone who doesn’t take themselves too seriously.
“Maybe you’re not a wine snob. You can still come in and see what you like,” McGown says, adding emphatically: “There will be no dress code.”
Contributing to the chilled-out climate is regular musical entertainment, with DJs on Thursday and Saturday nights and a saxophonist on Fridays. Rotating DJs like DJ Phife and DJ Freeze spin old-school hip-hop and rhythm and blues on Thursday evenings, with more of a “Neo Soul vibe” on Saturday nights. On occasion, co-owner Theo Kirk, aka DJ O, can be seen behind the mixer.
Aside from being a Black-owned wine bar, other factors make Distinctive Vines distinctive, like more than 20 electrical outlets with USB ports, designed for working or re-charging while drinking wines that begin at $39 a bottle and range between $10 to $24 a glass.
The most expensive bottle currently on the “constantly evolving” menu is a cabernet sauvignon from Caymus Vineyards, one of Napa’s biggest names in wine, for $160. Other California regions are represented in varietals from Sonoma County and Paso Robles.
White wine drinkers could enjoy a German riesling or a pinot grigio from Piedmont, Italy, or choose from a couple of Napa chardonnays. Also on the list is a relatively affordable bottle of real Champagne for $65.
For those warm fall evenings, the bar offers wine slushes in red wine-strawberry and white wine-peach flavors. Also available are a selection of local beers and Topo Chico seltzers, as well as non-alcoholic spritzers in mango punch and cranberry-raspberry.
Distinctive Vines also partners with local chefs for regular food and wine pairing events, like all-you-can-eat Sunday brunches. Brunches have featured chefs Meika “MiMi J” Johnson and Nikita “Nikki J” Jackson, owner of Rowlett’s Absolutely Edible Cakes and Catering, who once competed on Food Network’s Last Cake Standing.
This month, on Oct. 26, sommelier and chef Tracy Thomas will return for a six-course food and wine pairing dinner.
Felicia “Fee” Guimont, owner of OMG Cakes and Southern Best Catering, makes Distinctive Vines’ flatbreads and cakelettes that come in butter rum or vodka-spiked strawberry flavors.
The various events and partnerships each owner works to develop are all helping “to move us into our own niche,” says Matthis.
Distinctive Vines Wine Lounge is located at 1110 S. Akard Street, Dallas. distinctivevines.com.
