New Johnson County wine, cheese & charcuterie bar has ‘lofty goals’: Best in the US?
Nearly six months after Vintage ‘78 Wine Bar hoped to debut, it softly opened its doors Sunday night and customers have been steadily streaming in.
The grand opening will be May 20, at 7251 W. 80th St. in downtown Overland Park.
The owners plan to offer the finest selection of artisan and farmstead cheeses, along with world class charcuterie, not just in Kansas City but in the Midwest.
“We have lofty goals. Our underlying goal is to be the best wine bar in the United States,” said Michael Scherzberg, partner.
Cheese & charcuterie
▪ Accompaniments. Includes Scottish heather honey, Tupelo honey, marcona almonds, assorted olives, rosemary lavosh, Spanish quince jelly, curried cauliflower and torn bread.
▪ Uncooked, pressed cheese. Such as Jasper Hill Farm bandage wrapped cheddar.
▪ Cooked, pressed cheese. Including Le Superbe Gruyere AOP from Switzerland and Parmigiano-Reggiano AOP from Lombardy, Italy. The Cheese Clock is a sampling of a dozen cheeses and six of its accompaniments for $28.
▪ Soft-ripened or bloomy rind cheeses. Includes Brillat-Savarin IGP from Normandy, France.
It also has washed-rind, natural-rind and blue-veined cheeses.
▪ Charcuterie selections. Smoking Goose’s Spruce & Candy Salame and its Rust Belt Saucisson (pork, garlic, lemon peel and nutmeg cold smoked) and blackberry duck salame are among the offerings.
Main menu
▪ Appetizers and snacks. Spanish cocktail mix, Torres black truffle or Iberian ham chips, steak tartare or assorted olives.
▪ Soups and salads. Including chicken noodle soup, roasted beet salad, and spring asparagus salad.
▪ Panini and sandwiches. Including a pesto chicken on sourdough, steak sandwich and duck rillette toast.
▪ Desserts. Jude’s Rum Cake, brownie and vanilla gelato, and gelato and sorbet.
Vintage ‘78 has wines by the glass, wine flights, bottles, spirits, beer, cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks.
Customers can join one of three wine clubs such as the Hidden Gems (two bottles a month from lesser known producers or regions for $40), one of two Cheese Clubs and soon a Charcuterie Club.
Monthly events will include tastings, classes, winemaker meet and greets, and community collaborations.
Scherzberg and partners Kyle Ketchum, executive chef, and Megan Downes, general manager, have a combined 75 years plus in the industry. They have long wanted to open a concept together. Their goal, set at the announcement, is for people “to drink well more often. Better wines in a nicer setting with proper crystal and excellent things to snack on that don’t break the bank.”
Two friends, Brandon Brazda and Bri Swanson, who work in the area, had been eagerly awaiting the opening. They each had a wine flight and said Vintage ‘78 would be a fun date night or happy hour stop. Two other friends dining near the front windows hoped the owners would add French or Italian cheese boards with wine pairings.
Scherzberg said he’s working on it. Only a small percentage of his wine list is stocked and 90% of his meat and cheese.
“We have nine wine flights on the menu but we have about 25 wine flight concepts already in mind,” he said. “We’re opening a little bit slow and soft as people are becoming more comfortable.”
Scherzberg’s jewel toned abstract acrylic paintings line the walls. There’s a story behind the paintings for customers who ask.
The new Freestyle Poke is a neighbor at 7221 W. 80th St.
New owners bring Freestyle Poke back to Johnson County, plan more area restaurants
