Knoxville's newest bar is for wine lovers, but you won't find any snobs at Zero/Zero
Knoxville's first natural wine bar Zero/Zero is almost ready to fill glasses in Happy Holler.
The wine bar, announced in May 2022, will host private soft openings this weekend before its grand opening June 9 at 1211 N. Central St., home of the former Time Warp Tea Room.
Co-owners Alexis and Zach Hill decided to open the bar after trying natural wine in North Carolina. They became fans of the style and nearly added it at Remedy Coffee, which they also own. Instead, they decided to open Zero/Zero.
Natural wine focuses on using grapes native to the soil and is made without the use of pesticides and chemicals during growth, fermentation and bottling. The bar's name is inspired by natural wine with the idea of nothing being added and nothing removed from the wine.
Natural wine already has been available in Knoxville thanks to advocates like sommelier Maja Roy and liquor stores that carry it, including Downtown Wine and Spirits.
What to expect at Zero/Zero, Knoxville's natural wine bar
There will be a by-the-glass menu detailing flavor notes that rotates weekly or when a type sells out. Glasses range from $10-$16, with more expensive specialty wines on occasion. A house red and white wine always will be available.
You can also order bottles, and most brands will be available by the glass. Bartenders are happy to answer questions about bottles, which range from $30-$50 with a few expensive outliers.
If wine isn't your speed, there's also beer. The two-tap system will always serve Pabst Blue Ribbon and will rotate the other, starting with Xul Beer Company. Additional beers are available from $2-$8.
Non-alcoholic drinks are available too, including Ghia aperitif.
The snack menu includes olive bowls, cheese boards, bread and butter, dips and seasonal tinned fish with toast. Snacks are $5-$15.
Furnishing Zero/Zero with community in mind
As for the inside, Alexis Hill said the delay in opening allowed her time to curate and coordinate every part of the wine bar.
The wall art is from nearby thrift stores and family members. The bar back is straight out of Time Warp Tea Room. The stools are from Hops and Hollers, which closed last year.
"When we were just waiting it was nice because I didn't feel like I had to just fill a spot," Alexis said. "I'm glad this all feels like it was intentional and it wasn't just ordered off of Amazon."
With warm lighting, the Hills hope the space is inviting and comfortable.
They want people to come in even if they don't know anything about wine. They stress that no one at Zero/Zero is a wine snob, and the bartenders will help you find something to enjoy. Try the natural wine, they said, and it's OK if you don't like it. There's always beer.
"I hope that this is an important part of people's wine journeys, is that maybe it's the starting point and it's the first time they've had some a lot of these wines," Zach Hill said.
Zero/Zero opens June 9 and is closed on Tuesdays. It's open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 4-10 p.m., Friday from 4 p.m. to midnight, Saturday from 2 p.m. to midnight and Sunday from 2-10 p.m.
Keenan Thomas reports for the Knox News business growth and development team. You can reach him by email at keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Zero Zero natural wine bar opens in Knoxville on Central Street
