Vintage

From the start, The Grapevine has been an unquestioned hit and has gained favorable reviews and press coverage. Critics and Customers alike are in agreement that the menu and wine selections are among the best in the city and the atmosphere is magnetic. The Grapevine is the place when you want to see and be seen and provide your guests with an unforgettable experience!

“Wine lovers' paradise excels in small plates and desserts"

On a balmy Thursday evening, The Grapevine offers a cool reprieve from the smoldering sun. Located on Main Street in Novi’s treasured downtown area, this little wine bar, opened in January, is home to 250 labels from lesser-known boutique vineyards from around the world. But if wine isn’t your fancy, choose from four draft beers or a full bar. Chefs Philip Krstovski and Stephanie Squires stir up some gourmet eats like cheese trays, salads, grilled pizzas, small plates and desserts.

The decor is simple, bright and airy near the bar, with large windows which take in the view of restaurants across the street and pedestrians. The tall dark booths in the back provide privacy, and the walls are adorned with maps of wine regions. The feel of The Grapevine is somewhat European — inviting you to spend a few hours enjoying the “fruits” of their labor.

Cruising past the intimate, high-backed booths, my companion and I chose a table near the bustling bar. Famished, we ordered three small plates, a pizza and two desserts, but not before we quenched our thirsts with a wine flight. “Two Lefties and a Frenchman,” $11, features two California chardonnays and a French Blanc burgundy, each with a three-ounce pour.

I didn’t care for Irony, a 2005 Chardonnay, because it was too fruity and I didn’t appreciate the hints of vanilla. However, my companion found it pleasant.

The 2005 chardonnay from Michael-David Vineyards had been aged in seven different barrels for seven months. We both enjoyed the cool, crisp pear nuances.

And finally, the Maison Albert Bichot Blanc burgundy was our least favorite, simply because neither of us can fully appreciate a French burgundy, red or white.

Our friendly and knowledgeable waiter made a few menu suggestions. We ordered Pizza “Charcuterie,” topped with artisan sausage, smoked mozzarella, roasted red peppers and oven roasted tomatoes for $9. The modest four slices packed a hearty, flavorful punch. The crust was thin and slight on flavor, allowing the smokiness of the cheese and sausage to take center stage.

The Pan Asian lamb chops were succulent and meaty, and were served on a bed of wilted lettuce. The chops were basked in a delicious Asian glaze and the spicy mustard resting on the side gave the meat an energizing kick. But a serving of two left us aching for more. Three chops would have rounded out the dish and been more appropriate for $15.

Next, we ordered beef tips in roasted three pepper demi glaze for $14. This hefty portion was served with a big hunk of French bread. The beef was tough, tasted a tad old and could have used a crank of the black pepper mill and a shake of salt — neither of which were on our table. But the sauce was to die for.

After dipping the bread in the sauce, I decided a spoon would shovel it in my mouth faster, for it was that good. My companion and I were spoon-fighting over the sauce and literally moaning with pleasure.

We paired the beef with the grilled Thai shrimp with pineapple black bean salsa and sweet red chili sauce for $14. The plentiful serving yielded plump and juicy shrimp cooked to perfection, and the scallions on top added a fresh touch. The sauce indeed was spicy, so be prepared. It would have been lovely if this dish had a hunk of bread to soften the heat and fill the belly.

We ordered dessert, and I couldn’t resist a cappuccino. This European favorite arrived rich, creamy and hot with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. Nothing on earth could have rivaled the splendor, except for the desserts.

Among the offerings were crème brulee with crispy brown sugar crust, hot apple cinnamon cake with caramel sauce, hazelnut almond chocolate torte with chocolate sauce and hazelnut brittle, Guernsey ice cream with buttered toasted pecans on a walnut brownie with Sanders hot fudge, each $5. Champagne and fresh strawberries also are available at market price.

Struggling with the decision, we finally settled in with the hot apple cinnamon cake and the hazelnut almond chocolate torte. These two desserts came in large portions and both competed to the last bite for the winning star.

Sitting on top of the hot apple cinnamon cake was a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a surprising touch since it wasn’t listed on the menu.

The cake melted in our mouths and the cinnamon flavor lingered and paired nicely with the cappuccino.

The mammoth chocolate torte was rich in amaretto, but it wasn’t overpowering. And the hot, molten chocolate was nothing short of heaven. Again, moaning took place.

My companion and I enjoyed our tasting tour of both wine and food and are eagerly planning our return.

The flat screen TV by the bar kept us informed and the cigarfriendly patio will be perfect for cooler evenings.

“Extremely Impressed!!"

"A new place... that's different"

Novi has plenty of bars and restaurants, but a new place pened recently that's different, and proprietor and long-time Novi resident Brian Burke is pleased to show anyone and everyone his unique new establishment.

The Grapevine is Novi's first and only wine bar, boasting over 1,500 bottles of wine and 220 labels. By the glass or bottle, this is the place to visit in Novi if you're a wine aficionado. In addition, the Grapevine has a full bar including top-shelf liquor and draft beers.

The Grapevine menu features just under thirty 'small plate' items such as Sea Scallops in brown butter lemon caper sauce, Pan Asian Lamb Chops and watercress with spicy mustard sauce and Beef Tips in a roasted three pepper demi-glaze. The Grapevine also has salads, cheese platters, and three artisan style grilled pizzas to chose from.

Deserts include six "Elegant Endings" including Creme Brulee, a Chocolate Hazelnut Tort with Choclate sauce and hazelnut brittle and Guernsey Ice Cream with buttered toasted pecans with Saunders Hot Fudge.

The setting is very comfortable, and Burke has gone out of his way to ensure it's unique. From the walk-in red and white wine coolers to the custom made bar stools that are actual wine barrels, this place has a look and feel that's different from anything else you'll find in town.

The Grapevine is located at Main Street in Novi (south off Grand River just east of Novi Road), just a couple steps down from BD's Mongolian BBQ. They open at 2:00 p.m. daily. Phone 248.344.4044.

Stop by, check out the menu and wine selection, and say hello to Mr. Brian Burke while you're there too! He'll be pleased you did, and so will you.

"... a bar with really good food.”     

How does having a bad experience at a vineyard in wine country inspire a car salesman in Novi to open a wine bar? Brian Burke, owner of The Grapevine, a new wine bar on Novi’s downtown Main Street, will tell you.
    “My wife and I were excited to visit a vineyard in Napa whose wine we had been enjoying at home. We get there and they were rude, cold and all rightangle — a big shock, since most wineries were bubbling over with enthusiasm. So, I turned to my wife and said, ‘Gee, I can throw a better party than that.’ ”
    And so he did. But not overnight. Like a fine wine, a good business idea needs time to ferment. The visit to Napa was in 2004, and after throwing a couple of wine tastings at home, Burke and his wife, Lori, formed the LLC in 2005. It took the Burkes two years to open The Grapevine because they were the general contractors for the project and both were working full time; Brian in sales at Tom Holzer Ford and Lori, a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch.
    Burke hired longtime friend and wine guru Lee Hershey, who teaches wine classes at Schoolcraft College, as a consultant for filling the cellars. “When you ask Lee about wine, it’s like asking a guy what time it is and he tells you how to build a watch,” Burke says.
    “We have a unique product here,” Hershey says. “We offer great wine at low prices. Restaurants are notorious for overpricing wine and we don’t see the point.”
    In fact, The Grapevine sells wines by the glass starting at $3. Right now, the highest-priced glass of wine is $11, with most costing $5. Bottles start at $12 and go up to $198.
    The Grapevine boasts two wine cellars; one for reds and one for whites. Sixteen hundred bottles and 270 labels top off the selection. Eight flights, which is a 3-ounce pour of three different wines, are accompanied with tasting notes. The notes don’t provide background about the vineyards, but they do give information on the juice.
    An expansive menu of small plates includes Pan Asian lamb chops with watercress and spicy mustard sauce, and sea scallops in brown butter sauce with parsley, lemon and capers, both for $15. A dessert list features six “elegant endings” such as key lime mousse with toasted coconut, and hot apple cinnamon cake with caramel sauce, both for $5.
    Burke and his wife crafted the menu together, using themselves as the perfect demographic; two people who love to sip fine wine and nosh on good food. “Lori and I would be sharing a bottle of wine at home and we would talk about what we wanted to eat with it,” says Burke. The two penciled in a menu and presented it to his chef, Polly Brown, a graduate from the culinary program at Schoolcraft College.
    “It was like asking Picasso to judge a paint-by-numbers painting,” Burke says. Using the mock menu as her guide, Chef Polly, as she is known, developed an approachable, yet sophisticated spread. Burke told Chef Polly right from the start, “It isn’t a restaurant with a really long wine list. It’s a bar with really good food.”
    The 2500-square-foot nonsmoking bar greets customers with a plank oak floor that was hand-carved by prison inmates in California, to give it a weathered look. Italian hand-blown red pendant lights hang over the bar and jazz music is delivered through speakers both indoors and out, giving The Grapevine an elegant ambiance. Indoors, the bar seats 75 and the patio will seat 40.
    As for the non-smoking rule, Burke’s logic is simple. “A smoker will go outside to smoke, but a non-smoker will never come back,” he says. Although, Burke says, people will be smoking some fine cigars on the patio in the summertime.
    Hours are 2 p.m.-11 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 2 p.m.-1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The Grapevine is at 43155 Main St.

If Starbucks is the meeting place by day, then wine bars are Detroit's latest hot spots at night, where happy hours are being transformed from foamy dollar-drafts to glasses of robust Cabernets and oaky Chardonnays.

Overlooking the bustle of Friday evening shoppers at Papa Joe's Market & Catering in Rochester Hills, Marcus Skerske, 23, of Rochester sits with his girlfriend and parents at the market's mezzanine wine bar sipping glasses of wine and noshing on Gult shrimp.

Since turning 21, Skerske and many of his friends have switched from beer to wine.

The setting that drinking wine cultivates is a welcome change for those tired of the chaos of the bar.

Natalie Catt, of Farmington, agrees. "I can meet more quality people of similar ages and backgrounds," says Catt as she sips a Cabernet at Grapevine, a newly opened wine bar in Novi.

Her friend, Mike Kumeisha, of Farmington Hills, nurses a Riesling, a fruity and aromatic wine. Neither would claim to be a wine aficionado, but they know enough about their palates to order wine they enjoy.

According to the Wine Institute, wine consumption in the U.S. has increased dramatically in the past 10 years, from 500 million gallons in 1996 to 716 million gallons in 2006.

The premise of the wine bar is to give customers a comfortable, entertaining and social experience while educating them on wine. Most offer wine by the bottle, glass or flight -- a sample of three to eight 2-ounce servings, allowing novice and experienced wine drinkers to refine their tastes and preferences.

When Grapevine owner and wine connoisseur Brian Burke created his business plan, he estimated his target demographic was adults 35 years and older with a disposable income and older children. "To my surprise, I'm seeing adults in their 20s coming here a few times a week who know a lot about wine," Burke says. He attributes some of this phenomenon to the Internet, which has helped take the mystery out of wine.

At Zinc Brasserie & Wine Bar in West Bloomfield Township, sommelier and manager Keith Walsh observes that his customers prefer quality to quantity, drinking less but enjoying wine more.

For baby boomers, the attraction of wine is also its health benefits. According to the Mayo Clinic, moderate alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

"By now, Americans know that drinking a glass of wine can be good for you," says Ed Ivone, of Shelby as he sips a glass of red wine at Papa Joe's wine bar. He and three friends gather here a few times a week for wine and food after working out at a nearby gym.

The air of elitism and snobbery that used to surround wine is disintegrating thanks also in part to the affordability and availability of quality wines. Many of us have hit Trader Joe's to purchase its famous Charles Shaw, nicknamed "Two Buck Chuck" for its $2.99-a-bottle price.

William Schwab, sommelier at Papa Joe's, tries to demystify wine by encouraging his customers, even those on a small budget, to have a sense of playfulness.

"There are many high-quality wines for under $20 a bottle," he says.

Part of the lure of wine is how it complements food. Wine bars typically have a small plate or tapas menu. Most also offer a full selection of premium liquor and beer. You may also purchase a bottle of wine to take home.