The exterior of the 530 Wine Bar was designed by local architect Eric Leedy.
I am pleased to tell you all that at long last our 530 Wine Bar is open. It is located at 530 E. Lexington Avenue in Elkhart. We had a couple soft opening days to test everything prior to our official opening date. We greeted over 80 people in those first two days.
I sent a number of invitations out to ask people to our soft openings. I can tell you that as the hour of opening got closer, we all became nervous. The question was: would anyone show up? It didn’t take long for people to start walking in the front door. From that point on, we were busy until closing each day.
Tom Welsh, bar manager, is behind the bar most nights at the 530 Wine Bar.
Our official opening day was Wednesday, December 29, 2021, and it was fantastic. We opened at 2 pm with the first customers coming in at 2:01 pm. What a treat! By closing time we had served 87 customers.
What Is A Wine Bar?
In past articles I may have tried to explain this. Let us take a closer look at Wikipedia’s definition: “A wine bar is a tavern-like business focusing on selling wine, rather than liquor or beer. A typical feature of many wine bars is a wide selection of wines available by the glass. Some wine bars are profiled on wines of a certain type of origin, such as Italian wine or Champagne. While many wine bars are private “stand-alone” establishments, in some cases, wine bars are associated with a specific wine retailer or other outlet of wine, to provide additional marketing for that retailer’s wine portfolio. In countries where licensing regulations allow this, some wine bars also sell the wines they serve, and effective function as a hybrid between a wine shop and a wine bar.”
The enomatic machines at the 530 Wine Bar allow our guests to put together their own wine flights from 24 wine options
One of the reasons I started the 530 Wine Bar was to sell the wines I produce in Napa Valley each year. It was not possible for me to have a tasting room in Napa. One day when I was meeting with one of my consultants in Napa, he suggested I build a tasting room in Elkhart. After building out the LEX 530 Event Center, the idea of adding a wine bar became an “I am going to do that,” idea.
It has taken me about three years to get everything necessary to have the wine bar completed and open. It has also taken a number of incredible people to complete this project. To name a few:
- Debra Weninger of Debra Weninger Design and Emilie Tiedemann were responsible for all interior architecture and design.
- Mickey Ottman, Field Superintendent for FM Construction. Mickey and his team of outstanding carpenters did all the construction on the interior and exterior.
- Architect Eric Leedy designed the exterior façade, which is very inviting.
- The wine buying team is one of the best in the market. It includes myself, Tom Welsh and Stan Minden. Tom has 35+ years in the food service/hospitality industry. A Level 2 Certified Sommelier of the Court of Master Sommeliers certification program, Tom runs the day-to-day operations of the 530 Wine Bar. Stan Minden spent 17 years as a wine buyer for Elkhart’s Chalet Party Shoppe. Stan’s impeccable palate made him the perfect partner for the 530 Wine Bar’s wine team.
Chef Jeremy Perkins preparing food for a guest at the 530 Wine Bar.
The 530 Wine Bar offers an assortment of 38 wines by the glass, available from 2-ounce pours to 6-ounce pours. Our wine bottle list features 150-plus wines both Old World and New World. A number of the wines are from my Napa Valley friends. Many of which are not available anywhere around us. Of course, all the wines I produce are available as well.
Our outstanding kitchen team is headed by Executive Chef Jeremy Perkins. Jeremy has developed an outstanding menu for our customers to select from. His years of experience in the hospitality industry make him the perfect chef for our organization.
A wine flight ready to go out to a guest.
Finally, I would like to thank Melissa Hiner, our marketing director. She has designed all our marketing pieces, our logo, wine lists and menus. Plus she does all our social media pieces on Facebook and Instagram. Please follow us on those sites by clicking these links: Instagram for the 530 Wine Bar. Facebook for the 530 Wine Bar. She has done an outstanding job in many ways. I would suggest you visit our website, which Melissa designed: check it out here.
When you go to the website, please look at Chef Jeremy’s menu and our wine lists. Stop by anytime we are open for a great glass of wine and don’t forget you can also buy a bottle to take home with you. See you at the 530 Wine Bar.
As always, I appreciate your support of our wine blog and encourage you to share it with family and friends. If you care to share your comments on this blog posting or other topics, please do so in the comments section below.
Until next week,
Cheers
Mark your calendars for these upcoming wine events at LEX 530
Get ready for the next wine dinner at LEX 530! We hope you will be able to join us on Friday, February 4, 2022. The reception starts at 6 pm. Dinner begins at 6:30 pm.
THE COURSES:
Hors D’oeuvre Reception: A showcase of three small bites — each masterfully created by our talented LEX 530 Chefs. Paired with a variety of wines.
2nd Course: Golden Beet & Berry Salad. Roasted golden beets, berries, Marcona almonds, honey goat cheese, herb vinaigrette. Paired with the 2020 Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc.
3rd Course: Hungarian Mushroom Soup. Hearty mushroom cream soup spiced with Hungarian paprika. Paired with the 2016 Ventisquero Grey Pinot Noir.
4th Course: Beef Wellington. Roasted beef tenderloin coated with mushroom Duxelle and prosciutto, wrapped in puff pastry. Paired with the 2015 Red Mare Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.
5th Course: Chai Tea Panna Cotta. Silky smooth custard spiced with chai tea and cardamom. Paired with the 2020 Frost Bitten Ice Riesling.
Tickets are $100.00 (tax not included) each. We ask that you purchase your ticket by noon on Friday, January 28th.
And Mark Your Calendars For The Rest of the Year:
Friday, February 25 – Wine Talk & Taste
Wednesday, March 16 – Wine Dinner
Friday, March 25 – Wine Talk & Taste
Friday, April 8 – Wine Dinner
Friday, April 22 – Wine Talk & Taste
Friday, May 13 – Wine Dinner
Friday, May 27 – Wine Talk & Taste
Friday, June 10 – Wine Dinner
Friday, June 24 – Wine Talk & Taste
Friday, July 8 – Wine Dinner
Friday, July 29 – Wine Talk & Taste
Friday, August 12 – Wine Dinner
Friday, August 26 – Wine Talk & Taste
Friday, September 9 – Wine Dinner
Friday, September 16 – Wine Talk & Taste
Tuesday, October 11 – Wine Dinner (Oktoberfest)
Friday, October 28 – Wine Talk & Taste
Friday, November 4 – Wine Dinner
Friday, November 18 – Wine Talk & Taste
Congratulations on your grand opening, Carl.
I, of course, went to the website to check out your wine list. It looks very good, and I have to add that the pricing is very attractive.
I also loved the tapas menu. My wife and I could do a lot of damage there.
Here’s wishing you and your team the best of luck with the 530 Wine Bar.