For the newly legal social drinkers as well as experienced cocktail connoisseurs, a detailed wine list can be daunting. The issue is not just picky Generation Z taste buds. According to Silicon Valley Bank’s 2024 industry report, the market for wine and its consumption have both plummeted in recent years. However, there are a few exceptions: For wine-focused NextGen Casual brand Sixty Vines, its sales and number of stores have only increased.
Boasting 10 locations in 10 years, Dallas-based Sixty Vines leads the way in revamping the wine scene, educating customers on its options in a way that is approachable, fun, sustainable, and hip.
Embedding eco-friendliness within its core values even from the inception of its brand, Sixty Vines swaps typical glass wine bottles for kegs, eliminating excess glass. Each keg holds what 26 wine bottles could, and 20 percent of all glass used in restaurants is actually recycled. “We feel like we’re really doing our part to hopefully help the environment,” Sixty Vines CEO Jeff Carcara notes.
The utilization of the barrels is not only a plus for sustainability; the on-tap system also allows for customers to try free samples of wines, without having to crack open a new bottle for a single pour. Additionally, the customer can get a “flight” of multiple 2.5 ounce servings of any wine offering of their choosing, each glass ranging from $4 to $6 each.
“You think you like Chardonnay? Well, let’s try three different Chardonnays from three different areas of the world,” says Carcara. “By the way, three Chardonnays will probably cost you what one glass costs you, and you’re having a little bit of an adventure.”
For the 20-somethings at the restaurant, the flight service can be a great option for developing more knowledge and understanding of wine with an inexpensive price tag. With this more cost-effective (as well as more exploratory) option, diners can expand their palates while also learning about the differences between their selections—sommelier license not needed.
Today’s alcohol consumption culture seems to revolve around whatever is being offered in a six-pack at the gas station or liquor store. But, how do you entice the younger generation of drinkers into swapping White Claw for white wine and PBR for pinot grigio? When it comes to tackling a wine list encompassing diverse regions and terroir, Sixty Vines servers are trained to assist the customer, whether they’re a first-timer or a regular, in breaking down the drink menu of the day.
Carcara recounts customer calls, asking when Sixty Vines will next hold a wine tasting. “That is not a wine tasting,” he replies; “That’s our normal deal!”
“We’re not going to make you smell a cork or swirl the glass,” he adds. “It’s, ‘What are you thinking about? What do you like? What do you want to know about?’ Your white, your red, we’ll narrow it down.”
Servers are also available to present perfect pairings between customers’ wines and food choices, creating a unique spread for each table. “If you’re ordering three different Chardonnays and you want to try a couple of different seafood items to pair along with all those different wines, or mix and match your wines and mix and match your food, our servers can do that,” Carcara says.
The menu at Sixty Vines includes wine-country inspired fare such as the beet and herbed goat cheese salad, a hummus and pita platter, a charcuterie platter with options abound (Dutch gouda, Tennessee ricotta, prosciutto di Parma), and various meat and poultry main dishes. The wine list is even more extensive, with picks from the Rhône Valley, Tuscany, Portugal, and even right here in the United States. The brand also offers alternative beverage options, such as its new frozen Aperol Spritz and Frozé cocktails, de-alcoholized and low-alcohol wines, and a handful of beers, coffees, and teas.
Sixty Vines’ approach to constructing the dining experience stems from the sociable mid-day meal put together by grape harvesters in a vineyard during a shift in the field, where an assortment of shareable plates and wines are split between growers. In its modernized take on family-style dining, Sixty Vines is “meant for groups [and] meant for socializing,” Carcara says. “If you want education, we’re there to educate on wine. Or if you just want to find something different, you can go in and find something different.”
Scrapping the pretentiousness present in some flashy, trendy wine bars, Sixty Vines works to revamp the rituals of intimate get-togethers like meeting up after work or familial celebrations by introducing people to wine culture in a more personalized way.
Sixty Vines’ continued awareness and care for its customer base, coupled with its sustainable practices, have helped to elevate the rising restaurant chain into a destination for conscious consumption in a comfortable environment.
With Sixty Vines’ recent news of a new location opening soon in Miami and its second store in the Orlando area, the restaurant’s “pinkies down” approach to wine will continue to grow upward and onward.
