Under one roof, you’ll find a restaurant, wine store, wine/cooking school and event facility at Dunwoody’s Vino Venue. Plus, it offers wine country tours in the U.S. and abroad.
This month, the business is celebrating its 10th anniversary, while honoring founder Michael Bryan, who died in 2017.
During the week of Oct. 17, Bryan will be remembered with a special Michael’s Plate — a burrata, prosciutto, arugula and grilled country French bread dish, paired with Casa Segreta Pietra Fenice, an exclusive wine from Umbria that was made in his honor.
Credit: Vino Venue
Credit: Vino Venue
“My husband Michael started the Atlanta Wine School in 2003 in Roswell, and Vino Venue is sort of the next iteration of that,” said Lelia Bryan, the company’s managing partner. “We wanted a place where we could sell wine as a retailer, and we wanted people to be able to taste the wine before they bought it.”
Along with that, Vino Venue has a monthly wine club, managed by longtime beverage director and partner Rob Van Leer. And, the company plays host to corporate and private events, as well as wine dinners and cooking competitions.
Located in a busy shopping center on Chamblee Dunwoody Road, the cozy-casual space adapts well to all those activities, with a wine bar, multiple indoor and outdoor seating areas, and walls of wines on display.
Credit: Vino Venue
Credit: Vino Venue
Adding to the fun, guests can serve themselves from Enomatic serving systems, which dispense a taste, half a glass, or a full glass of wine.
“It’s one of those things that, if you’re really into wine, it’s nice to be able taste different things, so it’s really worked for us,” Bryan said.
Van Leer spends much of his time curating the wine club selections. Through the years, that has included 240 different grape varieties, from 31 countries and states, while championing family-owned wineries and organic wines.
“It’s been a labor of love,” he said. “Michael started it, and I took over in 2017. We give you 14 wines to choose from. You choose either four or six wines a month. I taste 100 wines a month, maybe. A lot of people going on the wine trips are wine clubbers. So, it’s more than just the club. It’s become part of their lifestyle.”
The food menu has changed as the restaurant evolved, going from small plates to more substantial fare, but cheese and charcuterie remain staples.
“When we built it out, we knew we wanted to have a full-service restaurant,” Bryan said, “but when we first started, it was more tapas, and men would tell us it was really great, but they were going to go somewhere and get a burger, afterward.”
Credit: Vino Venue
Credit: Vino Venue
Executive Chef Patric Good has been the steady hand in the kitchen for seven years. And, yes, the restaurant offers a burger.
Good is “a very talented guy, and he’s put some unique things on the menu,” Bryan said. “And, he changes things with the seasons. ... But, we’ve had mushroom flatbread on the menu since we opened. I don’t think that will ever go away.”
Vino Venue offers two domestic and two international wine adventures each year. The final trip this year, with 18 guests, will explore the Piedmont region of Italy.
“We’re doing a little pre-trip to Lake Como for three nights, and then we’ll be in the Piedmont area, in a villa, for seven nights,” Bryan said. “We have a wide range of wineries we’ll be visiting. We’ll be doing a cooking class with a Michelin star chef. And, we’re going on a truffle hunt, timed with the International Truffle Fair in Alba.”
Like most businesses, the pandemic created obstacles for Vino Venue. “It was difficult,” Bryan said, crediting the Paycheck Protection Program, support from the city of Dunwoody and “our loyal customers” for seeing the business through. “We also felt that same support when Michael passed,” she said. “It was amazing.”
4478 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody. 770-668-0435, vinovenue.com
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