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Photographs by Justin Fox Burks
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Chardonnay may be the most popular wine in America, but at Knifebird Wine Bar, customers tend to be more adventuresome. Consider a sparkling rosé from New Mexico called Gruet, described on the menu as Knifebird’s official summer bubbly. “We drank all of it in Memphis in our first two weeks,” says Knifebird owner Kate Ashby, who opened her cozy neighborhood bar in June near the Midtown intersection of Cooper and Central. “We just got more back in today.”
So, what else do customers like to drink from a carefully curated list of 32 wines, all available by the glass and priced between $8 and $16? A Sicilian red from Etna with zippy acidity “weird in the best way,” a light Savatiano from Greece with “subtle notes of fresh-picked herbs,” and a rosé blend from Corsica that is “sassy and spunky with bright citrus fruit.”
I include the menu’s descriptive and sometimes irreverent notes to illustrate Ashby’s mission to shape a bar where wines are accessible, affordable, and fun to drink. She built a rainbow of choices from tastings (she tried more than 200 wines over several weeks) and from more than a decade of wine and management experience in Philadelphia and New York with restaurant maestro Stephen Starr. More recently, Ashby worked at Char on Highland Avenue and the former Kitchen Bistro in Shelby Farms in wine and management positions.
She started her business not so much by intent, but because she missed the neighborhood bars she frequented in Brooklyn. “I wanted the kind of place where I could walk around the corner and have a glass of wine and where the pressure of having a full meal was off the table,” she says.
Consequently, Knifebird customers won’t find boldly structured wines typically paired with food-oriented menus. Instead, the wine list reflects seasonal updates and complements the bar’s cold finger foods, such as tomato bruschetta, cheese and charcuterie boards, and crostini topped with whipped feta and tapenade.
A knowledgeable staff, happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m., and décor designed by Ashby — think earth tones, vintage floral wallpaper, and a rough-hewn wood ceiling — make Knifebird’s friendly relatability seem here to stay. There are also half a dozen local beers and a full bar serving classic and craft cocktails like the “Bitter Betty,” made with Henry McKenna bourbon, Campari, ginger syrup, and muddled lime.
For Ashby, the bar is both a business and a way to connect with her newfound hometown. “People are so nice here, and the city has so much potential,” she says. “And I love the idea of a city where people aren’t clawing at each other for some competitive edge.”
2155 Central Ave. (901-748-5425) $
