Vine Wine Bar determined to stay afloat as pandemic persists

The Vine Wine Bar co-owner Lynn Mione had planned a celebration in honor of its 10-year anniversary this weekend, but she never envisioned the niche Merrick business to face such challenges in the two months leading up to the milestone.

“I don’t think we’ve ever been able to kick our feet up and say, ‘we’ve made it,’ but right now we’re just trying to stay afloat,” said Mione, who, along with Steven Lanciotti, opened the wine bar on May 10, 2010. “We’ve been a work in progress since Day One.”

Mione, Lanciotti and their partner of four years, Tamara DeLaMora, all Mepham High School graduates, had planned a big party for the 10th anniversary, but, “It’s not what’s important right now,” Mione said. “This pandemic has put a lot of things into perspective. I think about people who’ve been in the hospital and not allowed visitors, and people who’ve had their weddings postponed or proms canceled . . . These are difficult times.”

The business is classified as a bar, not a restaurant, by New York state. Because of this, Mione expects to be among the last businesses allowed to open at full capacity once Gov. Andrew Cuomo lifts restrictions.

“I struggled with the idea of remaining open in any way, shape or form,” said Mione, who lost her cousin, Linda Froccaro, to Covid-19 on March 31. “We closed for three weeks in April and those were some dark times, but we have such a strong and encouraging team [that] our creative juices started to flow, and we reopened with new ideas.”

The wine bar, at 2259 Merrick Road in Merrick, employs a part-time staff of nine, none of whom have worked there since March 14. Now, owners and employees stay in touch via weekly Zoom meetings, and new business hours — Thursday to Saturday, 4 to 9 p.m. — were instituted due to the pandemic.

With no cashflow to advertise, the staff used social media to connect with customers. It began offering curbside takeout and local delivery — any alcohol order must include food — as well as wine and spirit tutorials on Facebook and Instagram. The wine bar has up to 100 different wines by the bottle available for purchase.  

“Our customers love our wine, specialty cocktails and spirits,” Mione said. “The idea of the tutorials wasn’t to make money, but to give people an outlet and distraction while they’re at home.”

The “Wine Without the Attitude” tutorials have included topics such as “Artisanal Wines from Argentina,” “Italian Wines,” “Wines from California,” “Craft Rum from St. Kitts,” “Wines from Oregon,” and more. Mione and Lanciotti also invite experts from around the wine-loving world to guest lecture and share fun facts. “The videos are getting hundreds of views,” she said.

It’s possible the tutorials will remain a part of the business once the pandemic wanes, though it’s too soon to tell, Mione said. “I’m thrilled and surprised and proud that we’ve been around 10 years in the community we love,” she said. “It’s been a roller coaster and we’re in survival mode. I don’t think we’ll be out of the woods until we’re able to operate at 100 percent.”

Editor's Note:  We are looking for business owners in Bellmore and Merrick to tell us how their livelihoods have been impacted by Covid-19. If you are interested in sharing your story, please contact editor Alyssa Seidman via email: aseidman@liherald.com