Vintage '78 Wine Bar to open in downtown Overland Park

A new way to enjoy wine in a more casual manner is on its way to downtown Overland Park.

Driving the news: Perennial Restaurant Group, a full-service hospitality and restaurant consulting and design firm, plans to open Vintage ’78 Wine Bar in January.

The space was named after a year that had been excellent for California, Italian and French wines and the owner Michael Scherzberg’s birth year.

Where exactly? Vintage ’78 will be located at 7251 W. 80th St., in a retail space next door to Parisi Cafe inside the same building that also holds The Vue, a 216-unit apartment building.

Key quote: “Wine in this city is one of those things where you have to go out and have a meal at a nice restaurant, which is going to be expensive, to have good quality wine,” Scherzberg said. “We think people should drink well more often. It should be a fun thing that doesn’t have to break the bank.”

The menu: For its wine, Vintage ’78 is going to have around 78 selections available to get in either a taste of wine, a half glass, full glass or bottle.

“That gives a whole lot of wiggle room to play around with creating custom flights, and giving people plenty to choose from when they come in,” Scherzberg said.
He said there are plans to expand their bottle list in the future.
In addition to wine, the new bar will offer an assortment of food options, including paninis, grilled cheese, soups and charcuterie boards.

Vintage '78 in Overland Park was named after a year that had been excellent for California, Italian and French wines. — The Overland Park Vintage ’78 wine bar was named after a year that had been excellent for California, Italian and French wines. Image courtesy Veritas Architecture + Design.

Additional details: Scherzberg says they plan to be closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when they will be use the space for wine tasting classes and other private events.

“One of the classes that we have in mind is a class on old Riesling,” Scherzberg said. “It’s something that most people don’t realize you can age.”
To create a fun ambiance, background music while the space is open will be from the 1970s to the 1990s, along with some French hip-hop, he said.

What is next for Overland Park Vintage ’78?

After its official launch in January, Vintage ’78 will be open Monday, Thursday and Friday evenings, as well as for lunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

Scherzberg said he hopes to open more wine bar locations around the Kansas City metro in the future and is considering places including Lee’s Summit and Briarcliff.