August 25, 2022 By Marisa Olsen
Hingham resident and Cohasset store-owner Shannon Ewer and team have debuted Vine Bar, a new upscale wine bar on the South Shore. Ewer (alongside her husband Joseph) is the proprietor and wine aficionado of the Cohasset wine boutique, Barrel & Vine, which opened in 2018. Patrons will also recognize Cohasset native Jenn Knowles--the knowledgeable, advanced level sommelier who boasts years of wine and hospitality expertise, and touts excellent wine pairing suggestions. Most recently, Barrel & Vine was the winner of the 2022 Best of South Shore “Best Wine Shop,” a fabulous nod to this women-run boutique from the luxury publication and, of course, the residents and voters of the South Shore. And now, located in the heart of Scituate harbor, Vine Bar is an ode to shareable bites and mains, craft beer and cocktails, and of course, a bevy of wines, all small-produced and varied. With husband and wife duo Joseph and Shannon Ewer as the managing partners and owners; Jenn Knowles as the general manager, wine director, and managing partner; and Aaron Corkhum as head chef, guests will be in solid hands for a fine curation of food, beverage, and fun.
“We want to be an integral part of the community, a gathering place full of friends where bellies and hearts are filled. Creating relationships with our guests and having the opportunity to offer stories about the places and people that make the food, wines, and beer we serve is the main focus,” shares the Vine Bar team. With a focus on educating patrons to worldly, small-produced wines and winemakers, guests will come across thoughtfully-sourced food and beverage.
Vine Bar opened its doors just a few weeks ago. The design of the space is elegant and thoughtful. There are nods to a French cosmopolitan oyster bar, with two bars outfitted in marble with gray veins; and if you look closely, you will see hints of pink in the veining, which ties to the light pink bartop seats, a lovely nod to the female-run team. Raw light and dark wooden shiplap boards appear throughout the walls and under the bar top, juxtaposing shiny gray subway tiles. Black and brass globe light fixtures hang from the ceiling, as well as an ultra luxe spiky chandelier, which is a centerpiece in the back room. Driftwood and black-cloudy mirrors decorate the wall, as well as several wall installation pieces of brass netting, which are filled with hand-shucked oysters, creating a lovely gesture to the sea just yards away, and to the seafood-driven menu. In addition to the two bars, there are high tops, long banquettes, and table seating.
The drink menu is vast, with dozens of options for sparkling, white, red, and several pour amounts: three ounce, six ounce, and a bottle. For those who enjoy a curated tasting experience, Jenn informed us that flight tastings will be available soon. “We will take care to ensure that each wine selected has been made with the utmost respect to the places where they are grown, by conscientious winemakers, with attention paid to the environment around them…we want our wines to be true.”
The food menu is playful and divided into small sections: snacks and small bites; dips, bread and butter; “Seas of Cheese'' and charcuterie; “She Saw” seashells raw bar; and rotating shareables. “Our menu focuses on small, shareable plates, creatively constructed and using the highest quality ingredients which will be sourced locally and seasonally whenever possible,” remarks the Vine Bar team.
We began with oysters from Duxbury and Cape Cod, and the summer squash and zucchini duo with shaved squash wrapped around Buffalo mozzarella, served alongside a sweet tarragon pesto and finished with a crispy pancetta chip. (Pro tip: save the pesto for ultimate bread dipping.)
Speaking of bread … for the carb-lover in your party, don’t miss the bread and butter section. Select a single, duo, or trio portion of a chunk of thinly sliced baguette. Then choose-your-own-adventure with a list of flavored butters or infused olive oils, such as honey truffle butter, or garlic rosemary oil.
If wine and cheese is your game, you’ll have an option of three cheese and charcuterie sizes, with clever names like “Little Guy” or “I Want it All … and I Want it Now.”
The seafood section features oysters, prawns, and the lobster slider duo with a hot and buttery roll, and a chilled lobster salad with mayonnaise. The lobster meat is caught by a local fishery, just a few miles off the coast of Scituate. We loved this set up, and appreciated not having to decide between warm and cold. We liked both!
The shareable dishes include a fancy grilled cheese, barbecue pork belly burnt ends, and the Mediterranean lamb meatballs, which were delicious. The meatballs were composed of feta, chickpeas, olives, and red pepper. The thick tzatziki yogurt was the perfect tangy accompaniment to the sweet and flavorful meatballs.
We can’t wait to return and cozy up to the bar, sample global artisan wines, and snack on a charcuterie board alongside other flavorful light bites.
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Vine Bar
135 Front St, Scituate, MA 02066
(781) 546-2766
@VineBarScituate