Jennifer Bingham has spent most of her career paying homage to wine. In college, she spent a semester abroad in Australia, sampling Hunter Valley’s offerings and sneaking in trips to Barossa Valley on the weekends. When her feet settled back on US soil, she walked into a local wine shop and her career in wine began.
Her path led to Chicago, well-known for its passionate wine community, where she worked at several high-end wine shops and bars. It’s within those walls that she developed an appreciation for small production, boutique wineries and cultivated a rep in wine circles as the young Wine Director with “an unyielding commitment to serve only the best, artisanal selections of producer-driven wines from around the world.”
But she dreamed of opening her own place. 2009 brought Bingham and her husband, Torrey, to Tampa, Florida. She worked in local wine distribution for a few months to get the lay of the land and then plonked down some serious cash to take over an existing wine retail place in South Tampa, formerly Gianpiero’s Pick of Vine. In early August, her dream reached reality.
In the coming months, Jennifer and Torrey will be changing the signage to Cru Cellars, redesigning the existing space, adding a new bar, and a lounge. “I’d like to make it more welcoming,” Jennifer Bingham said in an interview.
Her excitement is palpable. She describes her concept as,”Small production wines at great prices. Wines that you can’t find anywhere…wines that have a sense of place and taste like they are from France, Italy, etc.”
There will be an entire section of wines under $13. Currently, she has 50 $13 and under wines on her retail shelves and she’s begun to add more selections. “I want to offer wines for special occasions as well as everyday,” says Bingham.
The wines at the bar will be available from $6 to $14, and you can buy from the retail shelves then open it in store for a small corkage fee. Soon, she’ll be introducing cheeses and charcuteries that pair well with her wines.
Does she have the chops? Bingham is a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, and she has achieved the Advanced Certificate in Wines & Spirits through the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET). Not too shabby. I hope Tampa folks embrace how cool this concept can be.
Cru Cellars will be closing for a few weeks to make the changes and the Grand Opening will be in October.
Cru Cellars
2506 S. Macdill Ave
Tampa, FL 33629
813.831.1117
Website
Similar Posts:
- Tampa Bay restaurant news and deals: Bella Brava, Taps, Cafe Dufrain
- Tampa Bay restaurant news, food, discounts and deals: Bailey’s, Maritana Grill, Bella’s Italian
- Restaurant preview: Seasons 52 opened this week in Tampa
Tremendous! I hope they stick with the small production theme and dont get sucked in by the big distributors. Cant wait to check it out!
I have been in the place twice and cannot figure out what it is. They have modernized the interior, have nice bottle selections to buy, but I do not understand the “wine bar” concept. They never offer to explain to me their setup. There are not many places to sit, and I have never seen an cheese or other food. They also close at 10PM. Nice people but they need to explain their place when people go in.
Bellow,
Thanks for your comments! I am sorry I did not explain the wine bar to you when you were in. Did you peak back there? We have over 40 seats – 15 at the bar and seven tables, plus a lounge that we’ve been using for private events. We serve cheese/cured meat plates and desserts, and I usually have a cheese menu right next to the cash register – I apologize for not pointing it out to you. The wine bar is a great place to come before or after dinner – or for a light dinner. I invite you to come in sometime and experience the wine bar, so you can see what we are trying to build up to. We are open until 10pm because that is our current zoning, but I am looking into staying open later. Please introduce yourself when you come in – I’d love to buy your first glass!
Warm Regards,
Jennifer Bingham
Owner
Cru Cellars
I, too was a little baffled at this place. I certainly don’t want to sound negative, because I applaud anyone taking a chance to open their own business, and I wish them nothing but luck. We went in before a dinner reservation nearby, and were a bit underwhelmed. Not to sound like a wine snob, but when I think wine bar, I don’t envision 70′s rock thumping in my ear so I can’t enjoy the wine and relax. Maybe something a little smoother. Also, the owner was polite, but didn’t seem to interested in chatting, or establishing rapport with us as new customers. It was a bit like pulling teeth to try to get to know her. The cheese plate was very good, as was the wine. A suggestion on the decor; You probably want to seperate the flourescent-lit retail space from the more chic wine bar. Maybe some curtains would do the trick so we don’t see the outside traffic or your partner chowing on take-out in the next room. The partner appeared later in a white restaurant jacket, which was definitely more of a professional look than the jeans and t-shirt. Again, not to sound like a snob, just a helpful hint that this is Palma Ceia, and people coming in to enjoy wine probably expect a more polished experience. Hopefully the kinks will be worked out and this place will succeed.