The folks at Sixty Vines Uptown really knew how to open their new location at the Crescent. With a vine cutting instead of the usual ho-hum ribbon cutting and members of the Junior Players entertaining, it opened the evening of Monday, April 16 with the added plus of donating half of night’s proceeds and a silent auction benefiting Junior Players. Here’s a report from the field:
Wine lovers and foodies alike gathered together on Monday, April 16, to wine and dine for a cause at the grand opening of Sixty Vines Uptown Dallas location in the Crescent. For the duration of their opening night, the eco-friendly and wine-centric restaurant agreed to donate 50% of its proceeds to benefit Junior Players, a Dallas non-profit that provides free arts education programs to the youth of North Texas.
Over 100 guests were allowed to enter early for a special VIP reception, where they were able to participate in wine tours, pizza and charcuterie bar samples, and were treated to performances by Junior Players participants and alumni. Sixty Vines and Junior Players also created a silent auction for gusts to participate in, which included thirteen incredible prizes, donated by both Junior Players and Sixty Vines:
- Seven different paintings by Mark Mullino with distinct themes tied to Sixty Vines aesthetic.
- Two packages to Junior Players production of “Romeo and Juliet” July 24 – 29 at Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre, which included ten tickets, pavilion seating, Junior Players t-shirts, and a complimentary bottle of wine to enjoy under the stars.
- Three different Sixty Vines packages including a Chef’s dinner for up to eight people, a champagne brunch for up to eight people, and a three-month Vine Huggers membership with two bottles a month.
- A Trunk Club Membership.
Sixty Vines continued its innovative trend by putting their own special twist on the ribbon cutting – or as it should be referred to, the vine cutting. Sixty Vines employees brought out a decorative grape vine and a pair of garden sheers to deem the restaurant officially open to the public.
Guests like Junior Players Young Professionals Committee Member Selene Dominguez Peña, Junior Players Board of Directors President Kathy Palter, Dallas ISD Director of Theater and Dance Rachel Harrah and Director of Choral, General and Elementary Music Dr. Brad Olesen were able to have their picture taken in front of the Sixty Vines and Junior Players banner right at the front entrance – creating a celebratory atmosphere before even entering the restaurant. Once inside, guests were able to enjoy a variety of seating options – from family style tables to bar seating and even couch seating – all with a central theme creating an ambiance similar to a vineyard tasting room. Guest could watch as the chefs prepared their food thanks to the open kitchen and could see where their wine was being poured straight from the tap.
While the menu included a variety of wood-fired pizzas, pasta dishes, charcuterie boards, and more, most people spent their time pouring over the extensive wine menu. With over forty different types of wine on tap, wine lovers were able to try many different types of wine with each glass being as fresh as the first, thanks to the pressurized kegs preventing oxidation. Guests enjoyed choosing from varying wine sizes, 2.5 oz, 5 oz, 8 oz, and 750 ml, allowing those who wanted to try different types of wine and those who knew exactly what they wanted to do so.
Guests continued to wine and dine the night away, supporting both the local eco-friendly business and the youth of North Texas, until they too had to tap out.
* Photo provided by Junior Players