Uptown wine shop holds grand opening

Photo via Accent Wine's Facebook

The day has finally arrived for Columbus wine enthusiasts: Accent Wine is now officially open for business.

Located at 49 N. High St., this eclectic bottle shop is the retail venture of Veritas General Manager and Sommelier Greg Stokes, who began selling the popular restaurant’s wine inventory online once COVID hit last year.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

After sales impressed, Stokes, alongside Veritas Chef Josh Dalton, gave the business a permanent home inside the century-old Citizens Building, where Veritas (and its bar program, The Citizens Trust) is housed.

And after months of anticipation, the new spot enjoyed its official grand opening this weekend. It was well-attended and featured sandwiches prepared by The Lox Bagel Shop.

“Words cannot capture how overwhelmed and thankful we are for all the years of love and support we have received on our opening weekend,” the business said in an Instagram post.

The downtown bottle shop—which offers a wide range of price points —is embracing accessibility over the sometimes haughty and intimidating approach to wine other establishments take.

“We created Accent because we saw that no one was doing wine retail the way that we thought it should be done,” Stokes said in a press release. “Wine has this old, dusty, pretentious mystique, but wine is supposed to be fun! It’s just crazy delicious juice. I am so excited to be able to open Accent and make the greatest beverage in the world accessible to everyone through bespoke service, tastings, and classes in a fun, intimate setting.”

And a quick walk through the new retail shop will confirm this. The storefront, which feels more like a friend’s kitchen than a top-tier wine shop, exudes a chic but casual atmosphere. It includes a stone table as its centerpiece and cool, custom furniture.

Accent Wine is open from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The store is closed Sunday and Monday.

If you like this, read: Calling Ahead: Why many Columbus bars are turning to reservation systems during COVID

BROUGHT TO YOU BY