A new wine bar coming to Chesco is putting the spotlight on Pa. by serving only ‘the best of what the region has to show’

A local entrepreneur’s new wine bar is focused on one mission in particular: proximity.

Corey Krejcik’s modern wine bar — aptly named Proximity Wine Bar — will offer wine and foods produced nearby, many in Chester County itself. The wine bar, located at the former Catherine’s Restaurant space on Doe Run Road in Unionville, will serve wine and food from within a 100-mile radius. A bottle shop will be in the front, with the bar in the back.

Krejcik’s vision takes a page out of Italy’s book, seeking to create a modern “enoteca,” a local, community-based wine bar that sources its stock not far from where they’re enjoyed.

It wouldn’t have worked 20 years ago, when Pennsylvania wineries were still new to producing wines, said Krejcik, 47, who oversaw operations at Chaddsford Winery for 10 years and works as a consultant in the wine and hospitality business now.

But there’s no better time to modernize the “enoteca” concept with the county and state serving as an emerging wine region, he said.

The regional wine program will be led by Penns Woods Winery in Chadds Ford, alongside other nearby producers Casa Carmen Farm & Winery, Stony Run Winery, and Waltz Vineyards.

All winemakers will be selected based using 100% Pennsylvanian-grown fruit and whether they produce their wines on site. Proximity will have an “open door” policy for other wineries that meet that criteria.

“Our goal, ultimately, is to absolutely curate the best of what the region has to show,” Krejcik said. “It’s going to show the breadth, the diversity, and the quality that the region has to offer.”

“The quality is the best and most accessible it’s ever been,” he said.

Proximity is in development now, and is midway to reaching its $600,000 fundraising goal, Krejcik said. While their flagship physical location will take a bit more time, they can begin selling wine — either online or through pop-ups — within 90 days of hitting their financial goal, he said.

Krejcik said they’re targeting 20 to 30 wines by the glass, with the bottle program operating similarly. They’ll showcase dry style wines, but the portfolio will be split between sparkling, dry whites, dry reds, rosé, and perhaps a couple dessert wines or vermouth.

With access to a full kitchen, they plan to serve charcuterie boards, shareable plates, and artisan sandwiches, working with culinary consultant and fellow Chester County resident Steve Forte, former executive chef of Royal Boucherie, a Philadelphia-based restaurant.

Since Pennsylvania allowed wineries to produce their own wine in the state in the late 60s, Krejcik said, the county has spent 50 years building up a group of winemakers who are “pouring their heart and souls into growing the best fruit possible to make this beverage.”

“This is a product that’s been around for thousands of years, has amazing staying power, and has really touched upon so many facets of our community that I still think that there’s some magic there, that it transcends some of the typical standards of just a consumable alcoholic beverage,” he said.