The Wine Flights Changing Salt Lake City: Inside Bar à Vin, Downtown's Most Ambitious Wine Bar

The moment you walk into Bar à Vin at 917 S. State Street, you stop. Not because of the low lighting or the hum of conversation, but because of the wall. Floor to ceiling, bottle after bottle, 140 wines arranged in automated temperature-controlled dispensing machines that glow like some kind of dream you didn't know you could have in Utah. This is what wine flights in Salt Lake City look like when someone decides to do it right.

Before you've even picked up the menu, a server appears with a tiny pour of Vinho Verde — Portugal's crisp, high-acid house welcome wine. It costs one dollar. This is intentional. It's a signal: whatever preconceived notions you have about wine bars being intimidating, expensive, or reserved for people who already know things — leave them at the door.

"Such a cool atmosphere with delicious wines," wrote one recent OpenTable guest. "I'm a newbie wine lover and the staff did an amazing job of helping me select a flight I love." That sentiment shows up again and again in the reviews, and it's not an accident.

Bar à Vin opened in February 2024 in the space formerly occupied by The Palace nightclub. Someone had the vision to replace a hip-hop venue with something that, on the surface, sounds almost laughably ambitious: the largest wine wall in the western United States, in a state famously complicated about its relationship with alcohol. And yet here it is — ranked #1 on Yelp's SLC wine bar list, covered by the Salt Lake Tribune and Salt Lake Magazine, drawing regulars who come back Thursday after Thursday for trivia nights and a wine education they didn't know they wanted.

15 Years in the Making: The Big Idea Behind the Biggest Wine Wall in the West

The concept for Bar à Vin had been gestating for roughly 15 years. The spark came from seeing wine-dispensing machines at a Las Vegas event — automated systems that keep wine at perfect temperature and allow a single bottle to be served by the ounce without spoiling. The reaction was immediate: why doesn't Utah have this?

The answer, of course, is that Utah is Utah. DABC regulations, a historically conservative drinking culture, and the general perception that wine is either a church-adjacent sin or a snobbish affectation have kept the SLC wine scene smaller than the city's dining ambitions. Bar à Vin is, in some ways, a direct argument against all of that.

"What we want to do is take away the pretentiousness, take away the stuffiness of this and make it fun," owner Kasey Newman told the Salt Lake Tribune. "Let people take this journey and find wine that they love."

The result is a wine bar that works equally well for the certified sommelier who wants to geek out on a specific varietal, and for the person who only knows they prefer red over white. Both are welcome. Both will find something.

Utah Stories called it "daring" — and that's the right word. Transforming a nightclub into a lounge with seven different types of stemware, an Italian-imported 900-degree Neapolitan pizza oven, and champagne sabering service at the table is not a timid move in a market that has historically played it safe.

The Wine Flights Salt Lake City Has Been Waiting For

Here's what sets Bar à Vin apart from every other wine bar in downtown SLC: customization. You can build your own flight — up to ten wines, each served as a 1-ounce splash pour — or choose from the pre-built prix fixe flights that are, frankly, some of the most fun naming conventions in the wine world.

There's "Phat Bottomed Girls" — five big, bold, beautiful red wines that don't apologize for anything. "Netflix & Chill" for the relaxed, low-commitment evening. "Post Malone Bait" for reasons that are left delightfully ambiguous. "Cougar Juice." "Fuggedaboutit." The "Triple Entendre," a six-wine tour through three French regions. For those just getting started with wine, "Desperate Housewives of..." offers five approachable sweet whites that ease you in without judgment.

A standard pre-built flight of five to six 1-ounce pours adds up to roughly one full glass of wine — which means you can taste six different wines for the price of a single pour at most bars. The Break-Even Bottle program takes it further: Bar à Vin leverages Utah's DABC break-even bottle provisions to sell select premium bottles at cost, rotating daily. It's the kind of move that earns genuine loyalty.

"Amazing flight of wine! Very good and top notch service," wrote one recent reviewer. "Incredible wine bar — the owner was so friendly and took the time to explain all the wine options. Everything we tried was absolutely delicious. Will be back regularly."

The selection spans the full spectrum you'd expect from a serious wine tasting experience: Pinot Noir flights, Old World vs. New World comparisons, rosé and orange wines, eleven categories of sparkling. But you don't need to know your terroir from your tasting notes to enjoy any of it. The staff will guide you. The numbered glasses — each marked at the base corresponding to your menu — ensure you never lose track of what you're drinking, no matter how many flights deep you go.

One special note: if you're feeling celebratory, order a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and have it sabered tableside. As in, someone takes a blade to the neck of a champagne bottle in the middle of a Salt Lake City wine lounge. It is absolutely Instagram-worthy and apparently entirely legal. Champagne sabering in SLC is a very short list, and Bar à Vin owns it.

Neapolitan Pizza at a Wine Bar? Bar à Vin's Kitchen Earns Its Keep

The food program here is legitimately good — not "good for a wine bar," just good. The kitchen is helmed by chef Jerry Liedtke, a Salt Lake City dining institution who co-owned and ran the beloved Tin Angel for years. That pedigree shows up on every plate.

The centerpiece is a $22,000 electric pizza oven imported from Italy that reaches 900 degrees Fahrenheit — the temperature required to properly blister a Neapolitan-style crust in under two minutes. The Wild Mushroom pizza ($15), built on pomodoro sauce with wild mushrooms, mozzarella, smoked provolone, romano, and parmesan, draws repeat mentions from reviewers. It's available on gluten-free crust, which Utah Stories noted was genuinely excellent — not a grudging accommodation, but a real option.

The charcuterie board is sourced from Caputo's Market & Deli — Salt Lake's most respected specialty food purveyor — which is exactly the kind of local provenance that elevates a snack board into something worth ordering. Alongside that you'll find feta dip, olive tapenade, Spanish cheese pairings, and a Caprese salad built with heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, arugula, and balsamic reduction that Utah Stories called "outstanding."

"The wine, the service, the food were all perfect," wrote one recent reviewer. "They had way too many wines to choose from. But that is a good problem to have. The ambiance was warm and relaxing. 5-star experience."

Downtown SLC's Wine Culture Hub: Community, Events & What Keeps People Coming Back

Bar à Vin has carved out a specific identity in the downtown Salt Lake City dining scene: it's the wine bar for people who don't think of themselves as wine bar people. That positioning — anti-pretentious, beginner-friendly, education-forward — runs through everything from the pop-culture flight names to the $1 welcome pour to the way staff actually talk to you.

Every Thursday at 7:30 PM, the bar runs a trivia night that's become a local institution. The winning table takes home a gift certificate. It's a smart community-building move — it keeps regulars coming mid-week, introduces the bar to first-timers who might never otherwise walk in, and creates the kind of neighborhood energy that separates a great wine lounge from a great concept on paper.

The private event space has made Bar à Vin a go-to for book clubs, birthday celebrations, bachelorette parties, and corporate wine tastings in SLC. "I am so glad this place opened in my neighborhood so I can visit regularly!" wrote one reviewer after their first visit. That's exactly the goal — not the memorable one-time experience, but the local institution.

The Caputo's charcuterie sourcing is part of a broader philosophy about keeping dollars in the local food economy. In a state where chain restaurants still dominate much of the dining landscape, Bar à Vin's commitment to local partnerships — from the cheese board to the kitchen leadership — is worth acknowledging.

Planning Your Visit to Bar à Vin

Address: 917 S. State Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84111 Phone: (801) 739-5717 Hours: Tuesday–Thursday 5–10 PM | Friday–Saturday 5–11 PM | Closed Sunday & Monday Reservations: Strongly recommended, especially Friday and Saturday — book via OpenTable Website: baravinslc.com | Instagram: @baravinslc

What to order: Start with a prix fixe flight if you're new to wine, or build your own from the wall if you want to explore. Ask your server about the Break-Even Bottle selection for the evening — it rotates daily and can be a remarkable deal on premium wine. Add the Wild Mushroom Neapolitan pizza and the Caputo's charcuterie board. If you're celebrating, the champagne sabering is a $0 add-on with any Veuve Clicquot bottle purchase.

Best time to visit: Thursday evenings for trivia night at 7:30 PM offer the most social, lively atmosphere. For a quieter, more intimate wine tasting experience, Tuesday or Wednesday evenings tend to be calmer. Friday and Saturday are the most energetic — arrive with a reservation and expect a full room.

Neighborhood: Bar à Vin sits on State Street just south of 9th & 9th, adjacent to the Central 9th neighborhood. Street parking is available, and it's walkable from most downtown SLC hotels.

The Bottom Line

Salt Lake City's wine bar scene has always punched below its weight relative to the city's overall food culture. Bar à Vin is the correction. With 140 wines, a 900-degree Italian pizza oven, Caputo's charcuterie, champagne sabering, and a philosophy rooted in accessibility over pretension, it's the kind of wine bar that makes you reconsider what you assumed Utah nightlife could look like.

The wine flights here aren't just a menu item — they're an argument that wine tasting in Salt Lake City can be playful, democratic, and genuinely thrilling. Whether you're a casual drinker navigating your first customizable pour or someone who actually knows what "terroir" means, Bar à Vin built something rare: a room where everyone feels like they belong.

Make a reservation. Order the charcuterie. Let someone saber the champagne. And if you're just starting your wine journey — good. This place was built for exactly that.