Williamsburg is getting plus de vin. More wine, yes, but in a literal sense, too—meet Plus de Vin, a new wine bar opening up in July. It will take over the space at 445 Graham Avenue, which served as the home of Pheasant for the past six years.
Plus de Vin is spearheaded by a trio of industry veterans: husband—and—wife duo Carenn and Max Mackinnon and San Antonio-based restaurateur Chad Carey.
The trio had always talked about opening their own space together. The Mackinnons bounced around in kitchens across the country before settling down in New York City in 2021, working at some of the city’s buzziest restaurants. Max started a job as wine director with the Roberta’s group and currently serves as executive chef and partner at the West Village’s Libertine. Carenn ended up at Frenchette and later joined the team at the Michelin-starred Estela.
Chad’s chance encounter with a real estate agent at a bar led to the discovery of the available storefront. It felt fast, but the trio decided to jump at the opportunity. They signed a lease last fall and have been building the space ever since.
“I have always felt like there are so many barriers to entry with wine. It can be so intimidating and even with all of the incredible wine bars that New York has, I still think there’s a part of it that can be overwhelming,” Carenn told Greenpointers.
True to the current city-wide wine bar craze, Plus de Vin will focus on natural wine with minimal intervention.
“We’re going to be counter service that will require a conversation about what you’re looking to drink or eat, and allow us to connect with people and guide them if they want to be guided in a way that, if you have a bunch of tables in a section, you don’t get that, because you’re being pulled in so many directions,” she continued.
Max leads the food program, which Carenn calls “snacky, small-ish, shareable,” but Plus de Vin hopes to move beyond wine bars’ current predilection for cheese and charcuterie.
Max and Chad will remain at their current jobs, so Carenn will be holding down the fort at Plus de Vin. With no specific opening date on the calendar just yet, stay tuned for more details.