There is a famous movie quote "If you build it they will come." That has sort of been the philosophy of the family behind Mary's Vine - a wine lounge set to open in the former Visitation of Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Rankin. The dream began in November of 2017 and now, in just a few days, the Stasinowsky/Smith family will be welcoming their first customers.
"Pittsburgh is ready for this," says Cheryl Stasinowsky, project overseer and chief executive officer of Fine Wine Cru, LLC, who along with her husband, Wally, have been navigating an uncharted path, along with their son, Jordan, and daughter, Amber Smith, and son-in-law, Daniel, to make their dream come true.
This dream has come with high risk. Four family members uprooted their lives in California to make a new life in Pennsylvania. (Jordan had already been a resident of the Burgh working as a financial advisor for PNC Investments.) The dream also meant putting every penny they had into the mission of giving this former Croatian Catholic church a new purpose and making it, once again, a destination where memories could be made.
"We are trying to do things that are just out of the ordinary for Pittsburgh. It doesn't mean that what Pittsburgh does isn't good. We have to be different to get them out here," explains Cheryl, who says her family just really wants people to enjoy wine. This desire will be felt from the minute a person arrives at Mary's Vine. From the valet experience to the first glimpse of the lounge through the clear glass doors, people will feel like something special is about to happen.
Jordan Stasinowsky has been the driving force behind making wine accessible to every level of wine enthusiast and at every budget. He is a certified specialist of wine and is currently studying to be a Level 2 sommelier. He, along with the rest of his family, have tried thousands of wines over the past eight months, 2200 to be exact, to find the perfect vintages to offer at Mary's Vine.
There will be just over 70 wines by the glass and 350 different bottles, which have not only been Stasinowsky approved, but also come recommended by people across the world who drink wine, not manufacture it. Jordan is currently working with eight suppliers to allow Pittsburghers a passport free trip to vineyards around the world.
"He is going to do flights. You can try a Merlot from California. You can try a Merlot from France, and you can try a Merlot from Chile, so you can try the same wine variety from different countries and see what the difference is," says Cheryl.
But the Mary's Vine experience will also include the use of a customized app, developed by Jordan and his brother-in-law Daniel, that will allow even the most sheltered wine drinker the chance to try something new, based on their answers to a couple of questions. The app will guide the user to chose a particular vintage and that bottle will be brought to the table, poured in person, and tasted by the consumer before an entire glass is poured. A variety of cocktails and other beverages will also be available for purchase.
Wine by the glass will run from $10 to a higher end $30 to $40. There will also be the option to try a glass of champagne, which is normally not something a wine lounge can offer, but the Rankin venue will utilize state of the art vacuum seal technology that aids in the preservation of wine remaining in an opened bottle.
Once you select your wine, the next step will be choosing what to eat. The Mary's Vine menu has just been perfected thanks to the addition of Executive Chef Alexander Fitz, a Mount Lebanon native, who has a background in rustic Italian cuisine. Fitz most recently worked for Common Plea catering where he did really upscale and large events at the Heinz History Center and Heinz Hall.
"I've always been about good food and the fact that it can be pretty simplistic and still very elegant and taste very good," explains Fitz, who understands his food will work to complement the wine Jordan has selected and help elevate the Mary's Vine experience. The menu will include items like sliders and flatbreads, fondues and charcuterie boards, prepared by a cheese monger, featuring cheeses you can't get in Pittsburgh. But there will also be meal selections that will appease each palette and price point.
Fitz says, "It's neat and challenging for me because of what they want to do with it bringing in these wines from different regions around the world and trying to match cuisines with it. Eventually, they are going to get to a part of the earth I'm not familiar with so I'll have to do some research."
The final inspections have been completed at Mary's Vine - everything from the handicapped ramp to plumbing to food services. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board inspection allowed for the delivery of more than 4,000 bottles of wine in a short span of time. Now the team is putting the rest of the puzzle pieces together that will lead to a soft opening this week, for financers, laborers and local officials - a trial run before the official opening on Friday, August 30.
Social media has played a large role in getting the word out about the Stasinowsky/Smith project. Frequent updates on their Facebook page have illustrated, step by step, how the wine lounge has taken shape. A recent post featured a time lapse video of the flooring being installed. The interest sparked through the unique church transformation leads Cheryl and the Mary's Vine team to believe, with seating available for 97, people will have to be patient.
"There will be a wait probably for the first 6 months. When we post something there are 8,000 people that view it. It's a good problem to have."
There will be live jazz five nights a week featuring local musicians and the first 3 months are already booked. For people who come to check out Mary's Vine, a front covered patio will allow parties to enjoy a glass of wine while they wait to be seated. The valet parking lot is taking shape - where the Mary's Vine experience will begin.
"You'll greet an owner at parking. You'll greet an owner at the hostess. I am working the red wine station. We are all working it," explains Cheryl, who adds that Jordan will float around assisting servers, when needed, and making himself available to share. with others, his knowledge and passion about wine.
And as Chef Fitz will tell you, he's already picked up on the family's determination, even in the short time he has been part of the team. "There is no accepting anything but seeing this work."
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