Geared for Growth: Unwine’d Pours 40+ Wines in Interactive Experience in Downtown Rochester
Unwine’d is Rochester’s first interactive wine bar, making wine tasting and exploration accessible to all. Owner Jim Muir was featured on Geared for Growth on Wednesday, June 26th as part of Greater Rochester Chamber’s ongoing partnership with 13WHAM/FOX Rochester. Muir shared more about the new bar’s background, what makes it a great spot downtown, and what his vision is for the future of Unwine’d.
Open since September 2023, Unwine’d has over 40 wines on tap from around the world, allowing visitors to experience a diverse assortment of varietals in addition to small plates of food in partnership with other local restaurants and kitchens. Muir shared that he was inspired to start this business here after visiting a bar
with a similar concept on vacation and wanted to bring the idea to Rochester. “I fell absolutely in love with [the concept],” Jim explained, “Since it was during COVID, I got to spend some time benchmarking and talking to people in the industry and meeting people.” Utilizing his knowledge from his previous corporate career, Muir spent several years developing a business plan before picking a location in downtown Rochester to invest in and opening last fall.
Unwine’d strives to provide a great experience for all. “Seeing the smiles on [customers’] faces whether it’s a date night, a holiday, or just another day – knowing that we’re doing the right thing and we can play a part in creating a fun environment for those in our community is awesome,” Jim said. They have received positive feedback from customers on the ways they make wine tasting approachable through their unique setup and environment. “That was one of the main attractions of me of this concept, you’re creating your own journey,” Muir explained, “I was always worried about butchering the name of the varietal or pairing the wine with the wrong food, but this allows you to do that in a very low-stress environment.” Unwine’d offers 2oz, 4oz, and 6oz pours to allow visitors to make their own flights and try a lot of their selections based on their unique interests and taste preferences.
Moving forward, as their approach their one year anniversary in business, Jim shared that they are looking to deepen their presence in the community through additional experiences and community engagements. He shared that they just started offering happy hours for the first time, and are looking to bring additional events to their location downtown. “We’re going to perfect wine pairing dinners and do more of those, wine education dinners, and private events,” Jim shared, “I think that will set our business up for success.”
You can visit Unwine’d at 260 East Broad Street, right next to Parcel 5 or learn more online at UnwinedROC.com. Greater Rochester Chamber members are also invited to join us for a Business Made Social at Unwine’d on July 18. Learn more and register here.
Be sure to tune into Geared for Growth each week at 8:45 AM on Wednesdays on FOX Rochester to learn about exciting business success stories throughout Greater Rochester.