New Killington wine bar to open soon

By Adam Davis

The Killington Cafe and Wine Bar will open in mid-November at The Woods Resort & Spa off the lower portion of Killington Road. The new Cafe and Wine Bar will aim to fill a niche for the town as the only bar to focus on offering a large, curated selection of imported and domestic wines at a full range of price points. It will also offer a limited selection of beer and liquor, as well as charcuterie, cheese, seafood, and vegan plates to accompany the libations.

The owners of the Killington Cafe and Wine Bar are Woods Resort resident Howard Levine, who is making his first foray into the service industry, and Killington resident James Sherman, who has worked in the food and beverage industry in Boston and New York City.

“As a member of the board of directors [at The Woods], we were very active trying to recruit somebody to come in and fill the space, as it had been empty for quite some time,” Levine said. “A lot of restaurants shied away because the kitchen needed to be entirely rebuilt. So, I mentioned to James that I thought a wine bar would be a great use of the space. We realized that we both have a passion for wine, and James has experience managing and operating bars and restaurants. So, we put a business plan together, and here we are.”

The spacious location that the Killington Cafe and Wine Bar will be occupying is directly above The Spa at the Woods, which has had many previous tenants over the years, most recently the Killington Beer Company. KBC left the location when Covid hit in March 2020, and the space has remained vacant ever since. Renovations began over the summer to give the wine bar an updated, fresh look.

The Cafe and Wine Bar will feature specially selected wines from various regions worldwide, including France, Italy, Spain, Germany, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. They will offer a variety of styles, including red, white, rose, sparkling, dessert, fortified, and organic wines.

“We want to cater to wine novices and aficionados and hopefully turn those novices into aficionados,” said Levine.

Perry Beede, the longtime general manager at The Woods Resort and Spa, said he’s delighted to see the once-languishing location alive and thriving with a new occupant.

“I’m excited that we can put some life back into it. I’m excited for Howard, James, and their team’s vision for the use of this space,” said Beede.

For more info, visit killingtonwinebar.com.