BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Wine and art lovers, raise a glass to a fun, new hangout spot in Northampton County.
Unwine Vineyards Wine Bar & Art Emporium, a venue offering wine, beer and cocktails along with local artisan goods such as paintings, candles and herbal remedies, will hold a grand opening celebration noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at 309 E. Third St. in Bethlehem.
The new venue, which held a soft opening in mid-October, occupies a roughly 350-square-foot spot on the ground floor of Taylor Flats, a newly constructed, five-story apartment complex at East Third and Taylor streets, near Wondaffle.
Unwine Vineyards
The enterprise is a comeback of sorts as Unwine co-owners Joel Ritter and Mary Reshetar previously operated their business’ original iteration – known as Unwine with Art – from 2019 to 2020 on North Second Street in downtown Easton.
Reshetar, a seasoned artist who enjoys working with paint, resins and other mediums, teamed up with Ritter to create a unique venue offering studio space for art instruction; a retail section for locally made works such as jewelry, pottery and paintings; and a wine bar serving Unwine Vineyards wines – made with grapes from Ritter’s 50-acre vineyard in the Finger Lakes region of central New York.
The pandemic led to the closure of Unwine’s original establishment, but Reshetar and Ritter have regrouped and are preparing to open their new venue soon.
“Just like Easton, Bethlehem is a beautiful and vibrant city that provides a perfect setting to bring our vision to life,” Reshetar told 69 News.
Reshetar, who holds a bachelor’s degree in art education from Mansfield University, has held a variety of creative roles over the years, including working as a production artist for clothier Blue Fish in Frenchtown, N.J., teaching art classes at YMCA of Bucks County’s Quakertown branch and running an art gallery in the Mananyunk section of Philadelphia.
Unwine Vineyards Wine Bar & Art Emporium co-owners Mary Reshetar and Joel Ritter pose inside the newly opened venue at 309 E. Third St. in Bethlehem.
Unwine Vineyards
For the past several years, she’s also worked as a coordinator for Bucks County Community College’s In-School Youth Program, assisting high school students with paid work experiences, college and workforce readiness and the opportunity to earn industry-recognized credentials.
“I absolutely love my job, helping students in Bucks County get jobs and keep jobs,” Reshetar said. “Art is definitely my side passion, though, and I can’t wait to share my artwork with the community and bring people together over food, drinks and music.”
Ritter, who has been making wine for about 20 years, is a retired Bedminster Township Police Department officer who has been teaching law enforcement classes at Upper Bucks County Technical School for the past several years.
When he’s not in the classroom, he enjoys harvesting his vineyard’s grapes and creating a wide array of wines that include Cayuga, Niagara, Catawba, Marquette, Riesling, Frotenac and La Crescent.
He also sources some grape varieties, including Chardonnay, Merlot and Pinot Grigio, from prominent winemaking regions in California and Washington.
His vineyard, outside Marathon and about 30 miles east of Ithaca, has about 8,000 vines.
Unwine Vineyards
Unwine’s south Bethlehem location features 7-9 wines that guests can enjoy on-site or purchase to-go, Ritter said.
Customers can enjoy wine tastings and also order glasses and bottles. Locally brewed beer and cocktails made with locally produced spirits are also available.
“I’m excited to bring the community together again over great wine,” Ritter said. “In Easton, some of our big hits were Cayuga, Catawba and a blush blend.”
Unwine’s new Bethlehem location operates 4-8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, noon to 8 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.
It operates within a few blocks of dozens of restaurants, including Hi Pot, Playa Bowls, Sizzling Bites and The Nest Bar & Grille, and guests are welcome to bring their own food to enjoy with their drinks, Ritter said.
The new tasting room and art emporium features a few tables and counter seating for around 15 guests, and Ritter and Reshetar are also looking to offer some seasonal outdoor barrel tables on the sidewalk.
Guests can shop Reshetar’s paintings, salves, herbal tea, natural soy candles and more.
“We’ll be hosting small paint-and-sip events and other art workshops, and I also study herbalism and would love to host workshops on salves and the health benefits of certain herbs,” Reshetar said.
“We’re hoping to tie in the local community as much as possible,” Ritter added. “There’s a charter arts high school nearby, and we’d love to showcase some of the students’ work in our space.”
Saturday’s grand opening will feature a variety of wine and beer specials.
Unwine Vineyards also will participate in Bethlehem’s Christmas Pub Crawl, beginning at 2 p.m. Dec. 20.
For the latest updates, follow Unwine Vineyards’ Facebook page.