Glass, Bottle, Barrel

Opening a wine store was only a dream for Lucas Barry. He was invited to join a private wine club at age 21 (the next youngest member was ~50) by sommelier Kirk Gibson and was “immediately attracted to the infinite knowledge of the wine industry.” Fifteen years later, he was looking for a change. Space came available in Serenbe and Lucas went for it.

While designing the store’s interior, Lucas knew he wanted a unique feature wall. He came across a European wine store that used plywood to make round shelves for merchandising wine, which gave him the idea to source barrels from Napa Valley, cut them in half and stack them to create the wall. The metal shelves inside the barrels were a collaborative effort with another Serenbe business, Gault Designs, so bottles could be securely stored and displayed.

Fine wood working is another hobby of Lucas’s, so he used the shop as an opportunity to showcase that talent as well. Lucas designed and made all the wine racking in the store from scratch and built the custom farm table used for private tastings as well as the register checkout. He also used an old Delta flight attendant cart - traded to him by a Serenbe neighbor for a bottle of wine - and a U-chill from Danny Seo to create a one-of-a-kind wine chiller.

The Wine Shop’s selection is from producers around the world that Lucas has loved and enjoyed for years, as well as those suggested through establishing distributor relationships and regular tastings. He works with The Inn at Serenbe’s conference team to host corporate tastings and private events, but is also open to anyone who wants to stop in for a glass - or bottle - of wine. Lucas also started a Wine Club of his own, which he hopes enthusiasts will enjoy and those new to wine will find the passion for it that he felt in his first club.

The biggest perk of the job? Lucas has tasted over 1,200 wines in 2019 to be able to offer the 140 curated labels in the store. Not bad for a day’s wor

The Wine Shop at Serenbe is in the Selborne neighborhood, formerly the Spa at Serenbe space. Stop by for a glass at Lucas’s custom table or in the outdoor courtyard, or visit the website for more information on the Wine Club.