Graft: Food.Wine.Community
When I heard from Leslie Maske, shopkeeper at the former Niko’s Wine Corner in Historic Lawrenceville, that a new wine bar would be coming soon to Grayson, I felt immediate skepticism, but at the same time was intrigued. I thought, “hmmmm…wine bar in Gwinnett County, GA? A community where it wasn’t until recently that wine shops could even exist? Now that should be interesting!” Leslie did not reveal too much except that the name of the place is Graft and that Ashley Clemence (owner) would be bringing in some “good stuff”. Having confidence in pretty much anything Leslie says when it comes to wine, I knew I at least had to go by there and check out the wine menu. I did the usual and “friended” Graft on Facebook just to keep up with their status updates such as opening day, comments from other Facebook users, photos, etc.
Graft has now been open for about four months or so. One thing about this establishment that right off the bat I find inviting is that it is located in what used to be a residential home. In fact, the house which was originally built in 1910 was one of the first houses ever built in the town of Grayson. Fast-forward 100+ years later, Ashley and her husband Seth discovered that this would make an ideal location for their new restaurant business and together with a team of family and friends decided to restore the historic property, transforming it to a cozy and attractive restaurant & wine bar.
The interior is decorated in rich dark colors and has a fantastic ambiance. As the restoration team was able to preserve the old pine wood from the former walls of the house, they used this wood to build the bar, dining tables, and banquet seating. What adds to the charm is the group of people working at Graft.
Jeff, the bar tender on staff for example is great! With a friendly and welcoming personality, he does a nice job in helping guests pick out some really good wines while making everyone feel at home.
Owners Ashley and Seth Clemence
Ashley is outgoing and she and I have in common a love for travel. In choosing her wine selection, she has taken the time to personally meet with several winemakers (domestic and abroad) before bringing the wines to her customers at Graft. She remarked that she enjoys introducing people to something different from what they already know- to expand the palates a little. The list she has put together is fantastic as she has a great selection of old world wines (Spain, Italy, France, Portugal)…my kind of girl! New world wines are well-represented as well and include the U.S., Argentina, and Chile. I even saw on the menu Spritz, a cocktail made with Prosecco and Aperol, which is typical in northern Italy, but is not very common in other places.
Another thing that makes Graft unique is its farm-to-table philosophy. Much of the food paired with wines come from local family-run businesses that share the same “eco-friendly” approach with regard to organic and biodegradable products. Importance is given to fresh, simple and seasonal foods with both food and wine menus being refreshed regularly.
Oh yeah…forgot to mention. Prices here for wines by the glass (and there are a good many selections available by the glass) are very reasonable. You can also get a flight, which is a small collection of wine samples should you want to do your own tasting.
Graft is located at 516 Grayson Parkway, Grayson, GA 30017.
