Wine bar, shop plans Lexington location at site where beer garden project was disputed

A Midlands wine bar and shop has set its sights on a new location in downtown Lexington at a property that was previously the subject of a dispute between a nearby church and a now-canceled beer garden project.

Molto Vino, a popular wine bar that currently has two other shops in the Columbia area, teased this week on its social media channels that a new location would be coming to 102 W. Main St. in downtown Lexington. That location is directly across from Alodia’s restaurant and the town’s Icehouse Amphitheater.

Molto Vino chief development officer Tony Carbone confirmed in an email to The State that the wine bar and shop is coming to the Main Street Lexington site. He said the response from local residents to the news on social media has been positive.

“When we posted that teaser on (Instagram) this week, we were overwhelmed with the positive responses from the Lexington community,” Carbone said in the email. “My family and I live in Forest Acres, but some of our best friends live in Lexington, so we are there often. Two of my favorite places to eat are Nicky’s Pizza and Alodia’s.”

An opening date for the Molto Vino in Lexington has not been set, Carbone said. Molto Vino has a membership club for wine enthusiasts, and Carbone said whenever the Lexington shop eventually opens, the first month will likely be only for members and members’ guests. Molto Vino also offers wine classes and special events.

“The name Molto Vino pays homage to my family’s Italian and Spanish heritage,” Carbone said. The business has a proprietary app that allows customers to access machines that dispense the wines at its locations.

Currently there is a Molto Vino in Forest Acres and a pop-up version of the shop on Devine Street. Carbone indicated the Devine Street shop would move to Lexington.

“Forest Acres is our flagship location and we intend to move our Devine Street pop-up location to Lexington now that we have signed a long term lease in Lexington,” Carbone wrote in an email.

The site at 102 W. Main St. in Lexington was, in 2021, part of a contentious debate between the then-planned Navy Yard Biergarten and neighboring St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church. The beer garden would have been a multi-faceted facility that would have occupied 11,000 square feet of outdoor dining and 8,000 square feet for indoor dining, with weekend brunches and an outdoor stage.

St. Stephen’s formally protested the alcohol licenses for the beer garden, and the issue was heard in administrative law court. Judge Shirley Robinson eventually ruled in December 2021 that the beer garden could get its alcohol licenses. However, in April 2022, officials with the Navy Yard called off the project at the Main Street location, citing inflation, rising costs and supply chain issues.

Carbone said in the email to The State that Molto Vino would occupy one of the three buildings on the property that are for lease. If looking at the property from Main, it is the middle building, attached to the larger building on the corner.

There is a sign on the window at 102 Main indicating the wine shop has applied for a wine and beer license, with any protests due to the state Department of Revenue by Dec. 23. Carbone said his communications with the church have been good.

“I have a very good relationship with the leaders of the church,” Carbone wrote. “They seem to appreciate our communication and don’t seem to have any major issues with our business plan.”

The State left a message on Friday morning for St. Stephen’s senior pastor Jason Antley.