Christine Zubris, Owner - Versi Vino

A chemistry major with a career in science technology and self-proclaimed “zero” experience in the restaurant industry is an unlikely candidate to launch New Jersey’s most exciting new wine bar, but that’s just what Christine Zubris did in 2020. Versi Vino—the name loosely translated means “you pour wine”—on the Jersey outskirts of Philadelphia is revolutionizing the concept. Its owner has “a wicked palate” and “caught the wine bug” in her 20s, she says. She was pursuing various wine-world credentials as a hobby (she’s currently a WSET [Wine & Spirit Education Trust] diploma student, a certified sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, and a certified specialist of wine with the Society of Wine Educators) when she decided to open the kind of wine bar she’d want to drink at in her own community. Her bar would solve a problem known and lamented by wine fans: Even the best wine bars usually have only a limited selection by the glass and, “it’s never the good stuff.”

Versi Vino uses a technology system common in Europe but nearly unknown here that keeps opened bottles fresh, and thus allows it to sell a hand-picked, always-changing list of around 40 wines both by the glass and—very unusually—by the taste (excluding sparkling). The approach is great for wine lovers who know what they like and want to explore but is perhaps even better for newcomers or those intimidated by wine. Zubris also encourages learning with her selection, pushing the envelope by offering popular grapes from lesser-known regions or better spins on things people know they like. “It’s been really rewarding to see guests experience the wine—because they can try it!” she says.

Versi Vino
461 Route 38W, Maple Shade
versivino.com