For the Record

A trio of music lovers launch a wine bar on Forest Hill Avenue | Photos by Eileen Mellon

by Eileen Mellon

August 24, 2023

1:46 PM

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Gramophone winery is now open at 4827 Forest Hill Ave.

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A lounge area inside Gramophone. The owners plans to host live music in the space.

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Gramophone offers a small selection of wines by the glass and bottle.

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Wine cocktails and frozen drinks are also available at Gramophone.

A new music-themed wine bar is pouring glasses in Westover Hills. Gramophone made its debut earlier this month at 4827 Forest Hill Ave.

The longtime dry-cleaning business that once occupied the storefront was originally set to be replaced by a rage room, but after those plans fell through and the space that shares a strip with Outpost Richmond and Maldini’s restaurant became available, Arthur Grant, who was managing the building, says he saw an opportunity.

“I was like, ‘What do I do with the space, what if it was us? What if we do something here, what does it look like?’” he says.

After pondering with friends, Grant, whose resume includes stints behind the bar at the original Acacia — where he recalls learning “everything good” he knows about bartending — along with the now shuttered Jackson Ward restaurant Lucy’s and the white table-clothed Lemaire, says he kept coming back to his boozy beginnings.

“Looking at beverages, I seem to keep gravitating towards it. With bartending and with my certifications, I was like, ‘What about wine?’” he says, noting it feels like a natural step. “I love the camaraderie of wine.”

Grant is joined by partners Justin Laughter, a local attorney, and Christopher Mayo, who is based in Northern Virginia.

The trio of friends connected over music decades ago. Grant, an alto saxophone player, first met Laughter in middle school during all-county band, and Mayo in high school through jazz band.

“We knew we wanted to do something around music, so Gramophone checked all the boxes,” Grant says of the name, noting that he has previously attended the Grammy Awards with Laughter.

Gramophone purchases varietals in bulk, sourcing wine from vineyards before blending, bottling and branding it on-site. Grant says it allows them to have consistency, and that curating a tight wine list that feels approachable was a thoughtful process.

“I don’t want to just have any old thing to put in front of guests, I want it to complement the space right now, I want varietals people recognize and enjoy and is good value,” Grant says, adding that all glasses ring in $9 and under.

“When you think of a winery, most people think of a vineyard,” he says. “My passion with wine never grew to the point where I thought I want to be a farmer. We are a winery in that we source our wine, we can blend and age, and we will do some aging on-site. I like customer-facing more than I like the science.”

Currently the menu lists a rosé blend of grenache, syrah and cinsault from France; a stainless-steel-fermented California chardonnay; a cabernet sauvignon from California; an Argentinian malbec; a prosecco and a radio, all available by the glass or bottle. Other options include a malbec-based red-wine sangria, Tinto de Verano — a popular drink with origins in Spain that translates to “summer red wine” that is equal parts wine and soda — and a spritzer. A slushy machine swirls frosé and Calimocho, a Spanish cocktail that is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, Coca-Cola and lime.

As for fluidity with the selections, Grant says, “Mostly I see us growing our list and then changing what we feature at the bar.”

To eat, Gramophone offers traditional tasting room fare — olives, rotating charcuterie, cold-cut sandwiches and snacky bites, in addition to hosting food trucks. Patrons are also encouraged to bring their own bites from neighboring establishments such as Maldini’s and Outpost or nearby Little Nickel.

Inside, the casual space is dotted with tables and couches, and Grant says there are plans to add a small stage and host live music from singer-songwriters to DJs. He says that they hope to hire a full-time winemaker next year.

“With wine, it’s education forever. If you think you know it, a new vintage comes out or something changes,” he says. “For a nerd like myself, it’s something you can continue to invest your time in and is interesting. For the tasting aspects of it, the ritual and how it goes along with food and friendship, meeting with people and sharing a bottle of wine, it’s a wonderful thing.”

Gramophone is open Wednesday through Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.

by Eileen Mellon

August 24, 2023

1:46 PM