Wine shop’s closure left gap in Kansas City suburb. Here’s what’s looking to fill it

For about 20 years, the heart of Parkville’s wine scene was Wines by Jennifer, a wine shop serving flights and charcuterie in a historic house on Main Street. It closed earlier this year when its owners moved.

But as of last month, a new wine hub has materialized: Parkville Wine House , located in a 120-year-old house just a few doors down, at 305 Main St.

Owner Steve Hultgren is in the insurance business and also spent about eight years working at Wines by Jennifer.

“We knew there was a demand for a wine bar in Parkville — for both residents and for people in other parts of Kansas City and the larger region who see Parkville as a destination,” Hultgren said. “So we decided we’d go ahead and try to fill that demand.”

The house, which was previously divided up into apartments, has been remodeled into an open-space wine bar, with multiple rooms and seating areas.

Parkville Wine House serves wines by the glass and the bottle, as well as wine flights and cocktails.

“There’s a big taste for domestic wine in Parkville, so about 60% of our inventory is from California, Oregon and Washington,” Hultgren said. “The rest is international — Italy, France, some Spanish, some South American, some Australian and New Zealand.”

A small kitchen serves up charcuterie boards, flatbreads (chicken pesto, a “Midwest Cuban” made with chicken instead of pork), and small, snackable plates like edamame, mixed nuts and a goat cheese spread.

“We’re not a dinner destination — more like the first stop on the way out to dinner,” Hultgren said.

Hours for now are 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday (when certain bottles are on special for $20); noon to 9 p.m. Thursday to Saturday; and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

“Parkville tends to kind of shut down on Sundays, so we’re trying to give people a place to go,” Hultgren said.