Is one of the world’s best wine bars in Johnson County? It just won international award

As Michael Scherzberg put it, Johnson County is better known for its large collection of chain restaurants than its fine dining.

But in September, his downtown Overland Park wine bar won a much-coveted award from the industry publication, The World of Fine Wine .

Not expecting to win, Scherzberg and his team almost didn’t travel to the award ceremony in London. In retrospect, he’s glad they were in attendance.

“We were like, ‘OK, even if we don’t win we need to go and represent Overland Park and let people know there is something in the middle of the country,” Scherzberg said. “It’s not just San Francisco and New York and D.C. and Chicago.”

His trophy is now on display at Vintage ‘78 Wine Bar . The engraving reads: “Best-By-the-Glass Wine Selection (without Coravin) in the World 2024.”

Award winners in other categories included Michelin-starred restaurants from around the world: SingleThread Farm in Healdsburg, California, and Gordon Ramsay’s Petrus in London, for example.

Since the award was announced, Scherzberg said he’s seen an uptick in business at his 7251 W. 80th St. bar. (Though part of that may have to do with the time of year, he added. Fall is usually busier.)

Most of his customers are regulars, but the bar has seen its fair share of tourists, too.

“It’s kind of fun to see people come in from out of town, having this no real expectation of what to expect of a wine bar in Overland Park — not even downtown KC, but a suburb,” Scherzberg said. “And they come in, and they can’t believe what we’re offering and how we’re doing it.”

He’s proud of what his wine bar — named after the year he was born — has accomplished in the short time it’s been open. Vintage ‘78 began filling glasses in May 2023, next to Parisi Coffee.

He wanted to mimic Parisi’s timeless, chic style, so he adorned the space with marble countertops, blue velvet chairs and French molding.

“It feels like these two spaces have always been here and they built an apartment complex right over us,” he said.

Downtown Overland Park is home to a Lulu’s Thai Noodle Shop, Flying Cow Gelato, Homer’s Coffee, Buffalo State Pizza and other small businesses. Most are casual eateries, not fancy cocktail bars.

Scherzberg — who was the wine director of the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay, worked at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York and helped open Gram & Dun on the Country Club Plaza — worked hard to curate his by-the-glass list, offering dozens of specialty wines from around the world.

His most expensive wine by the glass is a 40-year-old Taylor Fladgate Tawny Port from Douro Valley, Portugal. It’s $39 for a 2.5-ounce glass, but many of his selections cost much less than that.

He offers wine flights, cocktails and whiskeys, too.

It was tricky to convince local distributors to sell him some of the lesser-known, hard-to-come-by wines he now carries on his list, Scherzberg said, especially when Johnson County has long been a spot for mass-produced wine. But clearly, his efforts have paid off.

Vintage ‘78’s food menu includes caviar, an 8-ounce hanger steak ($46), pesto chicken ($15), and a selection of charcuterie and cheese boards. Executive chef Kyle Ketchum previously worked at Bostonia Public House in Boston.

Farther north, another Kansas suburb is making a name for itself in the culinary world.

Downtown Shawnee is home to James Beard Award-finalist cocktail bar Drastic Measures . Owner Jay Sanders opened another acclaimed bar nearby called Wild Child, specializing in non-alcoholic drinks .

Vintage ‘78 is open from 4:30 to 10 p.m. Thursdays, 1:30 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 1:30 to 9 p.m. Sundays, and 4:30 to 10 p.m. Mondays. It is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.