The Wine Experience is the secret escape at Jordan Creek

The Wine Experience serves up wine and solitude away from the mall madness.

Jordan Creek Town Center isn’t just a place that people visit once or twice. People flock to the area for work, for restaurants and good food, and in most cases, shopping — and lots of it. But after a while, it’s nice to partake in something other than Panera Bread, Taco John’s, Mahalo’s Donuts and even The Cheesecake Factory. Sometimes all one needs is a quiet place to eat, a glass of wine to sip on and solitude from the bustling shoppers. It may come as a surprise to most people, but Jordan Creek actually does have a little place that fills all these requirements.

The Wine Experience — located in the lower-level of the Younkers department store — is a quiet, relaxing, yet classy space hidden behind the racks of clothes and busy shoppers. The winding bar is beautiful and backed by shelves upon shelves of wine bottles stocked to the brim. About a dozen metal tables and chairs fill the area.

A few televisions are displayed around the restaurant in case shoppers — or their husbands — are looking to catch a few minutes of that playoff game they’re missing. The dim lighting is perfect for a break during the mall madness.

The menu has a good offering for the restaurant’s condensed size, featuring everything from salads to pizzas. The cooks don’t skimp on ingredients, and small plates and pastas are served after 5 p.m. But here’s the best part: The Wine Experience has selection of 400 bottles guests can purchase to drink in the restaurant or to take home.

The wine list changes seasonally, featuring white peach and pear flavors throughout summer and dark reds in the winter. There is no corking fee, and wine is offered by the glass, bottle or “splash” (2.5 ounces). The servers are friendly, and the bartenders don’t hesitate to sit and chat with customers.

The Wine Experience also hosts dinners and wine-tasting events. The staff sometimes will walk around the store to pour testers for shoppers — a welcome relief if you’ve been on your feet all day. The Wine Experience will be hosting more dinners that include wine and the chef’s cuisine.

It’s a small place that may be hard to find on the first visit, but it’s proven to be worth the stop. After trying the entrees and delicious dinner wines, don’t hesitate to end the meal with a sparkling or dessert wine. There’s more than enough to choose from each season, and the server is always happy to suggest the more popular wine or one that might suit individual tastes the best.

For those not quite ready to make a commitment, ordering a splash to sample a few different wines is the perfect option. That way, everyone can be sure to find one to take home. CV

The Wine Experience
Jordan Creek Mall
Younkers department store, lower level
Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Kitchen closes at 8 p.m., appetizers and wine served all day

Sunday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Kitchen closes at 4 p.m.

www.wineexperiencejc.com
515-457-8577