French vacation inspires new concept at Q’s Wine Bar in Carmel

Inspired by a vacation to France, Quynh Nguyen has introduced a new way for Carmel residents to explore wine.

Nguyen opened Q’s Wine Bar last fall at 12813 W. Main St., Suite 120, in the Village of WestClay. The intimate space seats approximately 45 guests and features a self-serve wine wall designed to make the drink more approachable.

Nguyen

“We stopped by a lot of different wine bars (in France), and so many had this wine dispenser technology where you can try 2-, 4- or 6-ounce pours,” Nguyen said.

The dispensers preserve opened bottles using food-grade nitrogen gas. The system allows customers to sample wines without committing to a full glass.

“That’s the goal, just being able to try so many different wines and figure out something new or different,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen curates wines from around the world, working with distributors while selecting bottles that are less common in other local restaurants or retailers.

“I try to pick wines that don’t have a ton of overlap with other restaurants and retail businesses,” she said. “I want people to be able to come in and try really different, unique wines.”

Guests can explore the wine wall through a tab system connected to the dispensers, selecting different pour sizes and sampling multiple wines.

“A lot of people think wine is intimidating — the labels, where it’s from, how to pronounce things,” Nguyen said. “I just want to make wine more fun and approachable.”

The wine bar also offers small plates designed for sharing, including charcuterie boards featuring Smoking Goose meats, flatbreads and desserts.

“A lot of people just want to come in, grab a glass of wine and snack on some things,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen, an engineering project manager for Boston Scientific and a Purdue graduate with an MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, operates the business while maintaining her full-time career.

Nguyen plans to expand the educational side of the experience with wine tastings and events featuring distributors and visiting winemakers. The tastings will give guests the opportunity to sample wines while learning more about the regions and producers behind them.

Nguyen plans to launch a monthly newsletter highlighting upcoming events, menu updates and featured wines. The wine bar is available for private and semi-private events.

Learn more at qswinebar.com.