Proximity Wine Bar, a modern enoteca, is set to bring a refined wine experience to Philadelphia’s suburbs in Chester County.
An enoteca is an Italian wine-focused establishment serving as a wine bar, retail shop or both. It offers wine tastings and sales, often paired with simple foods like cheese and cured meats.
The new spot is planned for the former Catherine’s restaurant space in Unionville at 1701 W. Doe Run Rd., with Corey Krejcik leading the project.
“I’ve been in the wine and hospitality industry for about 20 years. My most recent position was the vice president and GM of Chaddsford Winery, which is the largest winery in Southeastern Pennsylvania,” Krejcik told What Now Philadelphia. “Proximity Wine Bar had always been this concept that I had considered even as the GM.”
Krejcik assisted with the sale and transition of ownership of Chaddsford Winery in fall 2024 and remained with the team until mid-2025. He then launched Thirsty Bandit, a consulting company focused on wine and hospitality.
He and his team recognized a stigma attached to wines not produced in major regions such as California, Washington and Oregon and aimed to bridge that gap.
“We have a lot of emerging wine regions all throughout the country–Pennsylvania, Michigan, Texas, New York and Virginia. We all sort of have this collective chip on our shoulders because we feel that there’s a lot of great things being produced, but there’s not a great outlet to present them outside of relying on individual wineries themselves,” he said.
That’s where Proximity Wine Bar steps in.
“I felt like there was real value in trying to come up with a strategy and concept where we could pull the best wine from a particular region and present it in a wine bar format,” Krejcik said.
Every wine at the wine bar will be thoughtfully curated to showcase the best selections within a 100-mile radius. The program will be led by Penns Woods Winery.
“We will work with Penns Wood not only on offerings that are currently being sold there, but we’ll also work with them on special blends and private label products that will have Proximity Wine Bar logos on them, both on the shelf and in the tasting room,” he said.
They also plan to team up with Casa Carmen Farm, which produces what they call “the best” vermouth in the region, Stony Run Winery, known for its “fabulous” Sauvignon Blanc and Albariño, and Waltz Vineyard, a state award winner for its Bordeaux-style blends.
“The list that we’ll curate will be rotating constantly,” he said. “We’ll also have an open-door policy. Any producers that are growing their own fruit, making their own wine, and are within a 100-mile radius of the wine bar will have the opportunity to meet us.”
Upon entering Proximity Wine Bar, guests will find a traditional bottle shop where they can learn about the wines, followed by a room in the back offering tastings, flights, wines by the glass and food.
The culinary program will be led by chef Steve Forte, former executive chef of Royal Boucherie, and will feature small plates, shareables, charcuterie and sandwiches.
“He has done a lot of work in the charcuterie, curated meats space. We’re going to lean on him with his expertise and look to source local meats and cheeses. We’re also considering a high-end sandwich program with great bread and in-house curated meats,” Krejcik said.
Krejcik looks forward to showcasing the region’s finest wines to the community.
“It’s not a new concept, but it’s definitely a different way to repackage and rethink about how we are supporting people in growing regions. That makes me excited that we’re able to partner and arm those vignerons,” he said.
The team is primarily focused on the opening of the upcoming location but sees potential for future growth.
“We’d love to use this first location for proof of concept and then look at not only additional locations within the greater Philadelphia area, but scale and replicate to other emerging wine regions,” he said.
An official opening timeline has not yet been determined as the team is still securing funding, however, Krejcik said, “we’re really close to rounding out seed funding.” Once the team secures the necessary capital, the shop may launch online and as a pop-up first before debuting the brick-and-mortar location.
Visit the Proximity Wine Bar website for the latest updates.
