Temperance Wine Bar

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A West Village Bar That Took Wine Without Pretense Seriously

Temperance Wine Bar ran for five years on Carmine Street in the West Village, earning a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2022 along the way. The concept was straightforward and quietly radical: over 100 wines, every single one available by the glass. The dare was built right into the menu — try them all.

The philosophy behind the list was exploration over intimidation. Temperance described its approach as wanting "to explore the world through wine" without pretense, and the selection made good on that promise. Alongside reliable classics — a Pouilly-Fumé from Domaine Masson-Blondelet, a Soave Classico from Le Battistelle, Champagne from Cosny Premier Cru — the list ranged into territory most neighborhood bars would never touch: Furmint Pet-Nat from Hungary, skin-contact Grecanico Dorado from Noto Sicily, a sparkling Mondeuse-Gamay from the French Alps that the staff described as "raspberry croissant at altitude." The staff picks section was written with genuine personality — each selection came with a tasting note that read more like a recommendation from a knowledgeable friend than a sommelier's report.

The Food: Belgian-Leaning Small Plates

The kitchen leaned toward Belgian and French bistro references, executed as shareable plates. Snacks ranged from $2 Old Bay popcorn to Bitterballen (Dutch veal croquettes with whole grain mustard aioli) and cheese croquettes using Jasper Hill Farm cheeses from Vermont. The steak tartare — piccalilli aioli, capers, shallots, toasted sourdough — appeared repeatedly in staff wine pairing notes, suggesting it was a genuine house anchor.

Appetizers included Leeks à la flamande with cured egg yolk and almond, and a classic Moules Marinières. Entrées pushed further: Waterzooi with black bass, Canard à la Kriek with cherry lambic and Brussels sprout, and a Steak au Poivre with pommes pavées. Dessert offered Chocolate Mousse and a Tarte au Sucre with almond and crème fraîche — and, more unusually, Jello Shots from Solid Wiggles.

What Made It Distinct

The wine list's Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator recognized something real: a program that balanced accessibility with genuine curiosity. The bar didn't position itself as a destination for connoisseurs only — it was a neighborhood spot where the Canary Islands Listán Negro sat next to an Austrian Blaufränkisch and a Sardinian Nuragus, all at reasonable by-the-glass prices. That combination of range, approachability, and quality is what set Temperance apart in a city with no shortage of wine bars.

The space on Carmine Street has since closed, but its five-year run left a mark on the West Village's drinking culture — proof that an award-winning wine list and a genuinely warm room are not mutually exclusive.