Parisian Wine Bar Headed to Spring Street This Summer

Forthcoming Parisian-inspired Joséphine Wine Bar will throw open the doors to 64 Spring St. this summer. According to the press release, Chicago native Jill Cohen recently moved to the Lowcountry and wants to bring the charm of “contemporary wine bars and cafes in Paris” to the peninsula.

The bar will offer a “wine-friendly” menu from chef Shaun Connolly (formerly of Chicago restaurants Nightwood, Moto, and Takashi). Examples provided in the press release include: “Black Pepper Whipped Fromage de Vache with melon, cucumber, tomatoes, and sweet corn; Pappardelle with duck carnitas, serrano, kale and spicy duck jus; and Chicken a la Plancha with leeks, capers, olives, grapes and sherry jus.”

Advanced sommelier Ashley Broshious will join the group, along with bar manager Melissa Yard (formerly of 5Church).

The name of the bar has a lot of history.

The name “Joséphine” is inspired by Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais, the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, who is said to have possessed the best wines of her time. An avid collector, the Empress entertained often with a vast cellar of Grand Crus and wines from around the globe. An inventory taken after her death in 1814 found a predominance of bordeaux in the13,286-bottle list, surprising as it was thought to be a lesser wine to burgundy at the time.

Once open, look for Joséphine to unlock from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Wednesday, and 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., Thursday through Saturday.