New Goodyear wine bar brings world’s vineyards to the West Valley
Not to mention can’t-miss collectibles inside
(Sun Life Magazine/Steve Stockmar)
Goodyear residents Jack Vozar and his wife Kat opened Bacchus Wine & Debauchery this past December in GSQ, Goodyear’s upscale mixed-use development downtown.
(Sun Life Magazine/Steve Stockmar)
Bacchus features eight self-serve, chilled coolers each filled with bottle selections. Enthusiasts can scan a card for a one- , three- , or five-ounce pour.
(Sun Life Magazine/Steve Stockmar)
The 100-plus-year-old stained glass sign inside formerly hung in a bar by the same name back in early 20th century Galveston, Texas.
Editor's note: This article first appeared in Sun Life Magazine, a Daily Independent publication.
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There is no shortage of interesting stories behind each bottle at Goodyear’s newest wine bar.
While flavors arrive by the pour, the place is also loaded with fascinating collectibles and antiques, procured over a lifetime by Jack Vozar. He and his wife, Kat, opened Bacchus Wine & Debauchery this past December.
“We’re not a pretentious wine bar, we’re not wine snobs. We’re cork dorks,” Jack said on a recent afternoon inside the new space at 1971 N. Globe Drive, in the heart of GSQ, Goodyear’s upscale mixed-use development downtown. “I want to open people up to trying all different sorts of wine.”
Connoisseurs will find staples like bold Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wines, but don’t stop there. Try Veramonte, the 100% organic, very light, very fruity Carménère made from Chile's signature red wine grape, grown at 3,600 feet. Or the smooth chianti When We Dance, named after the Sting song, which makes sense since the bottle comes from Il Palagio, the winery Sting owns in the Tuscan countryside south of Florence, Italy. Definitely don’t pass up Bottlerocket Spritz, from French winemaker Charles Bieler, or the story behind it from Jack who you’ll find behind the bar.
“It just shows you that there are people out there that have been making wine for a long time that are still trying new stuff,” Jack says. “There’s always going to be something new coming along.”
Sampling is deliciously easy.
Bacchus (pronounced bok-kus and named after the Roman god of wine and revelry aka debauchery) features eight self-serve, chilled coolers each filled with bottle selections. Enthusiasts can scan a card for a one- , three- , or five-ounce pour from price points of around $2.50, $3, or $3.50.
“Drink what you like but try everything,” Jack suggests.
Stroll around while sipping or you’ll miss some real antique and collectible gems on display.
Hanging on one wall is an authentic prescription for alcohol during Prohibition days. There’s a 115-year-old Italian decanter not far from a picture that not only belonged to Marilyn Monroe but hung in her home.
Maybe the highlight is an RCA Victor radio dating back to 1929 that belonged to Jack’s grandmother who brought it to America when she emigrated from Poland. Still with its original speaker, Jack had the tiger oak cabinet completely restored and it still works. Turn it on today and its antenna will still pick up radio from the likes of Guatemala, Vatican City, London, Berlin, Moscow, and way more. (Jack even added one feature that allows him to play music from a modern device through the old radio.)
As for the name of the place, yep, that’s got a story, too.
Bacchus features eight self-serve, chilled coolers each filled with bottle selections. Enthusiasts can scan a card for a one- , three- , or five-ounce pour.
(Sun Life Magazine/Steve Stockmar)
The 100-plus-year-old stained glass sign inside formerly hung in a bar by the same name back in early 20th century Galveston, Texas.
(Sun Life Magazine/Steve Stockmar)
An original “Bacchus Wine & Debauchery” operated in early 20th century Galveston, Texas, and later morphed into Bacchus Wine Bar, which kept the original stained glass sign with its former full name. While living in Texas nearby, Jack and Kat frequented Bacchus and became friends with the owner who eventually sold the place, which later became a sports bar. The pal gave Jack the stained glass sign as a gift, and Jack kept it in his home for years.
When they needed a name for their new wine bar in Goodyear, that was easy. And they already had a 100-plus-year-old sign to hang inside.
Jack and Kat moved to Goodyear in 2020 and spent three years finding the right location for their dream of opening a wine bar.
He has only one ask of his suppliers who offer wine labels from around the world.
“Don’t bring me a wine that doesn’t have a story,” he said. “Most of these wines are not your 5, 6, 7-hundred thousand-cases-a-year producers. I really want people to try smaller producers, different vintages. It’s fun.”
Bacchus also features some craft beer in cans, n/a beer, soft drinks, and wine-based cocktails.
Steve Stockmar News Editor | Sun Life Magazine & Arts & Entertainment
YourValley.net
Meet Steve Steve Stockmar joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2017, and has been an Arizona journalist for almost 30 years. He serves as editor of Sun Life Magazine and contributes to West Valley communities where he focuses mostly on arts & culture, education, and profiles of neighbors making a difference.
Community: Every season Steve serves as a “buddy” with the Miracle League of Arizona in Scottsdale, has volunteered his time with Family Promise in Glendale, and previously served on the Ghostlight Theatre board in Sun City West.
Education: Graduated from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff with a Journalism major and English minor.
Random Fact: Steve once won a 50-player live Texas Hold ’Em poker tournament.
Hobbies: Anguishing over his beloved Chicago Cubs and Bears; listening to Beatles and Grateful Dead music.
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