On Saturday, November 11, Vintner’s Hill hosted a seasonal “Sip & Shop” event where customers could enjoy Vintner’s wine while browsing local vendors.
“It’s the first one under new ownership,” said new owner Chris Coy. “It’s just so great to see the local community come out and support local businesses.”
Coy himself had Wildtree products on display near the wine bar’s entrance. “Wildtree is an all-natural organic company that was founded on the premise that all-natural, non-processed food should not be expensive for working families,” says Coy, adding that their meal prep kits and freezer meals are less than $4.00 per serving. Shoppers were treated to samples of Wildtree’s holiday breads, jams and oils as well as their strogonov mix.
Vintner’s hosted many other direct sales representatives. Scentsy representative Devin Ward displayed a variety of Scentsy’s porcelain and hand-blown warmers, scented wax bars, diffusers and essential oils. “That’s pretty much what Scentsy is,” says Ward. “It’s something to enhance your daily life through fragrance.” Stella & Dot representative Elizabeth Martin showed off the accessory company’s many jewelry options from bigger statement pieces to simple engravables. Mary Kay representative Aimee-Anne Benson together with Mom Sandy introduced customers to Mary Kay’s skin care solutions and makeup, which make great holiday gifts. CC Childers sold Rodan & Fields, a skin care line produced by the same dermatologists who created Proactive, that addresses common skin concerns like fine lines and wrinkles, sun damage and acne.
Other vendors in attendance were local artisans like Lori Schilkowski of Newell Studios. Schilkowski does acrylic pour painting, a unique method in which she creates art by pouring individual colors into one cup with other additives and then flipping it out. Schilkowski admits there’s very little control in the method, but that’s part of the fun. “You kind of pick the colors and hope for the best,” she says. Schilkowski brought some smaller crafts like jewelry, coasters and small canvas pieces to Vintner’s, but her work paintings can be as large as 30×40 in size.
Josh Steinke from BarzWorks Handmade displayed a collection of unique bottle stoppers, traditional shaving gear, pens and seam rippers. “Everything on the table is handmade by me,” says Steinke. “I use sustainable wood from various vendors. I also do acrylics, which I hand pour and dye myself.” Steinke hand crafts each item individually in his home-based workshop not far from Vintner’s Hill.
Set up near the patio area was Independence High School student Grace McKinney, founder of Sew Spunky Co. McKinney sells homemade headbands in fun and funky prints. “I was buying headbands like every weekend for $15.00,” says McKinney. “My mom’s like, ‘We have a sewing machine. We can make these!’” McKinney decided to give it a try, and every friend she gave one to said, “You can sell these!” McKinney has only been in business for about five weeks, selling her creations via Etsy, Instagram, and Facebook. Vintner’s Sip & Shop was her first craft fair. “We’ve done pretty well, I’m really proud of it,” she says. “I’m in high school, so it’s all new to me!”
The vendors were not only excited to introduce new customers to their products but also to spend the afternoon at Vintner’s Hill. “This is Mint Hill’s best kept secret!” said Pam Eggleston from Vintage on the Hill, a newcomer to Mint Hill’s main street. Visit Vintner’s Hill’s Facebook page or web site (https://www.vintnershill.com/) for more information on upcoming events at the wine bar.
