God Save The City Winery

The legendary NYC club closes its doors. But not for long

- Hank Gilman

MICHAEL DORF BUILT THE CITY Winery in New York City, or at least he seemed to, for people like me: older fans who still love music as much as when we were 19, but who aren’t keen on standing for two hours clutching onto a warm beer.

So, it wasn’t the greatest of news for many of us when Dorf recently decided to close his iconic Varick Street location in lower Manhattan.

But don’t shed any tears for the 57-year-old entrepreneur—or the club’s fans. Since 2008 he has managed to build a $100 million business and open clubs in multiple locations nationwide—all centered around a blend of food, wine and pop music.

And, the good news: The New York club will reopen at a new Hudson River location early next year. “It’s just a space,” Dorf said without a hint of nostalgia at the club’s closing night on July 31. “Our job is to create a vibe.”

Dorf doesn’t ever get too mistyeyed because he is a guy who is in a constant state of reinvention. The Milwaukee-born Dorf got into the music business in 1986 when he opened a club in New York, the Knitting Factory, which featured everything from music to comedy to poetry readings. He eventually left in the early 2000s and opened the first City Winery—yes, replete with a winemaking operation—in 2008. The idea was to create a good listening experience with equally good food and wine.

“I knew I wanted to do a wine-based venue,” Dorf explained. “In fact, in 2003—when I left (the Knitting Factory) and contemplated doing a performing arts center concept for the World Trade Center—my proposal was a ‘Downtown Carnegie Hall with a great wine list’. I knew that wine needed to be integrated. I made a barrel of wine in 2004 and then the light bulbs went off.”