SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Nobody’s, a small wine bar in downtown Syracuse, is introducing customers to the “nobodies” of the wine world.
Bob Leonard, one of the co-owners, said wine bars typically sell the big names on their menus, and his objective is to connect global wine traditions with the community.
“It really doesn’t make sense to have a wine bar that just sells what everyone else sells,” said Leonard. “We really wanted to focus and highlight the smaller, more family-oriented producers that are making wine in places that you’re not familiar with.”
Before entering the wine industry, Leonard was a graduate student, with a focus on political economics, at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
He studied abroad in Croatia for two weeks to write his dissertation on wine economics, but visiting wineries changed his journey.
He dropped out of graduate school and began his full-time career in the wine industry.
Leonard is a sommelier, a professional who is qualified and experienced in all aspects of wine.
He compared the character of his wine bar to Burgundy wine and stressed that all roads lead there.
He explained it’s complex, layered and welcoming.
“It’s a very homey and calm experience,” said Tatyiana Gordon, a customer.
Leonard spends all of his time perfecting his business, because he feels his main responsibility is giving guests an enjoyable experience.
He provides that experience by serving obscure wines and highlighting the diversity of grapes grown in different places.
“It definitely feels very knowledgeable, which is really nice,” said Gordon.
Leonard also has a background in sociology, which helps him examine wine as a metaphor for human diversity, revealing how grape varieties mirror the varied connections forming among guests.
“We’re a consequence of the world that produces us,” said Leonard.“We’re a consequence of the circumstances described to us.”
He described how grapes are placed, and if you take grape vines and plant them in different places, they’re going to taste completely different.
Making a connection to human nature, he observed that our upbringing in different settings creates fundamentally different individuals.
Some of the regions where he sources wine from are Australia, Greece and Italy.
He explained there are numerous stock keeping units of wines he has delivered from distributors to maintain variety; with shipping up to 48 hours.
“I am a pretty recent wine drinker, like I’ve always liked it, but I felt like I didn’t know a lot about it,” said Gordon. “I like coming somewhere like here where I know that if I know what kind of flavor I want out of a wine, they can pick out what I want.”
Leonard says he has been honing his skills when it comes to taste and wine and understands that the pursuit of knowledge doesn’t stop.
His ultimate goal as his business grows is to take his wine expertise and change cultural experiences often perceived as elite or inaccessible.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Beyond the big names: Syracuse’s Nobody’s wine bar celebrates hidden gems
Mya Alysia: In the heart of downtown Syracuse, Bob Leonard transforms the childhood nostalgia of a lemonade stand into an adult sanctuary of unique flavors at his wine bar, Nobody’s. Previously, he was a graduate student at the University of Tennessee in political economics and was set to write his dissertation on how the global economy shapes what we drink, but after visiting wineries in Croatia he dropped out, taking his talents to the wine industry full-time.
Bob Leonard: We’re just seeking to constantly discover the nobody’s of the wine world.
Alysia: Leonard, one of the co-owners, prides himself on shaping what people drink through his continued pursuit of knowledge in winemaking, building quality stock and creating a lasting legacy.
Leonard: It really doesn’t make sense to have a wine bar that just sells what everyone else sells. We really wanted to focus and highlight the smaller, more family-oriented producers that are making wine in places that you’re not familiar with, or if they’re making wines in places you are familiar with, there’s either a producer you’ve never heard of before or a grape you’re not used to seeing grown there.
Alysia: Some of the regions where he sources wine from include Greece, Italy and Australia. The winery focuses on showcasing different wines from different environments, giving guests the opportunity to expand their taste buds by experiencing various grapes varieties.
Leonard: But not once in the American education system do a lot of people get access to the same kind of trainings in taste. And so people are like, ‘How do you do what you do?’ And I’m just like, ‘I just spent time honing that sense.’ And it’s a sense in other parts of the world people spend a lot of time honing.
Alysia: Leonard dedicates his entire day to perfecting the menu and offering an authentic cultural immersion through wine.
Tatyiana Gordon: I am a pretty recent wine drinker, like I’ve always liked it but I felt like I didn’t know a lot about it, so I like coming somewhere like here where I know that if I know what kind of flavor I want out of a wine, they can pick out what I want versus just looking at a list and just, you know, picking something. But it definitely feels very knowledgeable, which is really nice.
Alysia: Leonard says he’s always open to conversations with guests about their wine choices, and through those discussions, they’ll naturally learn about wine as they talk.
Gordon: It’s a very homey and calm experience, which I feel like being downtown in an area where it can always be like so much craziness going on, kind of like having that pocket of just a chill vibe, and they have like the music going and even like the color scheme – everything is just so beautiful in here. It’s just a nice, safe haven kind of place.
Alysia: Events are also held, like trivia night which takes place every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. with the winner receiving a fifty dollar gift card, and happy hour is extended til 8 p.m.
Gordon: I wanna come back! Oh my God, I love trivia!
Alysia: Leonard believes people go out to have a good time, and he sees it as his responsibility to make sure they enjoy themselves, one glass at a time. Mya Alysia, NCC News.