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Date: 2/22/2022
NORTHAMPTON – A new restaurant located at the space formerly occupied by Belly of the Beast on 159 Main St. is looking to become a casual and accessible wine and eatery within downtown Northampton.
According to co-owner Michaelangelo Westcott, the idea of the spot, called “Wine Witch,” was something he and his business partner and co-owner David Greeman conceived during the dreary months of COVID-19.
After dealing with a significant health issue during a portion of the pandemic, Westcott became determined to follow the passion of opening a casual wine bar and eatery. “Instead of thinking of things, I needed to make things happen,” said Westcott, reminiscing about that period.
In an interview with Reminder Publishing, Westcott said that the spirit of Witch Wine will be “very similar but very different” from that of Gypsy Apple, the Shelburne Falls bistro at which Westcott has been a chef and owner at for a number of years. He described the Gypsy Apple as a “little more formal and a little more high-end,” compared to what Witch Wine will be. According to Westcott, the Gypsy Apple is usually closed during the winter break, so until he returns this year, he is using the extra time to officially open Wine Witch.
A casual atmosphere will coincide with a “plethora” of wine selections, according to Westcott, including natural wines, organic wines, traditional old-world style wines that many have not heard of before.
For both the food and the wine, Westcott added that there will be an element of surprise that patrons should expect when visiting. “Nothing is ever going to be the same,” said Westcott, when describing the menu. “Whether it’s food or the wine, things are going to be in constant motion … it’s going to be like an engine.”
Greeman and Westcott have known each other for over 20 years and met while co-chefs at the famous Green Street Café-which closed its doors officially at the beginning of 2012. Since then, they became good friends over the years and always talked about opening a restaurant together.
“This opportunity came out … I think partly due to COVID-19, but not entirely,” said Greeman, who has been in the Northampton area for close to 25 years. “Many things came together successfully to make this a good spot.”
According to Greeman, his and Westcott are “changing the concept of the wine bar” a tad to differentiate themselves from other bars of similar spirit. “People aren’t even 100 percent sure what a wine bar is and what they’re going to get,” said Greeman. “I think that scares some people away, and we’re not trying scare people away.”
While many restaurants have completely pivoted to using technology so patrons can order from their table, Greeman said Wine Witch plans to maintain a space where customers can freely interact with the staff and learn more about what a wine bar and eatery can offer for them.
Greeman shares Westscott’s vision of offering different kinds of wine that the common folk may not know much about. “We hope to introduce less common grapes that are still wonderful … countries that grow the grapes you know that are still delicious but at half of the price,” said Greeman, when speaking on their offerings. “And of course, there will be some high-end stuff that some people like.”
As of press time, the co-owners said that the opening date for Wine Witch will be over the next couple of weeks. People can visit their Facebook page for more updates at https://www.facebook.com/Wine-Witch-100192465863946.