Allegheny Wine Mixer - an Oasis for Wine Lovers
- Pittsburgh, Devoured
- Jan 9
- 5 min read
Updated: May 7
And why Pittsburgh can't have nice things (wine, that is. Why Pittsburgh can't have nice wine)
Everyone is just so comfortable. Like that couple over there, who appear to be on a date. Another group nursing a pre-dinner drink. Some girlfriends enjoying a snack and a glass of wine. A group of six settling in near the entrance.
They’re at the bar, at a counter along the wall, at tables in the back, on a couch toward the front. I don’t know any of these people, can’t hear what they’re saying, don’t know where they’re going or where they’ve been. But they all seem to share one thing in common: Right here, right now, they’re content.
Maybe I’m reading too much into this, but I think you can just kind of tell. These people are present. They’re not checking their phones, not staring blankly at a television set (there are none to stare at), not nodding along to someone else talking, giving an ‘uh huh’ every few sentences while they scan the room searching for something more interesting. Except for me. I’m scanning the room. But that’s just so I can tell you about all the others who are not scanning the room. No, these others, they’re immersed in this place. No one here seems to wish they were anywhere else at the moment.
And why not? It’s warm, it’s cozy, it’s inviting. The décor is funky and eclectic. It’s an intimate spot, so maybe not ideal for a large group. Also lacking a full kitchen, so perhaps not the best place to visit if you’re a big eater looking for a full dinner. But that leaves a lot of room for occasions to visit.
When you do visit, take your time with the wine list. Ask if you have a question, the people pouring the wine are very likely the people that chose to put it on the menu. Try something new or something familiar. The list changes frequently, so there’s no risk of getting tired if you become a regular. Not a big wine drinker? There’s plenty of booze, including a handful of interesting cocktails.
Stay a little longer and try some snacks. The toasties are always a hit, olives and chicken liver pate go with pretty much any category of beverage (beer, wine, or booze), and there’s dessert too!
The real question is, with a place this appealing, why aren’t there more like it?
Well, since you asked, let’s discuss!
Yes, there’s been a decades long trend toward craft cocktail lists. And yes, welcome changes in regulations have allowed breweries and beer culture to grow and thrive. And that’s all wonderful. But what about the wine?
Why isn’t there a robust wine culture here in Pittsburgh? Why aren’t we a community of wine drinkers and wine lovers? Why, even when a restaurant puts a focus on their wine list, do they seem to offer the same old same old wines, mostly from California (how much Caymus and Meiomi can we drink, anyway?).
There are a number of reasons for this, but it all starts with the State. More specifically, the state-owned wine and spirits cartel that prevents a free market from buying and selling goods. And I’m not sure the average Pennsylvanian appreciates exactly what that all means.
We all know about ‘state stores’, but do most citizens of the Commonwealth know that the State also imposes itself as a partner to every single bar and restaurant in Pennsylvania? Oh yes, by forcing every license holder to purchase pretty much any product carried at the state store through them (instead of directly from the distributor), making the state an additional middleman that, of course, adds a hefty markup.
Put more simply, when a restaurant buys salmon, they buy it for a good deal cheaper than you buy it at the grocery. When a restaurant buys Tito’s, they buy it for just about the same amount as you.
And even when the State “allows” a restaurant to purchase a product their stores don’t carry, their involvement limits choice and can lead to price increases of 40% or more compared to neighboring states. Odd, in that these practices (read: state owned enterprise acting as a monopoly) fall squarely under the definitions of both communism and socialism.
Oops. I said the ‘S’ word. Better get back on track here, lest I alienate some folks by pointing out that if you live in PA and drink alcohol you are, in fact, a Socialist (I meant "you are participating in a society with some socialistic tendencies that you may or may not agree with, and it's not your fault. It's not.")
The good news is that there does exist passionate and dedicated Pennsylvanians who will jump through the hoops they’re forced to jump through to find interesting, well(ish) priced wines for us to enjoy. Thank you Allegheny Wine Mixer!
Your online concerns, addressed (they won't do it, but The Monster will):
“good atmosphere for a 35 year old, but the drinks lacked quality and refinement, not worth their pricevibe is 'millennial cool'. like brillobox meets original tina's, maybe with some kelly's. its pretty nicehowever, the $12 cocktail was premade with the cheapest liquor. im talking the $12 plastic vodka jugs your friend would bring to a college dorm party. of course their cheap liquor was hidden and poured into nicer looking unmarked bottlesfine i guess, but dont even think about charging $12 for that.this place is a little cheap sheen without substance. cool enough environment, but a bit of a cash grab”
TWO STARS
Yeah I don’t know, maybe you have some inside information about what kind of booze they use to batch their cocktails, but something tells me you don’t. Did you ask? I bet you didn’t ask. I’m not sure what kind of bottles you’d like them to put their batches into, but I’m willing to bet the other bars you mentioned do the same thing. But what do I know.
“I've heard nothing but great things about AWM and was excited to bring my friend here who was visiting from out of town. We walk in and it's decently crowded for a rainy Friday night. The only available table is the booth in the back corner. There's a sign that reads "for parties of four or more only" and I think to myself, we are a party of three and won't stay long, it should be fine right?...”
TWO STARS
There was a lot more, it goes on and on with no new revelations. But I’ll stop it right here. I mean, I can (sort of) understand thinking something along these lines in the moment, but when you actually sit down and type it out, and then presumably read it back to yourself, nothing strikes you as, well, isn’t there a SubReddit about AITA?
Allegheny Wine Mixer
5326 Butler St
Lawrenceville
