Nobody's Wine Bar features a selection of low intervention wines, it's most popular are the Chateau De Chanters Samur Chenin (left) and Pinot Grigio Ramato (right). Yolanda Stewart| Central Current

In the last year, two wine-dedicated establishments have opened in downtown Syracuse. 

Why Syracuse? Chachine “Cha” McCoy, who owns The Communion Wine & Spirits and Bob Leonard and Jonathan LaSala, who owns Nobody’s Wine Bar, say Syracuse made perfect sense for two reasons. 

Their research found that downtown Syracuse lacked stores and bars dedicated to wine, they said. And they found that peculiar given Syracuse’s proximity to the Finger Lakes, which has some of New York’s most well-respected wineries.

“We thought that Syrcause was right for a wine bar and we thought that the people moving to Syracuse would expect something like this to exist,” Leonard said. “That’s been evident since day one.”

Nobody’s opened in October 2022 and The Communion opened in September 2023, less than a year apart. Their openings represent a boon for wine drinkers in downtown Syracuse.

While Leonard and McCoy each had a tie to Syracuse before rooting their businesses here, they found Syracuse to lack the wine scene other cities have, despite its proximity to the Finger Lakes. 

Why they came to Syracuse

During the pandemic, McCoy, a Harlem-native and Syracuse University alumni, returned to the United States. McCoy had studied wine in Portugal and Italy. 

She searched for a region in the U.S. with wineries, similar to the setup she saw in Portugal. McCoy noticed a growing interest in “natural” wine.

McCoy chose Syracuse at least in part because of its proximity to the Finger Lakes. Since opening The Communion in October 2022, McCoy has found she can work directly with wineries and collaborate to host tastings and winery visits. She said it’s also helped her pick wines to sell. 

“For me, it was very important to have that same kind of connection, no matter what I was going to open, that it needed to be in a close enough proximity, so that I could be attached to the land wherever the wineries are,” McCoy said. 

Exterior of Nobody’s Wine Bar in Downtown Syracuse, New York. Photographed by Yolanda Stewart| Central Current.
The Communion Wine & Spirits in Downtown Syracuse, New York Photographed by Yolanda Stewart| Central Current.

The wine and spirits shop hosts a bi-weekly series called Thirsty Thursdays, a free event for people to network, shop, and taste featured wines and spirits. 

“It’s not just about being trendy and that natural wine is a thing, I think it’s important for people to have a lifestyle change when it comes to the way they drink,” McCoy said. 

LaSala, who is from Syracuse and attended Syracuse University. Leonard, who received his master’s degree in sociology in 2019 from the University of Tennessee, pivoted to pursue wine full-time. He sought to create more options by establishing a wine bar with LaSala, his business partner. 

Nobody’s officially opened its doors to the public in September.

Since opening, the wine bar has been used for various social gatherings for patrons, like work meetings, business meetings, gathering with friends, and date nights. 

As a team, Leonard and LaSala were intentional about presenting an upscale aesthetic to amplify the experience for its patrons. 

“We thought about how we can contribute to make Syracuse a better place for people to live in, give them more options, it made sense for this to be our first thing,” Leonard said.

Some guests have supported the establishment because they were searching for a place offering “a good glass of wine” after dinner, Leonard said. The wine bar also encourages guests to bring in their own food options and purchase a glass of wine to enjoy.  

“People of Syracuse deserve this,” Leonard said.

  • A booklet display of Chachine “Cha” McCoy at the The Communion. Photographed by Yolanda Stewart| Central Current.
  • Nobody’s Wine Bar features a selection of low intervention wines, it’s most popular are the Chateau De Chanters Samur Chenin (left) and Pinot Grigio Ramato (right). Photographed by Yolanda Stewart| Central Current
  • Low-intervention wines displayed on the wall of The Communion in Syracuse, New York. Photographed by Yolanda Stewart| Central Current.

What they serve

Many of the winemakers Leonard, LaSala and McCoy have partnered with are from local regional vineyards.

They pull from wineries across New York State but particularly the Finger Lakes. 

“There’s so much good wine out there and New York State is one of the best wine markets in the world,” Leonard said. 

Nobody’s partners with more than 20 wine distributors, including Hermann J. Wiemer, and Prism Cellars. Many of those 20 are located in the Finger Lakes Region, though some are international and are located in Austria, France, Italy or Spain. 

The wine bar offers over 100 wines by the bottle and 30 by the glass, at varying prices. Guests can purchase a full bottle of wine or a half glass for up to $10. 

Patrons at Nobody’s can have a sip of wine in its bar area or in one of its plush seats. Nobody’s best selling wine is the Conte Brandolini d’Adda Vistorta Pinot Grigio 2021, an orange wine. 

At The Communion, McCoy places a strong emphasis on storytelling through the wine selections and featured winemaker. This includes representation of Black and Brown winemakers. 

Its most recent addition is Camins 2 Dreams by Tara Gomez, an Indigenous winemaker, and her wife Mireia Taribó. They are based in California. 

The shop also sells wine produced in the Finger Lakes. Some of these wineries include Living Roots Wine & Co.. Red Tail Ridge Winery, Boundary Breaks Wine,  Sheldrake Point Winery, and Nathan K. 

McCoy said the most popular choice for guests is “In Sheep’s Clothing”, a cabernet sauvignon by Maison Noir, 2021.

“Making people more conscious drinkers is my goal all around, and hopefully if they’re coming to The Communion, they really are open to discovery and exploring, McCoy said.”

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Yolanda Stewart was raised in the Bronx, New York City. Before choosing a career path in journalism she found a voice in writing plays, short stories, and a myriad of other creative outlets. She is a 2022...