Wine in Progress (WIP): Making wine accessible to the people in Bengaluru

Wine in Progress (WIP), Courtyard. | Photo Credit: prarthana shetty

Ever found yourself completely overwhelmed by the labyrinth of complex wine names while trying to order a glass at a wine bar or a fine dining restaurant? Well, this new bar at the Courtyard is defeating just that. Whether you are a wine connoisseur or a curious beginner, Wine in Progress (WIP) offers an inviting ambience where you can savour your wine without fear or hesitation.

Wine in Progress (WIP) which opened in January at the Courtyard Shanti Nagar, initially started as a weekday pop-up, “We ran this as an experiment for six months at the Conservatory, but with the overwhelming response we decided to open a more permanent space,” says Akhila Srinivas, owner of Courtyard and co-founder at WIP.  

While the tech city boasts of being an experimental gastronomic heaven, when it comes to wine culture it has always fallen short, “We wanted to make wine accessible to people. With WIP we have created a space which feels like your neighbourhood dive bar for wine,” says Akhila.

The 12-seater intimate space is designed by Nischal Abhaykumar and Jesal Pathak from M9 Design Studio. The ambience is very Japanese Izakaya meets your neighbourhood shack. For all manga fans, ‘The Drops of God’ copies on the shelf can be quite a delight. Weaving together the intricacies of wine culture with rich storytelling, this manga series seems like a perfect fit for the WIP décor.

Beverage specialist Arijit Bose, who Akhila candidly describes as “quite a maverick when it comes to comes to everything to do with bars,” also helped design and conceptualise the space. “We have created a super casual space, where people are comfortable to try out new things,” says Bose. If you think only a serious-looking wine bottle is a good wine, Bose breaks our conception by showing us a batman graffiti adorned bottle from Argentine origin Hey Malbec.

At WIP, the wine operations are headed by Tarini Kumar, who also started, Wine in a Million, a community for wine-curious folks. Tarini’s experience also helped to curate the elaborate wine menu.

We tried the M.A.N Family, a red wine from South Africa and Bex Nahe, a white wine from the Mosel Valley in South West Germany. With every bottle that we tried, there is a story from the region and even the soil that yields the grape making it a more enriching experience.

At WIP if wine is the show-stopper, the food is equally delightful. Conceptualised by Chef Karan Upmanyu the menu has been kept to small plates making it easy to navigate through the menu. We tried the Chef’s favourite Glazed Pork Belly, a dish inspired by his visit to a Kodava wedding, and a must-try at WIP. We also tried their Pork & Shrimp Wontons served with spicy green chilli nam-jim, the perfect pairing.

Even the bar snacks have been thoughtfully curated like their Thyme-Butter Popcorn something you might never visualise as a regular bar snack.

This new entrant in Bengaluru’s bar culture, has emerged as a space where you can learn , unlearn and most of all enjoy your glass without fear.

Wine in Progress (WIP)

Hits: Glazed Pork Belly (food), M.A.N Family (wine)

Misses: None

Pocket Pinch for two: 2500