Edwardsville native Zachary Johnson leads new City Winery STL as GM

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The City Winery St. Louis general manager Zachary Johnson, of Edwardsville, stands near the entrance and hostess area at City Winery STL during a soft opening Tuesday night. City Winery STL is located at the Foundry STL.

A wine flight is shown at City Winery, an urban winery that recently opened in St. Louis at the Foundry STL. The grand opening is Saturday.

One Way Traffic's Drew Lance on drums and a guest guitarist play an acoustic set at the City Winery St. Louis on Tuesday night during a soft opening. The grand opening is Saturday.

Concert dining is available at the City Winery St. Louis at the Foundry STL. The grand opening is Saturday.

The City Winery St. Louis general manager Zachary Johnson, of Edwardsville, stands fourth from left, with his leadership team, from left to right, to left of Johnson, are Gessiea Walker, floor and event manager; Russell Ryan, venue manager; and Michael Colón, box office manager; to right of Johnson, from left to right, Executive Chef Cameron Bevan, originally from Las Vegas, who moved to St. Louis to work at City Winery STL; and Jason Heine, restaurant manager.

City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, suite 158, at the Foundry STL is the only urban winery in the St. Louis area and is managed by Zachary Johnson of Edwardsville.

Bartenders Bae Sunday, left, and Walker Langford, both originally from California, moved to St. Louis to work at City Winery St. Louis.

Venue manager Russell Ryan stands near a wall of wine bottles at the City Winery St. Louis at the Foundry STL on Tuesday during a soft opening.

Production manager Jon Zielke works Tuesday during a soft opening at the City Winery St. Louis at the Foundry STL.

City Winery St. Louis owner Michael Dorf stands by the barrels which hold the wine produced at the urban winery located at the Foundry STL complex.

ST. LOUIS — Edwardsville's Zachary Johnson has just taken on something big.

Recruited as general manager for City Winery, the only urban winery in St. Louis and one of the newest hot spots and music venues in the region, Johnson has been in the industry for 16 years and previously opened successful music venues such as Tin Roof and the Curtain Call Lounge at the Fabulous Fox Theatre, both in St. Louis.

"They found me," Johnson said about City Winery. "I talked to the national director of operations and the owner. They liked my resume. And that was five weeks ago."

The Edwardsville native and 2002 EHS graduate earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Memphis in 2007. He didn't find a journalism career to be lucrative or progressive, and decided to pursue a career in the service industry.

Johnson explained his M.O. in opening any venue.

"It comes down to service," he said. "It's not about the food and the wine, which are important. But it's about how we serve each other, and that includes my staff.

"If patrons and staff don't feel comfortable and that it's a safe space, then there's no point," he said. "We want to lead with love above all else."

City Winery has not started producing its own wine yet. Right now it is serving wine from Chicago and New York. Located at 3730 Foundry Way, Suite 158, at the Foundry STL, it has become a culinary and cultural experience for urban wine enthusiasts.

t also is a live entertainment venue, with a grand opening planned Saturday with Gilbert O’Sullivan: The Driven Tour USA with Bill Shanley. Doors open at 6 p.m.; the show starts at 8 p.m.

The City Winery will open with a full schedule of live performances, including one on Sunday night with Shemekia Copeland at 7 p.m. The next show is The Verve Pipe at 8 p.m., Thursday, March 23.

Food and wine will be served on days of live performances and signature intimate concerts. The venue also has private event spaces and upscale dining options.

For a limited time, those who sign up for the City Winery newsletter at www.citywinery.com/stlouis are entered to win a Golden Ticket: two tickets to all 2023 shows. The winner will be announced before Saturday's grand opening.

"Opening City Winery in St. Louis is something that I have wanted to do since I started the brand in 2008," said owner Michael Dorf, who went to Washington University St. Louis and is City Winery founder and chief executive officer. "Having spent several years living in the city while I was in college, it feels right to once again join this incredible community within the historic building of City Foundry St. Louis."

Ticket holders can dine during the show and can pre-order wine to have a bottle waiting at their table when they arrive. The venue will seat 225 guests. VinoFile club members can buy advance tickets and pay no fees.

City Winery's Barrel Room Restaurant and Wine Bar is designed to be a welcoming space to relax and unwind, featuring the company's proprietary tap system with eco-friendly glasses of wine straight from stainless steel kegs.

The menu is wine-inspired, globally influenced and locally sourced.

The restaurant will be open for dinner service. Before or after concerts, guests can enjoy the tasting room for a flight of wines or the full bar.

City Winery can host a night out for two or a private event for up to 400 people. Tickets are on sale now for live music shows at www.citywinery.com/stlouis. They can be followed on social media @citywinerystl.

The St. Louis location joins City Winery locations in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Hudson Valley, Nashville, New York City and Philadelphia.