Sergio Ramos has never been shy about telling people that his dream is to open a wine bar that spotlights Portuguese and Spanish varieties. Now, after years of talking about it, he’s turned his vision into a reality.
Pinheiro – Vinho e Vida opens on March 20 in East Durham at 304 South Driver Street, a stone’s throw away from neighbors like Ideal’s Sandwich Shop, Sofia’s Pizza, and Dame’s Chicken and Waffles.
“While I truly adore downtown, it’s the neighborhood community feel that drew me over here,” Ramos said of how he landed in this particular spot. “It truly is a neighborhood here, and we all kind of rise and fall together, but seeing everyone’s energy and seeing everything that’s happening here is just infectious.”
Ramos is well-known in the Durham community for his time behind the bar at the original Bar Brunello, which closed during the pandemic, before reincarnating for a stint in CCB Plaza as Brunello Wine Bar. Owner Estaban Brunello has since moved operations to Governor’s Village in Chapel Hill.
While open in Durham, the Brunello spaces were known for being warm and personable, and for stocking unique wines—elements Ramos plans to incorporate into Pinheiro.
“[Brunello] did such an amazing thing for years,” Ramos said of his industry mentor. “And having him be somebody that I worked alongside with and who was a mentor for so long, of course, there’s going to be some things that rub off from old Brunello, but what this does is allow me to tell my story now.”
Ramos grew up on Long Island. His parents are from Brazil and Portugal, which is where his love of Portuguese and Spanish wines came from. He received his Certified Specialist of Wine credential from the Society of Wine Educators in 2017, followed by a Certification of Portuguese Wines from Wines of Portugal in 2020.
In recent years, his bar dreams have expanded. Alongside the Iberian wine focus, Ramos said he plans to prioritize underrepresented or underdog winemakers. That could sourcing wine from unfamiliar regions, or from producers who are female, LGBTQ+, or indigenous.
“I’m searching for these people, and I want to give them a spot to showcase their wines,” he said. “Giving a platform for them to tell a story through their work and their family history.”
When I asked if there’s a downside to not playing it safe and say, offering well-known options like Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, Ramos said no. Instead, he became animated, explaining how invigorating it is to try to help a customer figure out their palate and what makes them “tick” when it comes to grape preferences. So as long as you’re willing to sample a few options in the quest to find your perfect glass, you’re likely to end up with something new that you like. A tough job, but one Ramos is happy to undertake.
Pinheiro is small, with just 34 seats. Eight of those can be found at the communal table in the middle of the space. Ramos was adamant about having the table.
“I wanted to have some space where everyone kind of starts commingling and chatting—folks sitting across from each other telling stories and discussing their life stories,” he said.
Ramos said he plans to offer around ten by-the-glass options that rotate frequently, and will also have a few retail shelves that people can buy and sip from in-store or take home.
There will be bites and nibbles, too. Ramos said he initially plans on having snacks like tinned fish, olives, crackers, and chips. Eventually, cheese and charcuterie will be on the menu, which he hinted would come from an outside vendor that “folks are going to be really excited to hear about.” I was sworn to secrecy on this one, but let’s just say he’s right about what the excitement level will be.
As for the name, which translates to ‘pine tree’ in English? Ramos explained he took inspiration from the similarities between a pine tree’s life cycle and his own journey. And then, of course, there’s North Carolina, where Ramos’s wine bar dreams are coming true, and which calls the Longleaf Pine its state tree.
“We have our moments that we’re at our highest and then we get chopped down and we get brought down to our roots, and then we get that second growth coming, and it’s a little bit of my journey,” he said. “And we are in the land of pine trees, are we not?”
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