After a delicious light lunch at the enduring Bistro Bethem on William Street—a perfect pair of fresh oysters and duck tacos with arugula and crème fraîche, followed by an excellent coffee at Hyperion Espresso a few doors down—I explored the streets and shops of historic downtown Fredericksburg. It was then time to make my way to Kybecca Wine Bar for a pre-dinner experience. And I mean experience. Located right across the street from our dinner destination (Poppy Hill) in a large corner building, Kybecca is more Barcelona than Tuscany, more slick than rustic, more innovative than traditional. Case in point: The red-and-white awning does more than just shade diners on the front patio—it also sprays them with cool mist in the summer and warms them with infrared heaters in the cooler months. One might expect such state-of-the-art technology in Las Vegas or Aspen—but in Frederickburg? The surprises, I discovered, continue on the inside.
True to its name, Kybecca merges both the talents and the passions of owners Kyle and Rebecca Snyder. Inspired by their love of food, wine and entertaining as well as their travels throughout Europe, the husband-and-wife team hit the Fredericksburg scene in 2005 with their wine and gourmet shop dedicated to small, artisanal and family-run producers and a democratic approach to wine education. When the much larger space next door went vacant last year, they grabbed it and leapt into the restaurant realm as well. The couple knocked down a wall, and now both the wine shop and the restaurant share the expansive space. Rebecca Snyder, a former VCU interior design student, designed the open, contemporary wine bar. Kyle, with a background in construction, refinished the original wood floors and built everything from the concrete bar to the red vinyl-and-steel banquettes.
Perhaps the only thing the couple didn’t design or build, but had the good sense to purchase, is the 32-bottle Enomatic wine dispensing machine gleaming against one wall. Though seemingly New World, this vending machine was actually designed and manufactured in Italy’s most historic wine region: Chianti Classico. Here’s how this revolutionary robot works: You purchase a debit-like card (from a human), insert it into the machine, select your wine, put your glass under the spout, press the desired portion button (sample, half or full glass) and drink! Because the machine preserves open bottles of wine for up to three weeks (via the injection of inert nitrogen gas), it makes it possible for restaurateurs to offer a broader selection of vintages, thus promoting tasting and learning.
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