Kieran Robinson and his wife, co-owner Kristie, founded R Five Wines on East Lancaster Avenue in Downingtown in August 2021, marking the beginning of this narrative.
However, a number of earlier stops resulted in the establishment of what is now a popular spot for food and wine along the main street of the Chester County town, close to the SEPTA tracks that transport trains from downtown Philadelphia to the western suburbs. The R-5 line, as it was known from 1984 to 2010, is now just referred to as the Paoli/Thorndale Line.
Co-owner and winemaker Robinson recalls the R-5 growing in Downingtown. His wife grew up nearby in Malvern.
After graduating from Downingtown High School in 1997, he worked in the cellar at Chaddsford Winery in suburban Philadelphia and at a Finger Lakes winery while attending Ithaca College. He and Kristie would later be drawn by their professional interests to the Northern Rhone area of France and a longer stay on the West Coast of the United States, where he eventually worked with and learnt from renowned winemakers Paul Hobbs, Aaron Pott, and Michel Rolland, among others. During that time, his Kieran Robinson Wines brand would be introduced.
With the intention of introducing the California wine-tasting experience to the East Coast, Kieran and Kristie would launch R Five Wines in 2018.According to the website, production has expanded to include wines from many AVAs in Northern California, including the Sonoma Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and Russian River.
The pair would eventually start making serious plans to open the store. It took longer than anticipated.
He claims that it has been two years in the making and that they paid for it themselves. He recalls that on March 8, 2020, five days before the epidemic hit, he applied for a loan. Needless to say, we had to change course and never received the financing. Therefore, it took us around two years to open this establishment, but we succeeded.
According to him, a wine bar that doubles as a tasting room is exactly what we had in mind, complete with cheese and charcuterie to go with the wines. Since it was somewhat more of a local market than a tourist one, we kind of had to have a little more food. So I used pizza dough to go down a rabbit hole. About a year ago, R Five’s kitchen was taken over by Sweet Amelia’s, a fancy farm-to-table restaurant in Kennett Square that is owned and operated by Zack and Karessa Hathaway, who are from Downingtown. Observations Robinson, The collaboration has been fantastic.
In addition to small plates, half-dozen pizzas, and desserts, the menu’s food section still offers charcuterie and cheese boards that can be shared. In addition to the dozen or so dry Californian white, ros, and red wines by the glass or bottle, there are two tasting flights.
A Chenin Blanc made from grapes grown in Clarksburg, California, was just launched by R Five Wines.Instagram: R Five Wines
They have happy hour from 4 to 6 on Thursdays and Fridays, as well as Pizza Thursdays (a pizza and a half bottle of wine for $30, valid on certain wines and exclusively available for dine-in).
Additionally, there are unique events all year long. For instance, on November 9, Robinson hosts what he calls BarSide Chats, which are wine education sessions, and a harvest supper was held. The next one, on Dec. 13, will involve a sampling of eight wines and refreshments while educating guests about the wines of France’s Rhone River Valley. It costs $60 per person and is only open to 16 persons.
Thursdays from 4 to 9 p.m., Fridays from 4 to 10 p.m., Saturdays from 1 to 10 p.m., and Sundays from 1 to 6 p.m.
For parties, rooms can be rented out.
Robinson frequently travels to the West Coast to fulfill the idea of a tasting center in Pennsylvania that produces wine from California. He also started producing wine for Turks Head Wines, a wine lounge and tasting room that debuted in early September only a short drive down Route 322 in West Chester. It sources grapes from California as well.
Accordingly, he visits the West Coast for around five months, with the longest stays taking place in the fall for harvest.Customers can still find him and/or Kristie working inside the store at 206 E. Lancaster Ave. when he returns to town, he said.
“A lot of time here,” he says. One of our main business strategies was for my wife and I to represent the company in person while sharing our passion for California wines. For the most part, we are here, however we do have a management and employees.
Zack and Karessa Hathaway, a husband and wife duo from Downingtown who also own Sweet Amelia’s in Kennett Square, are in charge of the R Five Wines kitchen. It bears the name of Amelia, their daughter.Facebook page for R Five Wines
According to this arrangement, all of the wines produced for both businesses are produced at the same site in south Napa, from grape to bottle, and then transported by truck to Pennsylvania for storage.
It’s a little easier to handle that way, so I check in on their belongings while I go out to check on mine.
The vineyards for R Five and Turks Head are sometimes located many miles apart, even though the wines are produced at the same winemaking facility. While Turks Head sources its wines from vineyards spread around Sonoma and a small portion of Napa, R Five sources its wines from vines in the Dry Creek Valley, Russian River, and Sonoma Valley.
Whites and reds make up equal parts of his repertoire. The reds include Grenache, two red mixes, a Syrah, and a Grenache ros, while the whites include Roussanne, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Viognier along with a blend.He claims that the menu hasn’t altered much since the establishment started.
We haven’t altered much in that regard because we focus on producing Rhone varieties from Napa and Sonoma. There are now some different vineyards. In fact, we have just released a few non-Rhone varietals in the previous two weeks, like Chenin Blanc. When we come across vineyards or varieties that we truly want to work with, we do kind of stray from the Rhone thing.
According to him, a skin-fermented grist that came out in a vivid orange, magenta, or pink hue is also new. It’s an enjoyable wine to serve in public because, although it appears to be a typical ros, the aroma almost makes it seem like an orange wine. Getting that wine in front of people has been a lot of joy.
In contrast, Turks Head’s list is a little more varied, featuring a few Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon selections from various vineyards, along with a number of red and white blends and the varietals Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Semillon.
The former R-5 SEPTA line, now known as the Paoli/Thorndale line, is renamed R Five Wines.Facebook page for R Five Wines
If the pair had stayed at home and planted their own vineyard following their time at Chaddsford, the story would have undoubtedly taken a different turn. Robinson claims that after spending a year in France, they worked for some incredible world-class vineyards and winemakers in California for 14 years, which changed their careers and set the path that ultimately led back east to Chester County.
He launched Kieran Robinson Wines in 2009, which are mostly composed of Syrah and Viognier grapes. Among them was R Five, a premium Syrah. That name would develop into a company and a new line twelve years later, bringing the pair back to their origins.
He explains, “We kind of always knew we wanted to move home.” We had no idea what form it would take when we were out there, but as we began [looking] at Pennsylvania winery legislation, we saw that we could produce all of our wines there and have our tasting room here.
In that regard, it is set up similarly to Thorn Hill Vineyards, located in Lancaster County, which receives its grapes from sections of the same region as Robinson and has two tasting rooms, including one in central Pennsylvania.
Investigating R Five Wines in Downingtown, located on East Lancaster Avenue. Thursday through Sunday is when the lounge and tasting room are open.R. Instagram: Five Wines
Even though the schedule can be very demanding—he was interviewed in the tasting room after returning home with a case of red eye the night before and only getting a few hours of sleep—Robinson claims that he has found his professional paradise by being able to concentrate on winemaking.
“I got into the business and I feel like that’s why I’m still in the business because of the early mornings spent in the vineyard, going to the winery, tasting the wines, and smelling the fermentation,” he says. It’s just a great time of year, which is why I love it so much.
Wine Classroom
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