Fort Worth Fixture Transforms Into Magnolia Wine Bar — and Real Southern Food Power is Part of the Equation

When ownership of Kent & Co. Wines at 1101 Magnolia Avenue shifted from its original owners, Will Churchill and Corrie Watson, to Marty and Marilyn Englander in 2019, not much else changed. Now it has. One of Southside’s favorite wine bars just went through a complete refresh and rebrand.

Get ready for The Magnolia Wine Bar.

Kent & Co. Wines began hinting that changes were afoot with a post-Snowmaggedon social media post on February 22 that read: “Wait until you see what’s BLOOMING!”

The very next week, Fort Worth muralist Kristen Soble set out to transform the patio space, painting bold magnolia blossoms scattered across the side of the wine bar’s red brick façade. The patio was decorated with planters filled with dwarf magnolia trees, reinforcing the new theme.

Finally, the signage was swapped, along with the bar’s website and social media accounts, officially renaming the venue The Magnolia Wine Bar. The transition is now complete.

The Englanders maintain a pet friendly patio area, and hope customers embrace The Magnolia as their own “personal wine cellar and living room-located in the Heart of Magnolia Avenue.”

During the height of the coronavirus pandemic closures, which rocked so many local businesses, the Englanders joined forces with Near Southside Inc., and opened their stage to soul and R&B superstar Leon Bridges, who was himself quarantining in Fort Worth. Bridges was willing to perform in a virtual concert/fundraiser benefitting all the struggling Southside businesses.

So Bridges and special guest Abraham Alexander performed a free streaming concert to help rally support of the Southside C.A.R.E.S. Fund. The concert was a huge success, raising $60,000 during the show alone, and nearly a year later it has raised more than $163,000.That money has been given in the form of grants. And it all started with the Englanders’ generous $15,000 matching gift.

As it turns out, that concert was one of the earliest virtual format concerts to be conceived, which soon became the norm for artists, audiences and charities across the country, to continue connecting and moving projects forward during COVID.

The Magnolia Wine Bar still brings an extensive, curated wine selection, ranging from  $8 per glass prosecco to some rare vintages like the Chateau Lafite-Rothschild or the Harlan Estates Bordeaux, which ring in at more than $1,000 per bottle. There is also a selection of mostly local beers for non-wine drinkers.

Along with the typical pizzas and cheese and charcuterie boards which have always been on the menu, the Englanders plan to add more food selections to the rebranded wine bar.

Katrina Carpenter of Carpenter’s Cafe & Catering, which features Southern comfort food, including Carpenter’s highly prized smoked chicken salad, will be delivering on that part of the equation. Texas Monthly took notice of Carpenter’s Grown Folks No Nana Pudding, which it deemed one of the best dishes in Texas. The food offerings at the wine bar will be called Carp’s at The Magnolia.

Magnolia Avenue now has its own namesake wine bar.