Saint John’s Resort’s new Wine Grotto bar is underground in a former prayer area

A wine bar that is located in a basement at Saint John's Resort is the latest renovation to open at the expansive property that was once a seminary.

The Wine Grotto at Saint John's Resort in Plymouth Township opens at 5 p.m. Thursday offering old-world charm, an extensive and deftly curated wine selection, and a modern menu with an array of shareables, snacks and small bites.

More: Saint John's Resort new Wine Grotto opens with expansive wine and food offerings.

Fadi Sibani, Saint John's Resort director of sales and marketing, said the overall property is a "100% Detroit destination resort." The property offers overnight stays, a steakhouse restaurant and an elite course opened to the public and now the Wine Grotto.

"We’ve always had Five Steakhouse and we wanted to create an experience that’s all about wine,” Sibani said at a Tuesday evening media preview.

The Wine Grotto will be open to the public Thursday-Saturday and for private events Sunday-Wednesday.

Its lower-level setting with dim lighting emits the sense of being in a secluded space away from all else. The underground space, a renovated former prayer area for seminarians, is cozy and fascinating with its domed coves and restored arches.

Saint John’s Wine Grotto features three separate dining spaces, each one different with seating and size, but all with comfy and plush chairs and sofas and walls adorned with artwork from local artists.

Its bar is the central focal point, and the individual seat settings are off to the side, where you can nosh on anything from its menu and sip wine. All told, there's seating for about 35 people plus bar seating.

“It’s casual seating and all shareable and small plates for people to come out with friends and have a great time,” Sibani said.

A private dining room called the “Royal Cavern” has seating for 14 at a large table. Future plans for the Royal Cavern include hosting chef dinners, Sibani said.

Vast selection

Wine Grotto’s sommelier, Kristen Carlson, hand-curated a collection of old-world and new-world global and local wines.

“I have 160 labels that I've hand-curated that are approachable yet elevated,” Carlson said. “There will be extreme allocations and rare wines.”

Carlson said her strong suit is in Italian wines but guests can expect wines from the countries of Georgia, Macedonia, South Africa and “even close to home, like Suttons Bay."

What’s unique about the Wine Grotto wine program is its Coravin wine preservation system. The system, Carlson said, means guests can enjoy premium end wines by the half-glass or glass without opening the entire bottle. On the cocktail front, there are craft cocktails, including the Bay View Hummer, a metro Detroit classic.

Its menu, from the resort's long-time executive chef Terence Tarver, features shareables that include flatbreads with toppings ranging from old-world pepperoni to pears and prosciutto, wagyu meatballs, a classic shrimp cocktail, and Detroit sliders.

The snack menu includes sauteed shishito peppers, Marcona almonds, crispy chickpeas, truffle fries and marinated olives. A highlight of the small bites menu is the lobster roll featuring claw meat and micro sprouts. There's also a burrata cheese and fall salad.

A highlight of the menu is its build-your-own cheese and charcuterie with a choice of more than a half-dozen cheese options and charcuterie that includes duck prosciutto. Its dessert menu, from pastry chef Kaitlyn Huber features a chocolate charcuterie with truffles, chocolate-caramel bar, pretzels and ganache along with a Moscato tiramisu. Wine also makes it into the dessert menu with a Brachetto Wine Float and a Raspberry Red Wine Red Velvet Cake.

Many of the menu selections also feature a wine suggestion.

Rich history

Overall, the expansive 200-acre Saint John’s Resort has a decades-old history. It opened as a seminary in the late 1940s by the Archdiocese of Detroit. The seminary closed in 1988 and has evolved and transformed over the last several decades to include a restaurant, hotel, conference center, ballroom and 27-hole golf course.

More: Saint John's Resort's new golf course intends to make your round one to remember

Formerly known as the Inn at Saint John, the Archdiocese of Detroit sold the property in July 2021 to the William J. Pulte Estate and acquired by the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation. Once acquired the property underwent $50 million in renovations, including adding the Wine Grotto, with more additions to come.

While the property on Five Mile between Sheldon and Northville roads is a business, 100% of net proceeds go to the foundation's charitable educational and humanitarian efforts in metro Detroit and globally.

Other current renovations include the Monarch, a 17,000-square-foot ballroom featuring one entire wall of glass that opens out to a courtyard featuring fire pits and casual seating. Its capacity is 900 for dinner and 1,500 for receptions.

More: New owners will spend $50M to transform historic Saint John’s Resort in Plymouth Township

Sibani said a two-story Irish pub will replace the former pro shop, with plans for spring opening.

The Wine Grotto at Saint John's Resort hours are 5-11 p.m. Thursday and 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.  Saint John's Resort, 44045 Five Mile, Plymouth Township; saintjohnsresort.com.

Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Wine Grotto opens at Saint John's Resort in Plymouth Township