Cheese and wine, there hasn’t been a more iconic pairing since Hall and Oates – and maybe even they aren’t quite as awesome as cheese and wine. Maybe…
In any case, it’s a perfect pairing, a match made in heaven, and sometimes, you know, you just NEED some cheese and wine to put the world to rights. Luckily for you, we know just the place to go get your fix.
Introducing Arch 13.
Located on Livery Street (Jewellery Quarter), Arch 13 is the sister wine bar to Connolly’s wine shop. Found within the very same building, Arch 13 is the answer to all of your prayers – so long as your prayers revolve entirely around wine, and cheese. Which, like us, of course they do!
Having shipped wine into Birmingham for over 100 years, the multi-award winning Connolly’s thought the time was ripe (pun intended, as always) to create a space in which customers could enjoy a glass or two of the very same, awesome wines which have made Connolly’s a go-to merchant in the West Midlands wine world.
A key attribute of Arch 13 is accessibility. This is wine for everyone, sourced from the very best vineyards around the world, and sold at a worthy price. You don’t need to know everything, or even much, about wines, as the super knowledgable team at Arch 13 are on hand to tell you exactly which wine says the most about your personality (or, you know, which you’d probably enjoy drinking based on your current wine preferences – whilst also pushing the boundaries, and the proverbial boat out, to expand your wine horizons). Arch 13 want you to step out of your comfort zone, to discover new favourite wines, and have fun all at the same time. Because that’s what wine is really all about – tasting great, and being an enjoyable, relaxed experience that makes you fall in love with the grape. There’s no stuffiness here, just awesome people pouring awesome wines.
With a revolving drinks list that includes 7 whites, 7 reds, a Rosé and an Orange (which is really fantastic) that can be enjoyed by the glass, alongside sparkling, sweet, port, sherry and a vintage madeira list (and over 800 bottles in the Connolly’s shop, from which to take your pick – with £7.50 corkage), it’s safe to say that there’s a whole lot of wine for you to drink at Arch 13. Drinking your way through the entire wine menu is your mission, should you choose to accept it.
Now, to the cheese… It’s wine’s best friend, and quite possibly ours too. We LOVE cheese, and we love it even more when we get to enjoy it with a refreshing glass of wine. Arch 13 try to source their produce without incurring too many air miles, which means that pretty much all (there may be the odd exception, here and there) of their cheeses are British. We like this. We like this a lot. Arch 13 offer a range of board sizes (in an almost ‘build your own cheese and meat board’ kind of deal) whereby if it’s just you, you can order every damn cheese in the place and stuff them down with reckless abandonment and not a care in the world, or if you’re into ‘sharing’ (*slowly dies inside*) then you can build your board up to 10 cheeses or 7 meats (mixing and matching is, of course, how the game goes) and there’s enough for everyone to feast on – while sipping your glorious glass of wine. You’re right, you are awesome.
In addition to cheese and meat boards, Arch 13 also has a pretty dazzling lunch-time food offering. We’re talking an ever-changing menu of stews and casseroles, served with toasted Peel and Stone bread – just the thing for a leisurely lunch, or to keep your lonely glass of wine company. Order a stew, and then finish with a cheese board, and you’re winning at life.
Now, if you’re not too into wine, or you’re into wine but your best friend (or better half) isn’t, then fear not. Arch 13 also offer a range of craft beers, cocktails, soft drink and hot drinks too – meaning that if you’ve visiting with a non-wine loving heathen (yeah, we went there), then at least you can sit them in the corner with a craft beer while you sip on delightful wines and try your very best to remember why you’re actually friends with them. Oh, and don’t share your cheese with them (of course), they don’t deserve it. And because sharing cheese goes against every single rule of cheese eating…
The wine bar itself looks both stylish and cosy (two, often warring, characteristics that are sometimes tough to combine – yet Arch 13 does it seamlessly). Comfy seating gives your bottom the necessary padding to ensure that you’re all set for an afternoon, or evening, of fine wine quaffing and glorious cheese scoffing, and the light, open-plan layout of the bar is the ideal setting for discovering new and intriguing wines, and catching up with friends or treating loved ones. We love it, and you’ll love it too. Your next move: head to this fantastic wine bar, and imbibe a few grapes with some friends. We like your style.
Now offering Independent Birmingham Members: 10% off all food + cheese and wine pairing flights
