Down the Hatch: Vintage 1740

1740 S. Boston Ave.

Matt Sanders, owner of Vintage 1740 Wine Bar, is nothing if not an affable host, and he likes to think of his establishment as an extension of his living room. 

“It’s about drinking wine and having good conversation,” he said.

Sanders got his start at the wine bar during the summer of 2006, while he was also working as general manager of Fitso, a gym in Brookside. Two weeks into the job as bartender, he was offered the position of general manager, and over the last ten years has gone from managing to owning 45 percent of the business to owning 100 percent as of last summer. 

“I like being good at one thing,” he said. “I’m not interested in the more, more, more of American society, like I’m not doing enough with my life. You think about dive places, or little hole-in-the-walls—the owner is often the one working. More is better? Better is just better.”

To that end, Sanders is there every day, stocking great wine and making sure the customer has a good time.

“I tend more towards caring about hospitality than a strict beverage program,” he said. “I care about your experience.”

He likes to get to know his customers, many of whom have been happy hour regulars for eight or more years. He also cultivates relationships with many of the small, boutique winemakers he supports. 

“Often the producer is the farmer, and he makes the wine, and he owns it. It’s like shopping local. I’m helping the small guy. It’s what I believe in.” 

He offers his patrons a diverse selection of wines sourced from all over the world. Vintage even carries a wine now from Hermann, Missouri. And it’s good! 

“We can be so pretentious,” he said, speaking of wine drinkers in general. “I would never put a wine on the list that I don’t think is a good representation of that varietal. 

“To some people, wine menus just look like letters on a page. They can be intimidating. I want to have a conversation. You like what you like. And if you like Bota Box, I can recommend something for you here.”

In “Down the Hatch,” assistant editor Liz Blood offers a look inside Tulsa’s many bars, pubs, saloons and gin joints. Send suggestions for future columns to liz@langdonpublishing.com or @lizblood on Twitter. For another sip, read Liz's article on Mercury Lounge.