At new Kansas City area wine bar, serve yourself from 72 taps — a taste or full glass

A new North Kansas City self-serve wine bar allows customers to pay for a few sips up to a full glass — or buy a bottle to take home.

Sail Away Wine, at 309 Armour Road, opened in June and already has regulars who fill up the spot on weekends.

Customers get a “wine passport” card and place it in the slot by the wine they want to try (eight wines in each of nine machines). The machines can pour an ounce for just a taste, 3 ounces, or 5 ounces for a full glass.

Husband and wife Russ Johnson and Heather Brown are the owners. They saw a similar wine bar in New Orleans about eight years ago and visited several more times before planning one of their own.

“The laws changed in Missouri in 2017 for self-serve wine and beer,” Johnson said. “We really like trying different wines, and it is hard to commit to a whole bottle.”

The 72 different wines are in sections: light/crisp whites; medium-bodied/fragrant whites; rich/full-bodied whites and sweeter whites; lighter reds; big/juicy reds; classic/dry reds; and medium-bodied reds.

Tastings currently start at $1.10 up to $10.15 for its top-tier wines.

The machines dispense the wines from their original bottles, and the system pressurizes the bottles so the wine will stay as fresh as if it were just opened, for up to 30 days, the owners said. The card keeps track of purchases, and customers pay when they are ready to leave.

The owners plan to continually add new wines and even focus a section on a particular region, perhaps New Zealand wines.

Sail Away Wine also has a variety of flatbreads, including Ozark ham and fig, and maple bacon and wild mushroom, which can be made with a gluten-free cauliflower crust. Other menu items include meat and cheese boards, artichoke dip with warm pita bread and vegetables, hummus, and salads.

For desserts, look for the cookie of the day, and bourbon balls including a seasonal key lime with Belgian white chocolate and crushed graham crackers. It also has higher-end spirits but not cocktails.

“It’s very casual, very much of a community experience,” Johnson said. “Most of our clientele come in a group, an occasion to get together with their friends. You can have conversations and hang out.”

Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursdays; and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.