When Carmel Stephano sets her sights on something, she gets it done—whether it’s starting a food truck, running a successful catering business, or packing up and moving to a city in Florida where she didn’t know a soul. In July 2023, she did just that, opening the wine bar she had envisioned: Farfelu Wine and Cheese Café.
“On July 7, I was crossing the Florida state line with a 26-foot U-Haul, I settled the business deal on July 17, and opened the bar on July 19.”
Farfelu is a French word that translates to “wacky.” But Carmel is anything but—unless you consider fearless, passionate, trailblazing, and hardworking to be wacky.
You could say Carmel had a little wine seeping through her skin from an early age.
Growing up in Delaware, she adds, “I was going to school with purple feet from stomping grapes in the basement, where my father and uncle would make wine.”
The wine bug bit a little later in life when Carmel began visiting wineries in Northern Virginia. “I loved the beauty and atmosphere of the vineyards—and the people,” she adds. Farfelu Vineyards, a favorite spot in Flint Hill, VA, stood out during those visits. Little did she know that a wine bar of the same name would come to life years later.
“I always thought Farfelu was a great name for a racehorse or a wine bar. I decided to go with the one that might make me some money,” Carmel says with a chuckle.
Step inside to a cozy, welcoming open space with a long bar and a few high-top tables. Don’t be fooled by the modest “cheese café” in the name—this wine bar offers so much more than expected.
No other wine bar in the area serves the caliber of food offered at the twice-monthly Tuesday wine-pairing dinners. Recently, Carmel prepared Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon, roasted chicken with stuffed leeks, French onion toast, and made-from-scratch desserts like Italian rum cake and German apple crisp.
A menu of always-available items includes imported-from-Italy charcuterie and cheese boards; fig, prosciutto, and caramelized onion flatbreads; caprese salad; and a weekly small-plate feature.
The wine list is well-rounded and rotates seasonally, featuring hand-selected Old and New World wines you won’t find at the grocery store. There’s something for every palate—like Grüner Veltliner from Austria; Pecorino and Prosecco Rosé from Italy; Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington State; Garnacha from Spain; and many more.
Weekly wine specials are offered during Tuesday Ladies’ Night, Wine Wednesday, Thirsty Thursday, and French Friday. Take a deeper dive into varietals from around the world and winemaking techniques with the newly added Saturday wine education series. There’s also live music on Fridays—and keep an eye out for a new book club and wine club coming soon.
Another event close to Carmel’s heart is Corks 4 A Cause. Guests choose their favorite charity and volunteer hosts pour wine in 45-minute shifts over a three-hour period. All tips, 5% of retail sales, proceeds from gift card raffles, and online donations are given directly to the selected organization.
Past events have benefited causes such as the Red Cross—for local hurricane relief and California wildfire recovery—Baby Basics, Our Mother’s House, and others, raising over $15,000.
There’s always something going on at Farfelu—and if this is wacky, I’ll drink to that any day of the week!
Follow along on Facebook, facebook.com/FarfeluWineCafe/ and Insta-gram @Farfeluwinevenice to stay up to date on weekly events and specials.
