Best Drinking Companions

Upscale and delicious don’t have to be complex, and Vinifera Wine-to-Whiskey proves that with its crostinis.

Co-owner John Bisson worked with chef Xavier Smith on a recipe, and after Bisson gave it to his wife and kids, he wanted to move forward with it.

“They were like, Wow, these are really good,” Bisson says. “We thought, This is very simple but extremely nice and high-end.”

They made the peach and prosciutto crostini, which is ciabatta topped with fresh Italian prosciutto, peaches and ricotta that’s baked and drizzled with honey.

“It’s really salty, the prosciutto,” Bisson says. “Peaches and that bit of honey offset that. It gives you that tang.”

The three-for-$15 mix-and-match crostinis have 12 rotating flavors, and the most popular is the Tuscan chicken. All-natural chicken tops ciabatta with Parmigiano-Reggiano, Brie, tomato salsa, red pepper flakes and garlic. Bisson pairs it with red wine. “Red stands up to that garlic,” he says.

The crostinis are a satisfying, unlikely match to the hundreds of bottles on Vinifera’s shelves.

“If you’re drinking the whiskey, you can get really going real quick,” Bisson says, “but the bread seems to fill you up and slow that process down.”

3236 State Road, Unit A, Cuyahoga Falls, viniferawinebar.com