CLARKSVILLE TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Clarksville’s first wine bar, The Vine on Franklin, opened in March, owned by Army veterans Emily and Jake Trageser.
The business got off to a great start this year, receiving Gold for Best Wine Selection in the Clarksville’s Best contest.
Falling in love, with wine
Emily joined the Army in 2000, arriving at Fort Campbell in 2002 and then deploying to Iraq in 2003. She met Jake at Fort Campbell in 2004, they were married in 2005, and she left the military in 2006. She said her husband served in the Army for 24 years until his retirement in 2016.
After returning to California, the family spent time in the wine producing region of California, becoming more familiar with great wines, always knowing that one day they would be coming back to Clarksville.
Emily Trageser said she and Jake talked for a few years about how cool it would be to open a wine bar, so in 2018 they decided to make a go of it. They began laying out the plans for their new business, with the actual work on the building on Franklin Street starting in 2019.
“What we want to provide is a place for people to learn and discover, and drink wine that makes them happy, but learn about new wines and learn about pairing and learn about some lesser-known wines from regions of the world,” Trageser said.
Along with pairings of cheese, seafood and other delicacies, Trageser added that they have wines from all over the world, including South Africa, Australia and South America.
“If you want something that’s familiar, we’ve got plenty of those wines. We’ve also got other things that you can try if you’re feeling adventurous and want to discover something new. Our food menu provides perfect pairing options for pretty much anything on our wine list,” Trageser said.
Starting a business
When it comes to advice for other service members thinking about starting a business as they transition out of the military, Trageser said it helps if you’re really stubborn, because you’re going to have some setbacks and disappointments.
Trageser talked about the time, effort and paperwork involved. “If you really, really want this to happen, it’s a lot, so make sure if you don’t know something, get somebody who does, that’s really helpful,” Trageser said.
For more
The Vine on Franklin can be found at 128 Franklin St. They are open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 3-10 p.m., Friday 3-11 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m., and Sunday, 1-8 p.m. On Saturday they offer brunch from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and they are closed on Monday.
To find out more about The Vine on Franklin visit thevineonfranklin.com or call 931-338-5904.