Twelve Eleven Wine Bar + Provisions — Restaurant in Sister Bay

My husband and I frequent Door County every fall and this year was our first spur-of-the-moment visit to Twelve Eleven as we were staying in Sister Bay and looking to enjoy some wine during the day.

The establishment itself is very cute and trendy, the outdoor space is very inviting with blankets, fire pits, chairs, etc... and I can see it being a great place to hang out on nicer evenings (sadly it was too cold when we visited even with the fire).

As far as the wine, I was surprised to see that they did not offer any form of enjoyment other than full glasses or bottles. Most wine-related establishments in Door County have some form of tasting, flight, etc.. when it comes to their wines. The party who entered after us asked as well so it must be a common request. When reviewing the menu, the bartender/server stated that all of the reds were dry and when I shared what my wine preferences were, she did not really have much of a recommendation "Um, you could try _." It was a little lacking in the type of experience you would expect from a wine bar. We ended up going with a Cabernet Franc which was very enjoyable and we had multiple glasses.

As far as the food was concerned, I would definitely recommend bringing your own. I was a little put off by the "make your own charcuterie board" as it was definitely mis-marketed. Due to not having a license to serve food, they have shelves of snacks and coolers of food that you can purchase to "make" it yourself (i.e grocery store style). It was a decent selection of items but overpriced and definitely not a "make your own charcuterie" that you would expect upon reading the menu. I'm all about a great charcuterie board but $10-15 for a small package of cheese and $9-12 for a small box of crackers plus cutting/prepping everything yourself (they provide you with the board/knife) was a bit steep. We ended up caving and getting a tub of cheese spread and some pretzels - which were tasty, don't get me wrong - but for $17? I would expect a little more.

My only other comment is a little out there but upon arriving, I noticed that both a reed diffuser and strong scented candle were being used. After a minute or two of being close to them, I was getting really overwhelmed by the smells and ended up sitting closer to the door to get away from it. I was surprised to find such strong scents in a wine bar because it could throw off your experience/ability to enjoy the wine but maybe I just have a very sensitive nose.

Overall, it was a very cute spot with great potential. I hope one day they get their food license to be able to expand their offerings and I could see us revisiting to enjoy the outdoor area when the...

This place was so cute! My husband and I had a few glasses of wine (I got rose, he got the Pinot noir), which were both so good we got a bottle of each for home. They have a nice little selection of local cheeses, meats and snacks to build your own charcuterie board, which we loved! The woman working was super friendly and made us feel right at home. Since it’s our first time in door county, she gave us the low down on when to plan our next visit, and laughed when my husband asked her some pretty dumb questions (like does egg harbor have an egg harbor restaurant, he’s from Illinois… don’t hold it against him) We decided we wanted to get a few appetizers to-go from the place next door and we were able to enjoy our wine and cheese while our food was made. Since it was rainy, the patio was closed, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the space. They have a small selection of super cute Wisconsin souvenirs like hats, candles, cribbage boards, etc. Super cute, bright, and esthetically pleasing....

Back here for round two, and it’s still hitting all the right notes. Shelley, the bar manager, hooked us up with wine suggestions like a pro DJ spinning tracks. Opted for the DIY flight 'cause decisions are tough for me with so many good options, and shoutout to the build-your-own charcuterie for adding a playful twist this time – good times assembling those bites of local goodness.

Can we talk about the garden out back? Seriously, it's like Mother Nature decided to show off. Sipping local wine while taking in that view? Yup, sign me up for more of that.

Bottom line: This joint's a keeper. Shelley's the wine whisperer, the charcuterie game's strong, and that garden's like a natural happy place. Round three? You...