1 in 8700: Nancy Weber-Curth of Sparkles Champagne Bar

In the middle of the town of Middlebury, along Main Street, sits a row of restaurants and bars all within 50 yards of each other: Two Brothers Tavern, Otter Creek Bakery, Samas Café and the Champagne and Sparkling Wine Bar. The Champagne and Sparkling Wine Bar catches the eye, and not just because it advertises alcohol in its title. Who would have thought to place a sophisticated yet peaceful bar in the center of a college town in rural Vermont?

When asked about her unique bar, the first thing owner Nancy Weber-Curth said is, “It’s not the same feel as Two Brothers. It’s another option.”

Options have been a valuable commodity to Weber-Curth throughout her entire life. She has never been afraid to diverge off the mainstream path. Her willingness to explore different options has led her to places as exotic as Baghdad, and yet here she is now, in familiar Middlebury, Vt.

Weber-Curth grew up in Detroit, Michigan in a family of four kids. Her parents strongly encouraged travel in high school, so Weber-Curth elected to spend a summer in France the year before her senior year of high school. That summer ignited an interest in travel that has persisted throughout her entire life.

“That summer made me realize how important it is to go out of the country in high school or college because it gives you a different perspective on life,” she said.

Being immersed in another culture contributed to Weber-Curth’s belief that there is more than just one way of doing things.

After graduating from high school, Weber-Curth went on to St. Mary’s College in Indiana, where, despite a warning from her dad, she majored in chemistry.

“I wanted a challenge, and I knew chemistry was going to be difficult. I loved it though and it wasn’t boring,” Weber-Curth said.

She put her chemist degree to good use after college and got a job working in chemical sales at Sony in Japan. Very few women worked in chemical sales, but once again Weber-Curth embraced the challenge.

While working for Sony, Weber-Curth decided to move from chemical sales to business consulting. She found that business consulting suited her well and allowed her to travel the world. She spent four years on and off in Moscow, training American companies. She then moved to the Middle East where she spent eight years as a business consultant and as Iraq’s country director for a non-governmental organization (NFO).

In Iraq, Weber-Curth lived outside of the green (American) zone because she wanted to immerse herself in the culture.

“There was no air conditioning or heating,” she said. “Twice the windows of my apartment shattered because of car bombs, but I loved learning about how the Iraqi people lived.”

After four years of serving as country director of a NFO in Iraq she stepped down because the NFO wanted the Iraqi to do things the same way as Americans did, and Weber-Curth believes there is more than one way to do something.

“Part of living in the Middle East and training people in the Middle East is that they do things differently than us and they want to do things differently than us,” she said.

Weber-Curth decided to take a break from her job in Iraq and planned on returning, but could not get a return Visa. At this point in her life, she and her husband had moved to Middlebury, Vt. However, she still traveled and spent so much of her time outside of the country that the staff at Burlington airport would call her by her first name. Never one to dwell on the uncontrollable factors, Weber-Curth accepted that she would not be going back to Iraq and began pondering what her next venture would be.

The idea for The Champagne and Sparkling Wine Bar came to her while she was drinking espresso in Vergennes Laundry, a French bakery north of Middlebury in Vergennes. The French bakery reminded her of days in France and the sparkling wine that she used to drink there. Weber-Curth realized that there were no specific restaurants focusing on sparkling wine and champagne in the U.S. because these drinks were saved for special occasions, not used as the main product of a restaurant.

To Weber-Curth, every day is an occasion and therefore a Sparkling Wine and Champagne Bar was the perfect idea for her new business. Weber-Curth created a menu that offers wines from all around the world. She also offers cheese and chocolate from many local markets. The mix of international and local aspects creates a menu that offers a variety of options for all customers.

As you enter the main vessel of the restaurant there is a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt on the wall that says, “Do one thing every day that scares you.”

Running a storefront has kept Weber-Curth in the U.S. for over a year, which is the longest amount of time that she has been in the country since college. However, from the wall decorations to the menu, The Champagne and Sparkling Wine Bar embodies and shares Weber-Curth’s admirable, adventurous and enthusiastic way of life.