Damien Graef, sommelier for Jean-Georges Philadelphia at the Four Seasons, and his wife, Robyn Semien, have opened a wine store in Chestnut Hill called Lovat Square, next to the Evergreen Cheese shop.

Located in the courtyard of 184 E. Evergreen Ave., which encompasses several businesses, Lovat Square opened on Feb. 12, offering a selection of “small production” wines, Graef told the Local.

“For me, something that’s important is that everybody’s farming the right way, and they’re farmers first and making wines in a way that respects the work that went into growing those grapes,” Graef said. “Small producers, off-the-beaten-path wines and regions, those are things that I’ve been passionate about for a really long time. My way into wines was through Italian wines first, and those are all fiercely regional and tiny.”

Graef and Semien moved to Glenside in 2016, often visiting Chestnut Hill. For them, opening Lovat Square has been in the works since 2023.

“Chestnut Hill, it’s really close, and this is sort of our main commerce center. This is where we gravitate towards,” Graef said.

The shop is the first stage of the project, with a restaurant planned for the adjacent building. They’re hoping to open the restaurant side in late fall, utilizing the patio space in front of the shop for seating.

Until the restaurant opens, the shop will serve wine and snacks and will use the patio for seating when the weather is warm.

“As soon as the weather gets nice, we’ll have 70 seats outside, and we’ll be offering more of a full menu with cocktails as well. And then in the late fall, we’re building out our other space across the way, which will have a full cocktail bar and a dining room as well,” Graef said. “We’re going to be expanding our offerings and selections every week. So check in on us and see how we’re growing. I think we’re starting this weekend with a couple of wines by the glass, a couple of snacks, and then we hope to add on to that.”

Graef said the Chestnut Hill Business District has been “amazingly supportive” in the process of opening his store.

He added that his neighbors at the Evergreen Cheese shop and Manuela’s have “hugely supported what we’ve been doing.”

While Lovat Square will be the first restaurant Graef has owned, he has been in the restaurant business since he was 13 years old.

“So I started in this industry as a dishwasher when I was 13. I really wanted to be a chef. I ended up moving to the front of the house and becoming a server, and met some really great wine people that put me under their wing and just fell in love with wine since then,” Graef said. “I’ve been selling wine in one capacity or another for the last 25 years or so.”

Graef and his wife also own a wine store in Brooklyn called Bibber & Bell, which they opened in 2013.

With their new venture, Lovat Square, so close to home, Graef said, “We’re local to this community, and we’re excited for the opportunity to serve this community.”

Damien Graef, co-owner of Lovat Square, opened the wine shop portion of the business on Feb. 13.

Damien Graef, co-owner of Lovat Square, opened the wine shop portion of the business on Feb. 13.