Photography: Sarah Brooke Lyons

A husband and wife running a restaurant sounds like the premise of a sitcom. Just picture the two arguing with each other and customers about the freshness of the herbs or the quality of wine. Hilarity ensues.

But don’t expect that unprofessional, nonsensical sideshow from Troy and Marisa Fulmer, the owners of 20nine Restaurant & Wine Bar. This husband-and-wife dynamic duo run one of the most exciting wine bars in San Antonio and work as a team to achieve that standard.

“It was always our dream, since we met, to have a family business,” Marisa said. “We’re kind of old-fashioned. We got married really young and always wanted to be entrepreneurs.”

The couple met at a restaurant where both worked during the summer before Marisa went to college. They have been married for the past 10 years, and have worked together for six of those years.

The system of them working together, Troy explained, is dividing the workload according to each of their expertise.

“I think we work so well together because I never touch the money and she never touches that wine,” Troy said.

The result of their labor is 20nine, a wine bar and restaurant that opened in Alamo Heights five years ago. Before opening, Troy and Marisa traveled the world, seeking out wine and wine bars. In each country and city they visited, they took careful observations of what worked and what didn’t.

Armed with this knowledge and an extensive background in the food service industry, they established 20nine.

Troy often likes to say that 20nine is “Chili’s for rich people.”

Laugh all you want, but he makes a good point.

“We serve a high-quality product, but in a fast and comfortable setting,” Troy said.

That quality is especially important to Troy and Marisa. One of the things the couple noticed about many other wine bars around the country was that the food never matched the quality of the wine.

“One of the things we were always well-known for is for being a wine bar,” Marisa said. “I think that the area I would say we’ve grown the most is the food. [We’re] getting to be known as a restaurant and a dining destination.”

The Fulmers strive to deliver a food that matches the standards of their wine. This task becomes easier by employing the talents of Chef Scott Boone.

Marisa describes Boone as a chef who allows the Fulmers to be hands-on in the kitchen while standing for what he believes.

He has both a creative and professional vision when it comes to the food of 20nine.

Boone’s philosophy: “simplicity – to find the best product available that has been produced as close to me as possible, to always love what I do and to never compromise my standards.”

Customers can look forward to the menu changing slightly each season in order to keep fresh ingredients on the table.

The wine aspect of 20nine has always been strong, as Marisa said. Troy has a history of being a buyer for a group of wine bars. As such, he knows his wine.

He also made 20nine one of the few wine bars or restaurants to sell expensive wine by the glass.

“When we came to town, we were probably one of the first restaurants to introduce a $20 glass of wine to the market,” Troy said.

It’s not that he’s trying to get a $10 glass of wine for $20, either. He believes in giving people a good deal on a quality glass of wine instead of making them buy the whole bottle, even if that means making less money.

In fact, he doesn’t like the way other wine bars try to rip off their customers.

“There’s no way now that restaurants can get away with gouging you on wine prices like they used to with technology,” Troy said of customers’ ability to research the wine they’re drinking while on their smart phones.

Although you can expect a diverse selection of quality wine at 20nine, there is one thing you won’t find on the wine list.

“White zinfandel is just a chemistry experiment,” Troy said. “There is nothing natural about it.”

20nine also centers its wine tasting on “road trips.” Customers get the option to choose a road trip of their favorite grapes, be it a merlot, a pinot, etc., and 20nine brings them different glasses from different regions of the world.

At the end of the night, customers can take home their “itinerary,” which shows them what they drank and allows them to take notes. In the end, customers can get an enjoyable experience while trying something new.

It’s clear that 20nine is bringing the best ideas together in its wine bar. Troy and Marisa have an expectation for the best, and intend to deliver the best to their customers.

Don’t believe it? Just read the rave reviews on the Internet.

Of course, Marisa doesn’t read the reviews online. She prefers to talk to the customers face-to-face to gauge what’s working and what’s not working.

Troy, on the other hand, reads the online reviews religiously in order to get better.

“We basically don’t do anything the same,” Marisa said.

With all the success they have had so far, they wouldn’t have it any other way.

For more information about 20nine and Troy and Marisa Fulmer, visit www.20ninewine.com.