U.S. Open's new Club du Bois Wine Lounge becoming a popular spot for fans
Fans purchasing drinks at Club du Bois Wine Lounge at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Tuesday. Credit: Errol Anderson
On the walk past one of the front corners of Arthur Ashe Stadium, adjacent to the Tennis Channel TV tent, it’s hard to miss the bright yellow and white stripes.
Those colors shine along the walls of the Club du Bois Wine Lounge, new to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center this year and at the former location of the Aperol Bar.
The lounge is home to Clos du Bois California Chardonnay and a welcome spot for fans to drink and hang out – whether that be inside with air conditioning and the action from Ashe on the TV, or outside on the patio with a view of the thousands enjoying their days at the U.S. Open. And anyone at the tournament can enter.
“It's been steady,” lounge manager Jason Ferraro, of Astoria, told Newsday on Tuesday. “People really love the patio. The idea that we make the Honey Deuces fresh. We have all these different Chardonnays, three different Chardonnays, and especially – we have Clos du Bois 75. It's a take on a French 75 that we do with gin, prosecco and simple syrup, and also lemon juice. That's been very popular.”
Yes, it’s more than just wine.
Ferraro, in his fourth year working at the U.S. Open, said that people are “really excited” that the Honey Deuce – the U.S. Open’s longtime signature cocktail with Grey Goose vodka, lemonade and raspberry liqueur – is made fresh at the lounge for the same $23 cost. At most U.S. Open venues, the Honey Deuce is served from a tap that has pre-mixed vodka and lemonade before being topped with the raspberry liqueur.
Ahead of last year’s tournament, Clos du Bois was named the official Chardonnay of the U.S. Open. A glass of wine at the lounge, which is poured into a souvenir cup, costs $22.
“They love all the options, and they maybe [could] try something that they haven't tried before, and that's the buttery Chardonnay or the tropical Chardonnay,” Ferraro said. “We have rose, sauvignon blanc … People are just excited to come to the lounge and hang out on the patio.”
Shiva Eswaran, of Detroit, and Hannah Weatherford, of Manhattan, are friends who attended the lounge for the first time Tuesday. The lousy weather brought them to the lounge’s patio.
“Honestly, with the rain and stuff, I feel like we just wanted a place to sit down and kind of vibe, people watch, you know what I mean?” said Eswaran, who has been to the U.S. Open three times. “So that's kind of what we were going for.”
Weatherford said: “It feels very relaxed. A bit of a reprieve from all the people, the crowds.”
Eswaran and Weatherford each ordered a glass of the sauvignon blanc. Weatherford was a “big fan.” Eswaran, who previously has had Honey Deuces, has a new U.S. Open favorite.
“Honestly, I’m more of a wine guy than I am a cocktail guy,” Eswaran said. “So honestly, this probably ranks No. 1, in my opinion.”
The Club du Bois Wine Lounge is part of several drink-related developments at the U.S. Open in the past few years. The $32 Moet Serve, which features Moet Ice Imperial champagne and three limes in a tennis ball canister, debuted this year. The $39 Watermelon Slice, made with champagne, elderflower liqueur, watermelon juice and lime and garnished by a watermelon wedge, debuted in 2025.
Ferraro said the most popular drink at the lounge has been Clos du Bois 75, their signature cocktail that sells for $22 and can’t be ordered anywhere else.
“It's really refreshing, and people really like the yellow straws that go in there,” he said.
The lounge, which also features a full bar with liquor, is different from other drink vendors at the U.S. Open as fans often will have questions over which wine to try.
“The team here is very knowledgeable,” Ferraro said. “Gallo [the California-based wine producer and distributor], who owns Clos du Bois, did a fantastic job training the staff. So any wine issues or questions that people have, hey, we can answer it for them.
“They could just hang out in the air conditioning. They could watch the games live. We play the live feed from what's going inside Ashe, so it's a good environment in here.”
Ben Dickson is Newsday Sports' general assignment reporter. He joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
