A couple of weeks ago we talked about how popular wineries are becoming in the state of Ohio and what a great asset they are to the older wineries. Well, did you know that wine bars are just as important and are growing just as fast in the state of Ohio? There are more than 6 wine bars within a 30 minute drive of Garrettsville! Over the next couple of weeks I’ll talk about some of the wine bars but before then, let’s talk about how a wine bar is different from a winery.
The main difference between a winery and wine bar is the wines you find at a winery are usually made there at that location. However for a wine bar, they purchase wines from all over the world so you have the opportunity to try wines from areas you may not be able to travel to. A thing unique to wine bars is that many of them offer wine flights (a sample of 3-5 wines) that include a single wine variety (like Pinot Noir) from different wineries. If you were to purchase a wine flight from a winery, you would be able to sample a couple of wines only from that winery.
One thing that amazes me about wine bars is the staff at the wine bars. While I consider myself very wine savvy, the staff members at some of the local wine bars just amaze me. At a recent wine bar visit, my husband and I were debating between three different Pinot Noirs. We asked our waiter for his thoughts between the three and I was astounded that he gave us a very accurate description of each of the wines and an excellent recommendation. Now this wouldn’t have been as impressive if the wine list only had 20 wines but we were looking at a wine list of over 125 wines.
As the wait staff moved from table to table all of them had a different take on each wine but left each table giving excellent descriptions and recommendations. In a conversation at another table, we overheard that the staff attends a series of wine tastings where they need to taste each wine served at the wine bar and make their own notes about each wine. They are responsible for keeping up to date on the wines and other wine news in case a guest asks.
So next time you are looking for some great recommendations or a fun place to spend the afternoon, I highly recommend visiting some of the local wine bars.
Amanda is the Co-Owner of Candlelight Winery in Garrettsville. For more information on other wine topics, please visit www.candlelightwinery.com
