A wine bar is a tavern -like business focusing on selling wine , rather than liquor or beer . A typical feature of many wine bars is a wide selection of wines available by the glass. Some wine bars are profiled on wines of a certain type of origin, such as Italian wine or Champagne . While many wine bars are private "stand-alone" establishments, in some cases, wine bars are associated with a specific wine retailer or other outlet of wine, to provide additional marketing for that retailer's wine portfolio. In countries where licensing regulations allow this, some wine bars also sell the wines they serve, and effectively function as a hybrid between a wine shop and a wine bar.
8-526: Wine bar chains in the UK include All Bar One . Although the trend of wine bars in the United States was not well received in the 1980s, they began to gain popularity in the 1990s. By early 2000, wine bars became very popular and started popping up in many metropolitan neighborhoods across the country. Wine bars now rival the local hangouts such as coffee shops and local bars. The wine bar phenomenon offers
16-577: A former director of Slug & Lettuce, designed a similar chain for Yates Brothers Wine Lodges called Ha! Ha! Bar & Canteen , which first opened in February 1998 in Bristol; Mitchells & Butlers bought the brand's 22 pubs for £19m from Bay Restaurant Group in September 2010, converting some of them to All Bar One bars. Bass Leisure Retail opened another chain, Edward's , in the late 1990s that
24-410: The 'taste before you buy' philosophy. Wine bars add a new dimension to wine tasting . They seek to remove the association of wine with upscale clientele and overwhelming wine lists and replace it with a more casual and relaxing atmosphere. Many of these bars are furnished with nooks and cozy booths encased in rich colors and plush surroundings in hopes their guests will linger. Wine bars look to embrace
32-557: The chain. Jeremy Spencer, a friend of gastropub -inventor Mike Belben , was responsible for creating the brand. In 1999, Jeremy Spencer was replaced by Karen Forrester (who previously ran O'Neills, and who now runs T.G.I. Fridays UK) who stayed until May 2001. In August 2001 it opened its first overseas establishment in Cologne . Bass Leisure Retail (BLR) became Six Continents in June 2002. As of 2016, there were "close to 50" outlets in
40-419: The intellectual stimulation linked to wine and offer an alternative to the bar scene. The laid-back environment lends itself to a good socializing setting with a less crowded feel and more intimate appeal. Modern wine bars have begun to incorporate a larger variety of foods. Traditionally associated with cheeses and desserts, wine bars are looking to combine wine with appetizer-sized gourmet selections to enhance
48-567: The palate. The concept brings the tastes of fancy restaurants to a dressed-down setting. Restaurant owners and chefs sometimes take the opposite approach and use wine bars as an opportunity for expansion. All Bar One All Bar One is a chain consisting of 56 bars in the United Kingdom, owned and operated by Mitchells and Butlers plc which was part of the Six Continents group (previously Bass ) until 2003. The concept
56-457: Was designed by Bass as a 'female friendly' bar at a time when many pubs and bars were considered intimidating places for single women to go and drink or eat, hence the huge glass frontage, the open plan space and the bright airy interiors. There were huge wooden tables. The design was formulated by Amanda Wilmott in February 1994. This followed the lead of existing female-friendly bar chains such as Pitcher & Piano and Slug and Lettuce . Wilmott,
64-727: Was similar. In October 1994, Wilmott found Mary-Jane Brook and Nelly Benstead to run the first outlet. The first bar was opened in December 1994 in Sutton , London, town centre by Bass Taverns , run by Sir Ian Prosser , who also owned Fork and Pitcher and Harvester . Bass bought Harvester in 1994. In its style, many pub chains have followed where All Bar One led. Five outlets opened in 1995 (including Islington, Wimbledon and Richmond in London). By 1996, Bass had 15 All Bar One bars, 69 O'Neill's pubs and 102 Harvesters. By 1999 there were 46 in
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