When Caffvino Coffee and Wine Bar opened in the Heights last August, the plan was always to be a spot for coffee and pastries during the day that transitioned into serving wine and desserts in the late afternoon and evening.
The brainchild of Andy Adams, formerly of The Corkscrew and his business partner Chuck Russell, who headed Solero and Farrago, Caffvino set out to be a neighborhood spot with a chill vibe and welcoming atmosphere.
While Caffvino may have been ready to serve wine, it couldn’t do so legally until February 17, when it officially received its liquor license. Now, customers can call for a glass any day after noon.
They’ll find around 20 options by-the-glass and bottle, all of it selected by Adams, who built a following at The Corkscrew for his non-pretentious approach to wine.
“This is all stuff I like to drink,” he says of his list. “It focuses on small distributors, small production. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”
Translation: customers shouldn’t get too attached to a selection, as specific wines will come and go quickly. Instead, they can approach it like a never-ending wine adventure. And Adams is happy to be the tour guide on such a journey, whether it’s for wine newbies or those who can already wax lyrical over vintages and varietals.
Caffvino is launching its first Corkscrew U wine tasting experience on Thursday, March 19 at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $20 and Adams intends to offer at least four different wines for sampling, along with snacks. In a post about the class on Facebook, those singing up are told to expect an experience heavy on “audience participation,” and that they should “be prepared to be chatty because believe me, Andy is.”
Adams has always been about making wine feel approachable for his customers, and he sees the wine classes and wine service at Caffvino as continuing that tradition.
“We wanted to create a fun, relaxed space here, where you come in in the morning and get your coffee to start the day, and you come back and have some wine and end the day with us,” he said. “I’m not gonna rule out some kind of scaled-down version of wineapalooza, but I think smaller, intimate wine events are going to be great.”
On a recent Saturday, couples sat on the sun-dappled porch sipping wine, while a few folks sat at tables in the side room working on laptops. Adams was behind the bar, sharing one of his current favorites,
“This mother will change your life,” he said, pouring Marques del Silvo Gran Reserva Rioja into a glass for a customer. “I love to find wines that punch above their weight, and Spain delivers on that constantly. Finding a reserva at this price point is just a treat. And it’s light enough to be enjoyed without food.”
It sells for $10 a glass and $38 a bottle.
He also recommended the 2024 Lapis Luna Sauvignon Blanc from California’s North Coast.
“Basically, it’s a California price point, but it drinks like it’s from the south of France,” he said about the wine, which sells for $9 a glass and $36 for a bottle.
