I’d been following the DiVine Wine Bar on Facebook for awhile. An ugly work site slowly gave way to classic touches and a modern space. I could already tell that this was going to be awesome.

And then finally, the grand opening was here and I made sure I got there right at 5 pm. (There’s a chance that I was outside waiting before 5. I really wanted wine that day.)

The gorgeous warm colors greeted me as I walked in. But like I said, I wanted wine. Bad. So I almost ran to the counter.

“What do I need to do?” My eyes glanced over at the self-serve wine machines. Did I not mention that? Because that was what I was most excited about.

“Well, it works with a card. You put a minimum of $10 on it and you use it to get a taste or a glass of wine from the machines. It’s as simple as that.”

“Put $20 on one,” I blurted out. Once again, I was anxious for wine.

He took my credit card and quickly added the money to my new friend, the wine card. He gave it to me and I was free to get my wine.

I walked along the wall of wine machines, contemplating my choices. I flirted with a cabernet. I thought about holding hands with a Pinot. And then I finally decided that a Malbec would be my date for the evening.

Now here’s where I got confused so you don’t have to: I slid my card in and out quickly like you would with a credit card machine and couldn’t understand why wine wouldn’t come out. I tried this several times and still no wine. I finally left the card in and lo and behold, WINE! So when you go, be sure to leave the card in the machine to get access to the good stuff.

My glass was filled and I went to claim a comfy chair as my own. Natural light poured in from a skylight above. Touches throughout honored Findlay’s past, while the wine bar itself was ushering in Findlay’s future. It felt familiar while still being a brand new concept to our downtown.

And for those that are not fans of wine? There was a cooler full of alternative drinks for you. So this is perfect for wine drinkers and non-wine drinkers alike.

For me, I spent my night comfortably curled up in my chair with a fantastic glass of wine. DiVine Wine Bar is a fantastic place to unwind after a long day, and I definitely will be back to do that again and again.