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Home > Blogs > Uncorked > Archives > 2009 > October > 07 > Entry
Big changes on tap for Springboro wine bar
SPRINGBORO — Bella Vino, the wine and spirits bar at 495 N. Main St. (Ohio 741), has a new manager and new plans for the future.
John C. Feltz, who previously managed the wine department at the Trader Joe’s store in Kettering, is now the “location manager and wine enthusiast” at Bella Vino, the wine bar’s partners announced in a news release.
Former Bella Vino manager David Sauer, who had very much been the public face of Bella Vino, said his last night was Saturday, Oct. 3.
“The partners wanted to go in a different direction, so I decided to move on,” said Sauer, who now works for Heartland Payment Systems. “I still have a small ownership in (Bella Vino), but no other involvement … . I hope things move in the right direction.”
Feltz, a Fairborn native and 1984 graduate of Carroll High School, holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Dayton. He spent part of his youth working in his family’s vineyard in West Milton. Heritage Vineyard ceased production by the mid-1990s, in part because Ohio’s cold winters wreaked havoc on its grapevines.
Feltz was busy in the wine bar this week taking inventory and making plans for Bella Vino’s future.
“We’re going to make this a destination for wine lovers” in the region, Feltz said.
Bella Vino will expand its tasting program so that there is a wine tasting every day at least for some part of the day, Feltz said. And he will look to expand the number of wine classes and special events.
Bella Vino is also taking steps to more fully utilize social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook to connect with the community and customers, Feltz said. “This is going to be a 21st Century wine bar,” he said.
The wine bar will offer a variety of hot and cold appetizers, Feltz said.
A news release also promises “by-reservation tastings with truly special wines and in-depth presentations on winemaking, food pairing, and wine tasting,” as well as new cocktails and spirits tastings. The wine bar has a full liquor license that allows it to serve spirits as well as wine.
Bella Vino is owned by Craig Coy, Kevyn Coy, Dave Girouard, Charles Walsh and Sauer. It opened as Mulligan’s wine shop and was Grapes of Ruth wine bar from 2003 to 2007, when it was purchased by its current owners.
For more information, call (937) 748-3807 or email bellavinomerchants@yahoo.com.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: Local wine news
Comments
By boss
October 9, 2009 11:27 AM | Link to this
Really liked Dave. Sorry that he left.By Too Many?
October 8, 2009 4:26 PM | Link to this
Jon is right. Do we have too many wine bars? Not sure, I guess we have about 6 or 8 in the Dayton area. Food will enhance sales, but truth be told the Springboro local, although nice, is situated with families who are interested in raising kids not glasses. Drinking and driving has made it a pain to have fun drinking. It is a hard business. To a grocery store it is an add on (wine sales, tastings) and with a restaurant it gets drunks involved and has great mark up appeal. Stand alone stores rely on a few people to spend good money each week. All the twitters and twatters and flickers will not allow me to drive drunk. Figure that out and you many have something.By NLV
October 7, 2009 5:03 PM | Link to this
I will miss seeing and talking with Dave.By JJ
October 7, 2009 4:46 PM | Link to this
I think John will do a great job. I’ve enjoyed discussing wine with him at Trader Joe’s. My husband and I love visiting the different wine stores in the Miami Valley and always look forward to a new or improved one. We have several friends who do the same. I think Bella Vino will do great. I plan to pay them a visit.By jon
October 7, 2009 2:20 PM | Link to this
I hope your plans go well, but there is not enough of a wine following in the Miami Valley to support stand-alone wine stores, you need something else, liquor, groceries, etc…..Thats if you plan on making a profit. I think people see those 50% markups and fall in love with the idea, until they see that the wine market in Miami Valley just isn’t that big.