What Is A Wine Bar?

This may seem like an easy question to answer, but when you are opening a wine bar it is one that must be thought through in order to refine your concept. Over the last 6 months we have visited a lot of restaurants that called themselves wine bars, and a few real wine bars. Some impressed us with their novel thinking and great presentations and others were (in our estimation) really off the mark.

Here are a few criteria that I think make a wine bar:

• Wine should be the focus of the concept with all other offerings to support the wine.
  
• It should have a distinctly different feel than a restaurant. Meaning the emphasis for the look and feel of the space should support the enjoyment of wine and offer a place with the ability to socialize without shouting over music or being forced to sit in a more formal dining style.
• Staff should know the product and be able to assist the customer in making suggestions and answer questions about the product.
• It should be unapologetically for adults. We love kids (and hey, we have 'em) but we want to go to a wine bar to drink wine and socialize with other adults, not wade through children wandering around or hear babies screaming.
  
• A great wine bar offers wine choices based on knowledge and selection, not national press. A wine that has a great marketing campaign belongs in chain restaurants and retailers, not in a wine bar.

Your thoughts? What makes a great wine bar?