Our Story

Laurie and I began our love affair while sipping a glass of wine.

Twentysomething years ago we were law students at the Ohio State University College of Law. On spring break we traveled to Florida to enjoy the sunshine and each other's company. After our first day on the beach we dined at a small bistro - and ordered a bottle of wine. (It felt like the sophisticated thing to do. Hey, I was trying to impress this cute girl). But the problem is that I knew nothing about wine. So I spotted a green wine bottle that was shaped like a fish and told the waitress we'd have one of those. To this day, I have no idea what kind of wine I was drinking, but what I do remember vividly was the color of Laurie's eyes. It was sharing the meal together and enjoying a bottle of wine that became a marker in our lives. It transformed an "eating experience" into a "dining experience". Sharing, sipping, and falling in love. Wine is magical. It can do that to people.

Fast forward to today. We've been married almost 25 years and our love has endured like a fine wine tucked away in a cellar. We still enjoy wine, but nowadays we know what we are drinking. Wine has become a fascination for us -- another interest that we share together along with our three girls and our six chickens (that's a whole other story). We research the grape varietals, the soil in which they are grown, and the way the wine is produced. Our study of wine has made the experience of drinking wine even more pleasurable.

Our goal at VinoVino is to provide you with a love affair of your own. While we don't serve any wine in green bottles shaped like fish, we do serve wine that Laurie and I have personally selected from the thousands and thousands of bottles on the market. Each wine represents the best in its class - or at the very least, the ones that we think taste terrific. And if you want to know all the things we know about the wine, please ask us when you come in and we will share it with you. Or, if you just want to enjoy a fabulous glass of wine to make your meal a dining experience, simply trust our selections. Spend your time looking into each other's eyes.

And let's not forget about the food. When Laurie and I left the practice of law to open our first restaurant (called Figlio) in Columbus, we were committed to fabulous food by using the finest ingredients available from all over the world. And we are equally committed to that philosophy today at VinoVino. You see, we didn't want to create a winebar that only served wine. Coming to VinoVino is all about making choices about food and wine. Those choices include salads and bruschettas to graze on - and beef tenderloin or fresh fish for a full meal. Food and wine. Wine and food. And the two shall become one...

We look forward to seeing you at VinoVino.

Peter and Laurie