As we explore the art of fine dining, wine and spirits, we find that that the arts are inextricably connected. Just ask Dionysus himself (or pretend to). The enjoyment of all of the above often blends seamlessly with the appreciation of any given genre of art an any given evening.
Such a blissful synchronicity can be enjoyed at one downtown venue with some nifty added conveniences. At the PiY joint Pour Yours, wine lovers can experience vino in a novel way that doesn’t lack sophistication or atmosphere.
The idea for Pour Yours started with wearable Art Diva and civic leader Lina Teixeira, who has both an appreciation of a good glass of wine and work of art. When she visited her daughter, Bianca, in Italy last year, Teixeira noticed the self-serve wine concept had started trending in Europe and appreciated not having to deal with the daunting task of choosing on the spot in a foreign language.
“Why can’t downtown Clearwater have something like this?” Teixeira thought. “It allows you to have fun and experiment!”
The boutique owner and president of the Downtown Clearwater Merchants Association partnered with Leonardo Caicedo, owner of Fondita de Leo, to open Pour Yours, a new self-service wine lounge in downtown Clearwater.
Pour Yours features original artwork for sale, and a revolving menu influenced by Teixeira’s husband, Franco Persechino. He insisted on heavy tapas.
“Grapes and charcuterie wouldn’t cut it for him,” Teixeira says with a laugh. So Caicedo pitched in with a few filling but affordable surf-and- turf selections.
Owners Teixeira and Caicedo agreed on a few key factors that would make Pour Yours distinctive: It “would have a style of its own and not look too cookie-cutter” — it’s somewhere you can come dressed up or tastefully casual; isn’t too snobbish; nor is too loud or allows smoking.
Teixeira says she also hopes Pour Yours sets an example for entrepreneurs investing in downtown Clearwater entertainment venues. She’s hoping to prove, with her can-do attitude, that it’s possible and attainable for prospective business owners to open a successful spot in the beautified Cleveland Street district. The city center, just across the Memorial Causeway Bridge from Clearwater Beach has been nearly deserted for decades but now has some viable signs of life by way of the popular Clear Sky on Cleveland and Capitol Theatre.
Pour Yours has a “stylish but organic” interior design motif to attract both a younger and mature clientele, says Teixeira.
And how do those self-serve machines at Pour Yours work? Customers slide debit cards provided by Pour Yours into the automated machines that allow them to choose one-, three- or six-ounce pours of 24 wines. At the end of the evening you present the cards to the Pour Yours associate at the register and pay your tab all at once.
Sleek but not too imposing, the lounge combines industrial and rustic sensibilities. Tall tables combine with a sofa and living room chairs. Strung lights and colorful lighting effects add a cheery, dreamy touch. A long table seats large groups, and a more lounge-y seating area appeals to pals playing catch-up and couples wanting to get cozy and settle in with a glass of red or white.
Check Pour Yours’ Facebook page for themed events such as Trivia Night on Mondays and Karaoke Wednesdays, as well as the occasional food-and-wine pairing.
