If you’ve never been to Vino Volo, my friends, then you are in for a real treat! A few weeks ago, the Cincinnati airport became home to one of these marvelous hideaways and it’s a must-stop for Kentucky wine lovers who fly out of CVG.
As much as I love airports, I have to say that most of them are fairly devoid of peaceful hangouts, and even further lacking in restaurants that don’t serve junk. Enter Vino Volo: part wine bar, part wine shop, and part tapas restaurant. They offer wines by the glass, flight, or bottle and a selection of lunch/dinner plates designed to accompany the wine. The focus is educational, and most Vino Volos are more spacious than you would expect. Most locations even offer free wi-fi, which makes Vino Volo a great alternative to the airline clubs if you’re looking for a quiet space to get some work done.
My only experience with Vino Volo to date has been in the Seattle and Detroit airports. I thought the wine selection was well thought-out, and featured some true quality wines that you don’t often see in wine shops, let alone an airport. The food was excellent, again, especially by airport standards, and the pricing was surprisingly reasonable. Unfortunately, the pricing is probably the least consistent piece of Vino Volo since some airports have stricter rules than others about how much markup vendors are allowed to charge (although I’ve never seen a Vino Volo that was outrageous.)
My next trip through CVG isn’t until September, so I’ll have to wait until then to check this location out. I’ll be sure to report back!
In the years since Delta dismantled it’s Cincinnati hub, the airport has been struggling. But it appears, at least according to the news stories coming across my desk, that CVG is experiencing something of a renaissance as of late. It was good of Vino Volo to join the party.
In case you’re curious, Vino Volo also has locations in the Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, New York, Newark, Oakland, Philly, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Francisco, Santa Ana, Seattle, Vancouver, and Washington DC airports as well as a stand-alone location in Bethesda.
Cheers!
Dirt Cheap Wine Country 