Bookshop turns wine bar

A US store has come up with many people’s dream combination: a wine bar within a bookshop. Prairie Lights, an independent book retailer in Iowa, transformed its second floor café earlier this month to accommodate wine sales.

With a selection of six whites and six reds on offer, customers can buy wine by the glass or bottle from 3-9pm daily. A small selection of mid-western beers is also available, together with a range of cheeses and fresh bread.

The wines tend to come from lesser known producers, but Caymus Vineyard in California also features, since its wines include grapes grown in a vineyard owned by Prairie Lights co-owner Jane Mead.

Far from trying to compete for a share of the local student party scene, employee Andy Osterhaus, who originally pitched the idea, explained: “We just want to provide a relaxed atmosphere where people can enjoy a good glass of wine, coffee, a conversation with friends or a good book.”

The wine bar initiative has proved especially popular with customers attending the bookshop’s regular reading events with visiting authors.

For anyone in Iowa City on 11 December, Prairie Lights will be hosting an evening party to celebrate its new bar, complete with canapés and a wine tasting.

Gabriel Savage, 24.11.09