Westminster, Maryland, has its unique indulgences – coffee at the Pour House, chai at Starry Night Café, Guinness at O’Lordan’s Irish Pub, hot dogs at Harry's, apple pie at Baugher’s Orchard. But for something quite different, Westminster now has “Wine Me Up!,” a pleasant new wine bar located in a refurbished building at 61 1/2 East Main Street. It’s a great spot to meet up with friends and try out new wines.
Wine Me Up is run by husband and wife team and Westminster natives, Tony and Patrice Campitelli. The wine bar opened in early January, 2008; an official grand opening is evidently planned for March. For those looking for drinks other than wine, the tavern also serves imported beers, microbrews, Bellinis, and Japanese sake.
Upon entering the tavern, patrons first notice the rich gray-green walls, glass-topped wicker tables, and dark pub seating. The charming building is narrow with very high ceilings. The pressed tin ceiling and overhead air ducts have been painted a warm brick red. Black-eyed Susans burst from wooden boxes scattered about on the tables.The old wood floors have been restored. On the walls are framed photos of artist Christo’s fabric installations. One of the owners, Patrice, says she expects the artwork to change out every six weeks or so. She said originally the walls were adorned with framed posters from past Maryland Wine Festivals, held annually at the Carroll County Farm Museum grounds, but now they display the photos taken by a local artist.
Large shelving holds the many bottles of wine available for purchase, among them chardonnay, merlot, malbec, and shiraz. There is a five dollar corking fee. Seating is available at the intimate tables or at the hand-painted bar in the rear. With seating capacity at just 35, the tavern is a cozy spot to have a glass of wine and enjoy the atmosphere. The super-friendly staff is well-trained in pairing drinks with food. The menu offers light-fare items like cheeses, dips, brie melt with apple slices, goat cheese and olive bruschetta, and even cheesecake suitable for enjoying while sipping wine. On a recent evening, the staff suggested the bruschetta paired with California pinot noir. Wine Me Up offers free “Wine Nose” club memberships with discounts on featured wines. The owner stated that, "Wine Nose members will be invited to events where vineyard owners will speak and can try new wines, even help us select new items for our own cellar."
In the future, the tavern plans to hold wine tastings and to offer "wine flights" of three or four wines to enhance the wine-tasting experience, similar to those of other nearby wine bar venues. The owners will create custom gift baskets for special occasions. They also expect to offer live acoustic music. Until then, the owners will take note of the expressed desires of their customers.
Parking:
Available at meters on Main Street (free evenings and weekends) and in the garage behind the building.
Hours:
Monday through Wednesday 3:00-10:00pm; Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 12:00-10:00pm.
For more information call 410-857-1511.
Source:
“Wine Me Up!” website and personal visit
