Vino Volo offers wines by the glass, tasting flight or bottle (to go) and a pleasant way to pass the time while waiting for a flight or when your flight is delayed. I recently spent some time in the Philadlphia International Airport (PHL) Vino Volo. I enjoyed my flight of syrahs, although it was a little on the pricy side, and they paired well with the smoked salmon small plate. Pleasant conversation can also be had at the bar in this location, and there are also tables for those so inclined. We at eXpect delaYs will definitely be visiting Vino Volo again. - Gus
SAN FRANCISCO, California, June 27, 2008 – There’s nothing fun about waiting around in an airport. Unless of course, that airport happens to have a Vino Volo wine tasting room. Vino Volo is changing the way people travel by offering a sophisticated respite where travelers can taste great wines, enjoy small plates, and unwind in plush leather lounge chairs right next to their boarding gates. “I actually plan to be in the airport earlier than required so I can enjoy the relaxing break provided by Vino Volo,” confessed one customer. “Great service, food and wine…the best airport experience I’ve had!” raved a guest. Another stated, “You are an oasis of tranquility. I’ve always wondered why good choices are so limited at US airports…you’ve changed that. Please open more!”
Vino Volo has arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW). This will add to the list of highly successful locations Vino Volo currently operates. Nationwide you can discover great wines at the Vino Volo in Washington DC’s Dulles International Airport’s (IAD) Concourse C, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s (SEA) Central Terminal Marketplace, Sacramento International Airport’s (SMF) Terminal A, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport’s (BWI) Terminal A, New York’s JFK International Airport’s (JFK) Terminal 8, and Philadelphia International Airport’s (PHL) B/C Connector.
Each Vino Volo store combines a cozy wine lounge and restaurant, a tasting bar, and a boutique wine retail area into a sophisticated, post-security retreat for air travelers. “Vino Volo is a completely new concept in wine retail and travel. We provide a unique wine tasting opportunity for air travelers looking for a place to spend their time before boarding,” said Doug Tomlinson, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Vino Volo. “We have completely reinvented the pre-travel experience at the airport by offering our guests a comfortable refuge while allowing them to taste and buy extraordinary wines at all price points. We select what we think are the best wines in each price category and organize them into tasting flights.”
Vino Volo (derived from “wine flight” in Italian) offers hand-selected wines from around the world by the glass, in themed tasting flights of small pours, and by the bottle for retail customers to take home or have shipped. The first Vino Volo debuted in September, 2005 at Washington DC’s Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Vino Volo plans to open several dozen more stores in airports across the country in the next five years. Each Vino Volo store will be approximately 1,000-2,000 square feet and will offer air travelers:- a sophisticated retreat from the hectic airport environment
- fun and interactive wine tastings
- small-plate gourmet food pairings, with a packaged “to-go” option
- wine and wine-related merchandise to take or ship home
Customer service is a cornerstone of Vino Volo’s strategy, and Vino Volo invests heavily in educating its talented staff to make wine approachable. A highly trained team of Wine Associates helps guests explore and enjoy Vino Volo’s wines. The company also has a patented tasting framework to ease customers through the wine discovery process. Vino Volo is redefining service in airports, recently ranking #1 in customer service among over 900 airport stores mystery shopped, and winning the highly coveted airport industry award for “Highest Regard for Customer Service” in both 2007 and 2008.
Every Vino Volo location offers elegant small plates to pair with the wines. Diners enjoy items such as locally produced artisan cheeses, dry cured meats, and smoked salmon rolls wrapped around crab meat drizzled with crème fraiche. All of Vino Volo’s dishes are available for guests to enjoy in the lounge or to carry with them onto their flight.
Vino Volo’s focused approach to wine is visible in its list of 25-40 hand-selected wines organized into themed tasting flights of two or three glasses each, including a “Sommelier Series” tasting flight of two extraordinary wines. The list of wine flights rotates regularly. The following are examples of the tasting flights that might appear on the menu:- World Value Reds – value reds from Spain, Chile and Australia
- California Kings – regal Cabernet, Merlot and Zinfandel from California
- Shades of White – top picks for Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio
- Sommelier Series – two of the finest reds from Bordeaux and Napa Valley
- World Noirs – Pinot Noirs from around the world - New Zealand, California and Burgundy
- Great Lakes Whites – a selection of Michigan’s best whites
- Summer Whites – northern Rhone favorites of Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier
- Celebration Sparklers – outstanding selections of festive bubbles
Additional featured flights highlight local wine regions:
- Washington DC store: Taste of Virginia – local favorites that would make Thomas Jefferson proud
- Seattle store: Yakima Valley Whites – stellar selections from Washington wineries
- Sacramento store: Sierra Reds – Zinfandel, Syrah and Barbera from the Sierra foothills
- Baltimore store: Mid-Atlantic Tour – three great wines from Mid-Atlantic wineries
- New York store: I Love New York – top picks from Hudson Valley, Finger Lakes & Long Island
- Philadelphia store: Brotherly Love Blends – selections from three Pennsylvania wine regions
Every wine selection is available by the taste, by the glass, by the bottle, or in a tasting flight, with prices ranging from $6 to $14 per glass or tasting flight, up to the first class splurge flight “Sommelier Series”.
Wines are also available through Vino Volo’s website at www.vinovolo.com. In addition, Vino Volo offers two wine clubs “American Treasures” and “Wines of the World” for enthusiasts who delight in specially selected hard-to-find wines to arrive in their homes monthly or quarterly. Standing behind the Vino Volo team is a group of highly-credentialed investors and advisors with over a century of combined experience in retail, hospitality and wine that include the founder of Ravenswood Winery, the founder of Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, and the CEO of Jamba Juice, among others. Each member of this group sits on a formal Advisory Board and actively consults to Vino Volo on its development and execution. “Taste, Inc. DBA Vino Volo” is the California-based legal entity behind all Vino Volo operations.
