Fast-growing Vino Volo gives passengers something good to wine about

Want to enjoy a ‘wine flight’ before your flight? Then Vino Volo is the place to be.

This restaurant/wine lounge/boutique wine shop, which invites air travellers to experience the magic of wine country in a comfortable post-security setting, is quickly growing in popularity. Washington Dulles International Airport was the setting for the first Vino Volo in 2005. Today there are 18 airport locations from Newark to Sacramento.

Vino Volo’s stellar wine picks – some locally grown, others from around the world – may be paired with a tasty small plate or entrée.

Smoked salmon rolls and braised pork tacos are among the most popular dishes. The menu recommends various wine and food parings, but Vino Volo’s educated staff is also happy to help you choose the perfect selection.

Wine tasting is offered in ‘tasting flights’ of two or three glasses. One of the novel things about Vino Volo is that travellers can purchase a bottle of wine at street level pricing, and have it specially packaged for travel by staff. Vino Volo also offers a wine club; shipments of three bottles from around the globe arrive at your abode monthly or quarterly.

CEO and founder Doug Tomlinson conceived the clever concept behind Vino Volo. A world traveller, Tomlinson was hard pressed to find a place where he could relax and enjoy a great glass of wine

The décor at Vino Volo is elegant without being pretentious. Comfy chairs are surrounded by power outlets and Wi-Fi, allowing customers to plug-in and get some work done. But customers often find themselves forgoing work and shutting down their laptops to converse with fellow wine tasters instead. Most of the clientele end up purchasing a bottle to go.

Vino Volo, which translates to ‘wine flight’ in Italian, has high hopes for continued success. Natalie White, VP of marketing and services says, “Our mission is to become the world’s favourite wine destination. We want to revolutionise how people experience wine.”

Further growth is set for this year with stores opening in Boston Logan, Denver International and Dallas/Fort Worth airports. The company is also going international, with two locations in the Vancouver International in Canada.