Wine Down Tastings & Tapas

I know that this restaurant is alot better than the experience I had there a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately, I can’t speak to what normally happens there.
The atmosphere is beautiful. Nicely decorated with booths, high top tables, bar seating and beautiful stone alcoves with couches and coffee tables.
We had a reservation and 3 parties walked in at the same time. The hostess helped the party in front of us, then another hostess walked around our group and helped the party behind us. Leaving the 6 of us in my party standing at the hostess station being ignored. Finally someone looked up at us and asked if we had been helped. Not the best way to start the evening.
Once our table was ready…15 mins past our reservation time, we were seated. We sat there awhile before our waiter approached. We placed our drink order which was an ordeal in itself as they didn’t have any «berry» drinks that night because they were «out of season». This seemed odd to me considering I bought all different kinds of berries at Kroger that morning. Although we didn’t know this until after our waiter came to deliver the drinks and attempted to give us random other drinks, we did not order, in place of the berry ones we had ordered. When we questioned this he became extremely flustered and another server came and she tried to clear up the situation. We said we would keep the drinks, but not pay for them, he responded «Someone’s got to pay for them!» Needless to say we had the incorrect drinks taken away and ordered other non berry drinks. My first drink was a summer mule. Tasted like juice with no ginger at all. I sent it back and the second was perfection, delicious and refreshing.
The meal got better from here, as the servers seemed to be able to relax and become more personable and attentive. We ordered the ostrich and crab deviled eggs. The eggs were good but the ostrich was so chewy it felt like I was eating a trampoline. I enjoyed the Shrimp and Grits as my entrée. It was seasoned perfectly, creamy and delicious.
I can’t count the number of times throughout the evening we were told that the kitchen and bar were backed up and that this is the busiest the restaurant had been since opening. I am sure that it was a stressful evening, but my philosophy on the matter is, don’t let them see you sweat. We didn’t need the chef coming from the kitchen and stopping at our table to remind us of this, because our poor experience was a reflection of the inability for the restaurant to handle a busy Saturday night in Fort Wayne.
Unfortunately my overall experience on this occasion was not the best, but with that being said, I am open to going to Wine Down again because I am certain that my experience was abnormal.

Love this place! I have been here many times but I must say last week Gary made the best Old Fashion I have ever had!

Wine Down is a unique gem to downtown Fort Wayne! They have multiple self-​serve wine machines that allow you to try as many varietals as possible! I have dined at Wine Down multiple times and even after having fun with the wine machines, I always go back to their cocktail menu. As a fan of ginger, I love a good mule. They also have a bourbon version! Who wouldn’t love that?! Their cocktails are all original recipes. They make all of their syrups, no artificial ingredients. When it comes to food, Wine Down’s staple is tapas styled plates (small, shareable portions). However, they also have large plates for more of a dinner feel. I love the bison meatballs, asparagus spears, and the pulled pork wontons. The avocado she’ll salad is also the perfect portion for one person. So refreshing! The atmosphere is cozy and intimate. Perfect for date night or girls night out. The bar area is spacious and there is also an outside patio used for seating in the late spring, summer, and early fall.

Beautiful lil place. Great spot for a romantic evening or happy hour with the girls. Extensive drink selection. I ordered an inexpensive glass of Moscato off the menu and it was great. The food was just ok. So either go super hungry (so that you don’t notice its sub par) OR drink your dinner. I ordered French Onion soup whivh did not have cheese on it-​thats criminal in and of itself. Also sweet potato fries with a pumpkin espresso catsup. Best value. And i ended the night with an Apple Crostato. The dessert had AWESOME flavor but was overcooked, tough and difficult to eat. In addition, it wad topped with raw apples which was good to look at but a bad decision for overall taste. A friend ordered the cookies n cream skillet and raved about it for the entire 2 minutes it took her to inhale it. So that’s ehat I’m having next time.
Will visit again soon but won’t be having dinner there.

I was out on a date last night at the wind down, I so love this place it was so grown and sexy the drinks are amazing it’s plenty to choose from, they even have there own specialty drinks, the food was pretty good. Just got a couple appetizers. The place was packed so please make a reservation. Hoping to good back soon.

Great time at wine down. Excellent place to hold Unilocal’s event. The service was excellent the food was amazing. We enjoyed great drinks and tapas. Met some new friends. Looking forward to returning for a romantic evening.

I tried wine down and tapas at a Unilocal event tonight. I had the chance to meet the owner and he was very nice and helpful explaining the wine selection. I really enjoy wine and loved the pour it yourself experience. it almost made wine tasting less threatening because if you didn’t like it there was no bar tender you had to smile for… you just could move on and poor yourself a glass of something you liked. We also got to try a sample plate and I could have eaten a whole plate of the Buffalo chicken skewers but if you don’t like spicy food you may try something different. I loved the atmosphere and will definitely go back again with friends!

The bar is amazing, cocktails are a must have here! Best service in town! Food is delicious of course too! You MUST stop here

I was in town for a mixed business/​family trip, and wine down blew my mind. I felt like I was in a Manhattan wine lounge, until I got the check — then I was pleasantly reminded that I had indeed landed in the salt of the earth Midwest! For food, highlights for me were the old world board and the buffalo balls. For drinks, I’m more of a cocktail man than a wine man, and this place has a Sazerac that brought me right back down the Mississippi to my old haunts in New Orleans. What a find!

This place has a nice selection of wines in that you can buy a card and then sample many different wines… at a cost. As far as «Tapas» I can’t recommend. The dish we had was ostrich on a bed of mashed potatoes. It was tasty, however did not qualify to be on a Tapas menu. Nor did a lot of other dishes. It’s been my experience when dining at Spanish style Tapas bar, there are dozens of small plates with small portions to share with your guests. There was not a lot of selection in this regard.
The difference between value and cost is value is what you get and cost is what you pay. We didn’t feel the value warranted the cost. We will continue to frequent Paula’s on Main, Club Soda and Cork and Cleaver.

I liked this place. It’s a little hoity-​toity without being over the top. The «cave» like rooms with the comfy couches are intimate while still allowing you to enjoy them in a group. The servers are very informative AND extremely upfront about the concept (i.e., they tell you to watch yourself when you’re shamelessly swiping that «credit card”-like card at all those wine machines). The appetizers/​small plates are well-​executed, large portions and scrumptious. Great for a group or a date. If you go on a date, I’d recommend getting a table «upstairs» instead of down at the bar, which can be a little noisy. Love that you can either do the wine machines or just order wine at your table.

I really like this place. The ambiance inside & out is awesome & the owners are accommodating, friendly & hands-​on. The wine vending machines are a great concept & a nice, fun way to experience new wines, but they also offer ‘normal’ drink service. I love the Old World meat & cheese board, the pâté & bleu cheese slaw. If you’re there & the weather’s good, enjoy the outdoor patio overlooking Parkview Field. They are active on Facebook & you can follow for special events, tastings & entertainment.

I tried Wine Down on Saturday night ⁸⁄₂₂ after having dinner at another downtown eatery and decided to walk in and check it out. This place is very swanky and impressive, you can sample any wine or purchase a full glass by simply selecting how much you want to receive on the electronic dispensers. Great ambiance, outdoor seating, I really hope this place makes it in Fort Wayne… I will definitely be back to try the food along side the wine! Recommend checking it out! Its places like this that may help get Fort Wayne OFF the «most boring city’s» list.

Love this place. Great décor, concept and location. Terrific wine selection, cocktails and oh yeah, the food. One of if not the best all around dining experiences in the Fort. Will definitely go back. Thanks to Gary and Jerry for the outstanding service.

«It wasn’t me» by the classic artist Shaggy, and the musical stylings of Creed aren’t among the musical selections that I would expect to hear when I’m having wine and tapas. The restaurant is absolutely beautiful, but the wine tasting bar is positioned right in the doorway, which made getting tasting samples problematic.
As for the dining experience, all seemed well until we learned that almost half of the items listed on the menu were no longer on the menu. My heart was broken when I learned I couldn’t sample the Espresso Chili or the Gourmet PB ‘N J. Also, a waitress had to come ask for one of our cocktail menus, so it seems like it’s time to make up some more, updated menus. Overall the food was good. The BBQ Bison meatballs were my favorite, but food items didn’t come out all at the same time, and the staff seemed a bit confused. Our waiter was apparently a bartender as well, and some of the other servers were on phones and seemed inattentive. The wine selection was good as well. I thought the pricing was a bit high for Fort Wayne, but nothing too crazy. It seems like this restaurant was designed without keeping the location in mind.

Wine and tapas – what more could a girl want? Great selection of wine… oh and they have a full bar. Great craft cocktails to boast about. The Old World Board is an awesome assortment of meats, cheeses, and my favorite– olive tapenade. Interior is exquisite and gives other fine dining restaurants in Fort Wayne a run for their money. What’s just as good as the inside? Their patios– fully equipped with the nicest fire pits I have ever seen, lights, music, and an awesome view of Parkview Field. Perfect spot for a romantic night out with the beau or a girls night.

Absolutely terrific experience!!! Everything from the Shrimp and Grits to the Old World Board was phenomenal. The self serve wine allows you to sample and pair any combination of wines you can come up with! The open atmosphere and décor is elegant and relaxing!

Visited Wine Down on a GNO and was super impressed! The décor was so beautiful– very inviting! Our group sat in a cozy corner on leather couches. We sipped on the smoked old fashioned and sampled a few red wines– all were great! Tried the old world board, crabmeat deviled eggs, and asparagus tips. All were absolutely fabulous– fresh and perfect! Service was good, just a little slow on getting us our checks. Won’t stop me from returning though– loved it!

This place understands the concept of tapas. Portions are appropriate for the price and easily shared. I would also recommend sharing the larger portion items. Especially the shrimp and grits! I enjoyed the casual service and didn’t think they were slow. I prefer the European style service where you can order items as desired instead of all up front and being rushed from your table. Plus ever server was professional and attentive; even if they were not assigned to the table.
I absolutely love the concept of selecting your own wine flight or multiple samples. But the layout isn’t the best and can be difficult to maneuver when busy. Sampling multiple wines can get pricey; plus there is not an easy way to check your current bill. I recommend trying 4 small pours then selecting a favorite and get a full glass.
All in all great service, great food, and great atmosphere! I will be back.

Tried the meatballs, the sweet potato fries, the pulled pork wontons for appetizers. Had the shrimp and grits for dinner. All were delicious! The shrimp and grits was such a savory dish I could only eat half. Our server was very knowledgeable, thorough, and friendly. The wine bar on the first floor was a cool concept and was easy to utilize. As all of the appetizers, drinks, and dinner adds up — we’ll probably go there for just a few shared appetizers and drinks in the future. Someone we knew was also dining there and stayed later than we did — quickly finding out they have a two hour limit. I thought it was odd as the environment there really encourages you to stay a while. Between ordering an appetizer at a time and trying various wines — hitting that two hour limit could be really easy when you’re catching up with friends! Overall — the food and drinks were good and we’ll go again.