Fine drinks and eats at D’Vine Wine & Bistro

The name says it all. This casual, classy wine bar and bistro is all about good wine, good café-style food, and friendly folks on both sides of the longest mahogany bar in Carson City.

D’Vine Wine is the perfect upscale place to congregate for conversation at the bar, perched on padded stools at high tables, seated in a private dining room or outside on the airy patio. While wine is the focus (they have nearly 100 to choose from), there is also a full bar and a good selection of draft and bottled beer.

Located just around the corner from the Capitol Building at the corner of Stewart and Musser Streets, the place is popular with the legislative and working professional crowd. Off the main drag (hwy 395) the patio is quiet and pleasant for outside dining.

Inside, warm woods, stucco and tile create a Tuscan feeling. The spacious rooms invite customers for a light mid-day meal, after work libation, or casual dinner. “This is just what Carson City needs,” said one patron. Owners Kim and Chris Donner couldn’t agree more.

Chris is a graduate of the Culinary Academy in Hyde Park, New York. The concept for D’Vine Wine & Bistro is his vision for a place where people taste, enjoy, and learn more about wine and enjoying wine with food in comfortable, relaxed environment.

The genuinely likable Kim manages the front house while Chris selects the wines and creates dishes to complement them. He is still fine-tuning to focus the menu on popular bistro items like the special house crab cakes, Panini sandwiches and wraps, plus a soup and salad bar that includes hot items of the day like barbequed ribs, chicken or salmon – all you can eat for only $11.99. When you’re hungry, I’d say that’s the best deal in town!

Prices across the menu are very reasonable, ranging from a $9 Caesar salad, $10 for assorted appetizers, and dinner choices from $12 to $15. Wines are well-priced, too -- $6 to $12 by the glass and $20 to $50 by the bottle.

On two visits, I sampled the crab cakes, Caesar salad, and a plentiful cheese board with more than enough for one or two to share. Two good-sized crab cakes were nicely spiced, very moist and fresh, and had a tender, crunchy crust. These tasty cakes can be ordered separately ($12) or over Caesar salad ($14). Either way they’re very good. If you prefer your salad lightly dressed, I suggest you request this or ask for dressing on the side.

The cheese board ($11) is a satisfying assortment of five gourmet cheeses, mild Molinari salami, baked sourdough crostini, and tiny sweet wine grapes. This combination makes a perfect appetizer or even light supper with a glass of wine. Add gourmet olives for a dollar more.

I enjoyed the cheese and other goodies with a lovely, layered Pinot Noir ($12) from Laetitia Vineyard & Winery on the California Central Coast near San Luis Obispo, a great region for Burgundian wines. With the crab cakes, a perfect wine match was a fruity, fragrant Pinot Gris ($11) from Handley Cellars in Mendocino County.

Chris certainly knows his wines and provides a good selection by the glass and bottle. The wine list changes often to provide variety, but don’t despair. If you find that a wine you like has disappeared from the list and it’s still available, Chris will get it for you.

In addition to enjoying wine on premise, you can buy by the bottle or case. The D’Vine Wine gift shop is also a good spot to find perfect gifts for wine-loving friends. Ask about special gift baskets with wine, cheese, and wine accessories.

Location: 200 N. Stewart St, Carson City
Phone: 775-882-7766 Hours: Mon – Thurs, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fri and Sat, 11:30 a.m. to midnight. Closed Sun.
Weekly events, tastings and seminars, live music every weekend, private parties.
Learn More: www.carsonwine.com