Enter Time for Wine, a sweet little freestanding vino-and-tapas shop that just opened down the way from the restaurant City Hall at 2200 NE 2nd Ave. Owned by an eager-to-please couple, it stocks inexpensive wine, an assortment of tapas, and best of all, its own free parking lot.
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Miami is somewhat lacking in wine shops, particularly those that don't cater to high-end imbibers looking for a bottle to impress their highbrow friends. But Time for Wine is on the opposite end of the spectrum. With minimal markups and a majority of the inventory priced under $15, it's a perfect spot for the smaller-budget, after-work wine drinker.
David Taboada and his wife started the spot as a passion of sorts. They also own a watch shop in Bayside Marketplace, but Taboada was into wine and wanted a place of his own.
He doesn't call himself an expert, just an enthusiast. "This is a never-ending process about wine," he says.
His idea is to offer an extensive selection of affordable wines in a pleasant atmosphere. "Like a warehouse, but pretty, and be able to offer good prices."
They also offer a tapas menu, with nibbles such as meatballs ($6.99), olive dip ($3.99), stuffed olives ($4.25), chicken paninis ($5.95), and ceasar salad ($4.25). A glass of house wine runs $4, as does the corkage fee.
The spot has homegrown charm, with a wine-inspired mural painted on the outside wall and a smattering of tables and potted plants. The interior offers shelves separated by region and another series of tables and chairs. It's a pleasant, chill spot -- and Taboada and his wife are constantly at their customers' beck and call.
So snap up a few bottles and support a local biz. Sure, Total Wine is bigger and badder, but Time for Wine has personality.
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