Allegro Wine Bar in York is a new hangout spot for customers
If you go
What: Allegro Wine Bar
Where: 2549 S. Queen St., York Township, in the Olde Tollgate Village Shopping Center
Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
New offerings: Two wine flights served with cheese and crackers
More information: Visit allegrowines.com
Just a few days ago, Allegro Winery's retail tasting room in York Township was a place where most guests would come to pick up a bottle of wine and be on their way.
But not anymore.
As of July 31, what was formerly a tasting room is now a wine bar, where guests are encouraged to order a glass of wine and spend the afternoon.
If you haven't been to Allegro's location in the Olde Tollgate Village shopping center in the last month, you'll probably notice some changes starting with the furniture and décor.
Five high-top tables — made of large wine barrels topped with round, black tabletops — seat 20 in the center of the room.
"I wanted it to be very authentic winery-looking so that's why we have the barrels," Allegro operations manager Brenda Adams said.
Allegro added the new furniture at the end of June to give the interior an updated look and to invite guests to spend more time in the shop, Adams said.
At each table, customers will find a colorful wine glass centerpiece filled with wine corks and topped with a deck of playing cards. A nearby shelf is also filled with board games like Wineopoly, Backgammon, Chess and Checkers.
"It's just something to do other than visiting friends," Adams said. "We see this trend in wineries — people are interested in coming and hanging out for an afternoon. Being in York rather than (at the vineyard) in Brogue, we thought people would be interested in coming here and staying and having wine rather than perhaps going to a bar somewhere."
Carla Allison, of Dallastown, said she enjoyed the seating area when she visited the wine bar with friends on Friday evening.
"Before it was come in, get a gift and walk out," she said. "Now, it's a nice place to meet up for half an hour to see friends."
As part of the re-decoration, Allegro also added shelves to display retail inventory, like wine racks and wine totes last fall.
But the main change you'll find at the wine bar today is the menu.
Allegro Wine Bar now offers two wine flights: the Quartet (4 oz.) and the Ensemble (7 oz). The flights offer guests either four or seven 1-oz. pours of wines of their choice, served with cheese and crackers. The flights range from $8 to $12.
"Wine flights are for people looking for something beyond our normal tasting experience," Adams said. "You have something you can sit and enjoy. It's not standing at the counter and trying wines. It gives you a more sophisticated experience."
The wine bar also now offers additional wines on its tastings list. Previously, the tasting list included seven wines, but now Allegro offers between 10 and 12, Adams said.
Some of the newer wines include a white sangria called "Tango" and a blackberry and sweet red grapes wine called "Rhythm," she said.
Wines by the glass or by the bottle are also available for purchase at the bar.
The opening of Allegro Wine Bar is part of Allegro's recent expansion, Adams said. Earlier in July, Allegro opened Strasburg Winery by Allegro in Lancaster County and plans to open a location inside John Wright Restaurant in Wrightsville in August. The winery also doubled its vineyard from six to 12 acres in May, and plans to add additional acres of grapes next spring.
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