Classy Wine Bar and Bistro!

Laurie and I are always looking for a new dining experience.  When we saw several recommendations and plaudits for a new wine bar and bistro, we didn’t waste much time giving it a try!

As you can see, this is the “Water into Wine Bistro and Lounge”.  There are at least 2 other restaurants/dining opportunities in this upscale strip mall just west of the Turkey Creek Shopping Center.  At the time of our visit in June, this establishment had been open for just one month.

The interior of Water into Wine is warm and comfortable with a big “U” shaped full service bar, plus both high and low tables.  In the area behind the bar there are 2 ‘living room’ settings for parties of 4 or so plus a larger table that looked like it could seat 8 patrons.

What we didn’t know until our waitress informed us was that during “Happy Hour”, until 6 PM, all wines were at ½ price.  Nice!!  It can pay to eat an early meal…  (Incidentally, by 5:30 PM Water into Wine was very busy...)

Since I have gout and red wine is not my ‘friend’, I stuck with a couple glasses of Chardonnay.  My first choice was “Wente Morning Fog”. ($9.00/$4.50 half price) For my second glass I took full advantage of the half price deal.  I had a glass of “Toad Hollow Francine Unoaked” which would normally cost $14.00.  Both wines were very nice and smooth with the Toad Hollow being slightly more distinctive.

Laurie started out with a glass of Pinot Noir, choosing “Woodwork” at $8.00/$4.00 half price.  She switched to a Malbec for her second glass, going with “Maipe” at $9.00/$4.50 half price.  Both wines were very enjoyable but she liked the “Maipe” a little better.

Now for the important part…at least from my viewpoint.  I’m not a big drinker but I am a big eater!  Laurie and I decided to explore the Dips, Boards, Pinwheels, Salads and Artisan Flats and Shares that populate the small plate menu at Water into Wine.  We ended up with a couple of “Shares” to start us out…

This offering was the Cold Cucumber Amuse Bouche or canapé’s. ($8.00) Sections of English cucumber were topped with a smoky Boursin cheese blend, cherry tomato and balsamic drizzle.  It was very nice!

Our other ‘share’ was this Salami Rosette Canapé. ($12.00) These seasoned crustini were topped with stone ground mustard spread, salami puree rosette, goat cheese and fresh dill.  We really liked this small plate! 

The only suggestion would be that the bread/crustini should be sliced uniformly thin…like the 2^nd and 4^th ones on the plate above.  Even I had a tough time fitting the thicker crustini in my mouth to take a bite!

For a food finale, we ordered the large Charcuterie Board. ($18.00) This “Board” included Prosciutto wrapped asparagus, Salami dux Elle with pieces of baguette, spicy Chorizo sausage, shaved Prosciutto, smoked turkey and mustard cheese.  It was accompanied by a few pickled vegetables, and the chef’s choice of fruit jam and relish to complement the selection. 

We really enjoyed this Charcuterie Board.  I usually think that these types of offerings are skimpy and expensive for what you are served.  It wasn’t so in this case.  There was a lot of flavorful food to nosh on… We would have liked to have a few pieces of pita bread to combine with the goodies on the board but otherwise, this was about as good as it gets!

Service was competent and our waitress was friendly and helpful.  The owner also stopped by the table to ensure that we were satisfied.  We definitely will return in the near future.  Water into Wine Bistro and Lounge is located at 607 North Campbell Station Road in Knoxville Tennessee.  They are closed on Sunday and Monday.  Phone: 865-392-1586.  Website: www.waterintowineknoxville.com.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by and checking out this new Knoxville area food and wine experience!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave