Uva Wine Bar FAQ
Uva Wine Bar opened in June 2019 and since then we’ve received a lot of questions from our customers. No question is a bad question, so we’ve listed them here in case you’ve been meaning to ask…
Q. Where did the name Uva come from?
A. Uva means “grape” in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.
Q. Is Uva a Franchise or chain?
A. No. Uva is independently owned by 2 best friends – Katy Gaenicke and Michelle Manware.
Q. How do you choose your wines?
A. We taste a lot of wine every week! We work with a select list of premium wine distributors and ask them to bring us wines that come from smaller boutique wineries around the world. We want wines that people have not tried before, feature a wide range of grape varietals and are competitively priced with other well-known wine labels.
Q. How much does your wine cost at Uva?
A. Our wines range in price from affordable (around $7 per glass) to expensive wines that you would not typically order (around $26 per glass). The majority of our wines fall in between the $10-13 per glass range, just like any other restaurant. For all of our wines, you have the opportunity to try them with a 1.5 oz taste or a 3 oz half glass, without committing to a full glass.
Q. What happens if a bottle empties mid-pour?
A. You will only be charged for the amount of wine that pours through the machine. If the bottle empties half way through your pour, it pro-rates the amount charged on the wine card. The red light will come on and a staff member will come over and change the bottle.
Q. Can I pay in cash?
A. Yes. We take a credit or debit card when you come in so we can open a tab and give you a wine card, but we don’t charge you until the end of your visit so you are always welcome to pay with cash instead.
Q. If I like a wine, can I buy a bottle?
A. We can only sell wines for consumption at Uva. You are welcome to buy a bottle of wine, but it must be opened at Uva. The state of MA will not let a business have both an “on-premise” liquor license and an “off-premise” liquor license at the same business.
Q. How do you make sure people do not “over indulge” if it is self serve?
A. The wine cards at Uva are programmed to only disburse 18 oz of wine per hour. If somebody reaches that max, the wine will not come out of the machine and the screen will show how many more minutes you have until you can pour wine again.
Q. How often do you change your wine offerings?
A. We introduce new wines every week. We’ve had some wines that are best sellers since we opened and we still have those in the machines, but the majority of our wines get changed out on a regular basis so you can always find a new wine to try at Uva.
Q. How should I tip at Uva since it is a self-serve wine bar?
A. To be perfectly honest, the whole staff works hard to make sure your experience at Uva is the best it can be. We do not expect tips to be the same as at a full-service restaurant, but we prepare and deliver your food, make sure your wine glasses are spotless and help guide you through the wine selections. Tips are at your discretion but most people tip around 15% at Uva.
Q. Do you sell beer?
A. YES! We offer a variety of craft beers from our neighbors, Mayflower and Second Wind Breweries. We also have Bud Light, Sheppy’s Hard Cider and Truly hard seltzers.
Q. Do you have live music?
A. We have live music every Friday night and occasionally on Sunday afternoons.
Q. Can I buy an Uva Gift Card?
A. Yes. We sell them in the bar and over the phone. If you buy over the phone we will mail the gift card to you (but we cannot mail it to your recipient).
Q. Is Uva pet-friendly?
A. We love pets, but we can only welcome service dogs at Uva.
Q. Is it OK for me to bring my baby/child to Uva?
A. We are family-friendly at Uva. We ask you to use your best discretion, but babies are welcome during the daytime and kids are allowed, but obviously they can’t drink any alcohol or operate the wine machines. We have juice boxes for the kids (it’s not on our menu, but just ask).
See you at the bar!
