DIXON, CA (MPG) - There are times a woman just wants to relax with a cool glass of wine after work. There are times some guy wants to take his gal somewhere cozy and with her, discover new flavors of wine or a special brew of beer.  And, there are friends who want to hang out in a living room setting without having to clean up the house first. These are the reasons Amy Grabish wanted to open her wine bar in downtown Dixon.

There were many times she wanted that for herself, but there wasn’t any place in Dixon that didn’t have that ‘bar’ feel, she said.  In her work, she sold wines to restaurants and shops so she had an idea that began as a ‘pip’ in her mind-a grape seed-that grew.

“I saw how Dixon was growing and knew I was not the only one who would like a place like I envisioned,” she said. “I realized I could make it happen. If anyone can do it, it was me and things began to get right in alignment; like learning that the landlord was my former neighbor. He literally lived next door from me where I grew up in St. Helena. That was one more star.”

“First came the idea, then the plan, then the hope,” she said and spoke with admiration of her husband, Larry Fox, a welder who also created the special hand sanitizer stand at the front door. He did “most of everything inside” the beautiful venue including chip away all the old wall covering to expose near perfect bricks. “I love having him to bounce ideas off of,” she said.

The Pip Wine Bar and Shop opened in March at 116 North First Street in the former Firehouse Bistro location.

“I wanted everybody to feel comfortable so designed the floor space for a variety of situations,” she said showing off the spacious floorplan with settings for a single person, a couple, or a group of friends in an upscale living room setting.  It also features a well-stocked retail area toward the back. There is also an exquisite-looking, expansive, solid black marble counter for those who prefer to have tastings while on barstools.

“To come here, you just need to be a good human being,” she said about the fun place, then as an afterthought, added: “And, over 21.”

They have a bar menu with flights of wine, glasses of wine, pints of beer and cider, and a small, curated snack menu which was created so they could open-in order to be served, one must order food, she reminded. There is also a retail area where you can purchase bottles of wine and beer but also sherry, sake and wine-related gift items.

“All of our beverages come from small producers who are real people so you won’t find our products in any big grocery or discount stores,” she said.

Her knowledge of wines from around the world is extensive and one will leave the experience with certainly a better knowledge of what they like to drink. She speaks of imports from Spain and Portugal as if they are as common to her as milk.

“This is my life and my job,” she said nearly glowing with pride and accomplishment. She should feel that way; she has already endured her business getting shut down by the COVID-19 Pandemic just ten days after she opened. During that shuttered time, she turned to online sales and was able to meet customer’s requests via pick-ups, deliveries, and believe it or not-virtual wine tastings.

The company also gives back by donating a portion of their online shop sales to the Restaurant Relief Fund set up for displaced restaurant workers during the shutdown.

For more information, call (707) 693-3069. Open hours are Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Monday 1pm to 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday 11 am - 8 pm. They are closed on Tuesdays.