BY CATRINE MCGREGOR
COFFEE IN THE MORNING, WINE AT NIGHT,
JOVINOS IS EAGLE’S NEW FAVORITE PLACE
JoVinos Coffee & Wine Bar is possibly the most “on the nose” named business in Eagle. Start your day drinking “Jo” and end it drinking “Vino.” But if you want to do the opposite, we won’t judge. Though it’s only been weeks since JoVinos’ official opening, it’s already become a second home or office to many locals. At any given time, you’ll find people sitting on the patio discussing the upcoming Eagle Jazz Festival or moms talking about home schooling in front of the fireplace. JoVinos eclectic seating not only includes the fireplace and the patio, but my personal favorite is the very fabulous wood and epoxy high table crafted by WoodLab. Check it out when you go in.
JoVinos has a fun menu of delicious tapas-type items. Their quiche is a favorite as are the avocado toast and the lox toast, but you can’t go wrong with anything you order. You can also get anything to go if you want – and if you’re just looking to get a drink or a grab-and-eat snack, you can do so at the drive-through. That goes for a bottle of wine too.
“We want to give the Eagle community what it wants,” states CJ Cacioppo. “We have partnered with a local craft coffee roaster to create our Italian Espresso Blend and our house Boulder Blend, and we utilize eight other amazing custom coffee profiles including single origin and decaf options. You have plenty of choices when you get your morning coffee guilty pleasure.”
JoVinos is brought to you by the same group that owns and operates Rembrandts and are the principal owners/operators of CACi – two other Eagle favorites. Each of their venues has its own vibe, but also has the same laid-back attitude.
CJ Cacioppo and Dale Willman saw the need or a wine bar and a high-end coffee meeting place that was geared to Eagle’s ethos. The design was the concept of CJ Cacioppo, and his sleek but grounded style hit a bull’s eye.
“Besides great coffee, we have great wines.” Willman shows us a wall of international wines. “This one is from Lebanon – Chateau Musar. The winery was started in 1930 by 20-year old Gaston Hochar and has been family-run ever since.” The winery’s longevity and popularity is due in part to the Hochar family’s friendship with Major Ronald Barton of Chateau Langoa-Barton, who was stationed in Lebanon during WWII. The families remain friends to this day, and Chateau Langoa-Barton’s Bordeaux influences are clearly tasted in Chateau Musar wines.
“Most vintners sell off the majority of their wines and hold back a small percentage. Chateau Musar does the opposite – they sell 25 percent of their production and hold back 75 percent. This allows the consumer to have better access to an older vintage. It’s a great concept.”
As Willman explains their carefully curated list of wines, a woman at the counter is joining the JoVinos Wine Club. For $45 per month, you’ll get two bottles of red wine and discounts on merchandise and invites to a variety of events. Willman chimes in “And we’re planning wine tasting trips in the future!”.
Perhaps these trips will one day include Uruguay, from where Bodega Garzon wines hail. The winery was the top Uruguayan exporter of 2021 and their Tannat Reserva 2015 is in the top 100 of Wine Spectator magazine.
Until these national and international treks are available, you can buy competitively retail-priced bottles of wine to take home, or a small service fee is included if staying to enjoy on premise. A broad variety of wine selections are also available by the glass.
It is a given that the patio will become a dog-friendly place to hang out when summer hits. The beautiful custom “JoVinos” fountain cools us just by the sound of running water, which will be more and more of an asset as the temperatures rise. But until then, there is an outdoor fireplace and plenty of heaters. Don’t miss out on the buzz. JoVinos is a gem.
