On one of our summer travels, a 45-minute layover turned into a 3-hour layover. And I was traveling with three young children. Alone
“Uh-oh,” was my first thought. “What are we going to do?”
I wandered over to the directory and spied Vino Volo, which looked like a wine bar, and decided to check it out. (Research… right?)
When we walked up, it was like an oasis of relaxation within Dulles airport. There were cafe tables in the walkway, but the store also had nice seating, great jazz music, a comfortable, inviting bar and a retail area with wine and all sorts of wine gadgets.
We scored a table near an outlet so my kids could charge their video games and play at the same time, I could charge my computer (and download a movie from iTunes for the flight) and my daughter was thrilled to use the iPad to watch a Strawberry Shortcake movie on NetFlix.
I looked over the menu, ordered half orders of grilled cheese and some sort of sparkling juice for the kids and a half brie and prosciutto sandwich for myself and the World Noirs flight of wines to taste.
Each glass of wine was accompanied by a tasting sheet, listing characteristics of the wine as well as the price for a bottle.
I was delighted by each of the wines and ended up buying a bottle of the Elusiv Pinot Noir to share with my husband once he joined us on vacation. Conveniently, they also sold padded cases to keep the wine safe in my bag.
When the food came, I enjoyed my sandwich, which was a nice break from the typical airport fare, but the grilled cheese was a bit too gourmet for the kids. I ordered a meat plate with salamis and the like and my kids were happy again.
In what seemed like no time, our layover neared its end and it was time to board the plane to Boston.
I hoped our next flight that Saturday (which my husband would be flying with us) would go through an airport with a Vino Volo location and, sure enough, it did.
I shared my new discovery with him and this time we asked permission to bring in more kid-friendly food, which was graciously granted. My husband and I enjoyed a few glasses of wine, a meat and cheese plate and another delightful layover was over quicker than I ever expected it to be. I almost felt like I was on a date with my husband!
On your next flight, check to see if there is a VinoVolo location in the airport (there are 12 locations now) and turn waiting time into relaxation time.
Have you visited Vino Volo or any other airport wine bars? What have your experiences been?
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