SIDNEY — A new business, Austeria Wine Boutique, is coming to downtown Sidney. Owned and operated by Andrew and Taylor Bowsher, licensed and registered sommeliers, Austeria Wine Boutique will bring a combination of a wine store and winery to Sidney.

The Bowshers have been working on the boutique, coming up with new and unique ideas to offer to the community, for three years and hope to be open to the public by the end of May 2023. The couple moved to Sidney, from Columbus, when Andrew accepted his current position as the Sidney City Manager. The move was a two-in-one for the couple. Not only did Andrew accept the City Manager position, but the couple also felt like the constantly-improving downtown area in Sidney was the perfect place to start their new business venture. The couple were also looking for more of a small-town life than what Columbus could offer and the discovery of the availability of the building at 109 S. Ohio Ave. in Sidney was too great an opportunity for them to pass up.

“The dream kept evolving over those three years. I think we knew what we wanted and we were looking in the town where we were living at the time, in a suburb of Columbus, and when this opportunity opened up we really kind of jumped in,” said Andrew. “Not only am I going to be able to move up in my career and be the next City Manager in Sidney, but also we’re going to be able to do so many other things and be able to do this dream.”

Taylor and Andrew are planning to offer a wide range of wines and even charcuterie boards and tasting events. The wines will range in flavors and prices and include local, national and international wines for patrons to choose from.

One of the goals for Andrew and Taylor is to take their patrons on a trip around the world through the wine they offer. The couple plans to offer wines that are natural, bio-dynamic and from small family vineyards at a variety of different price points. Some of the couple’s inspiration for the business comes from their own personal experience with wineries and vineyards they have visited during their travels.

“For us, it’s about the connection of place, the terroir of the grapes and how a certain kind of grape grown in this region is going to taste different than some place else. Our goal is to bring to life the true nature of these beautiful small businesses and what they’re able to do both in the vineyard and in the winery to be able to produce great wine,” said Andrew. “We know that there is going to be some education involved because there’s going to be some sophistication, but there’s also going to be just good tasting wine. Wines you’re going to be able get for $10-$15 a bottle and you’re going to pop it open and think that it’s an $80 bottle of wine and it’s because we’ve done the work, we’ve done all of the maneuvering around to find these small producers that are going to bring you some great tasting wine.”

The inventory of wine at Austeria Wine Boutique will always be changing. According to Andrew, there will be between 400 and 600 different wines on display and for sale at the boutique.

“We want people to be transported to these areas when they take a sip,” said Andrew. “We’re going to take you on a journey to these local areas that are in France and Spain and Italy and California and you’ll get to experience it the way that they do.”

“We want it to be a little different, I’m sure you’ve probably seen like a wine shop where you’ve been able to go in and purchase bottles. That was the main driver, but we also wanted to incorporate a winery type of feeling,” said Andrew.

The winery aspect brings the tastings, wine flights, charcuterie and other various small foods like sandwiches. Patrons can choose from various wines on tap for tasting or just to have a glass or two, but they will also be able to purchase bottles to take home or to drink in the boutique. Including wine tastings and various charcuterie options means there will be plenty of space for patrons to come sit and enjoy the atmosphere.

“Our hope was to provide a destination in Sidney for people to taste and explore new things,” said Taylor. “We really wanted to bring the wine forward and pair it with a tasting menu. We really wanted to play on the downtown revitalization and create a destination that is walk-able and really exciting to draw, not only residents of Sidney, but residents of the Dayton region at large.”

The couple plan to host a variety of tasting events and would like to partner with other local businesses by doing tastings, food pairings or wine menus for local events.

“We really think it’s important to support the other businesses and the community in that regard,” said Taylor.

Andrew and Taylor are working with Freytag and Associates and Suttles and Sons to create a functional space that provides a “moody and intimate” atmosphere that can be flipped to host after-hour events such as bachelor/bachelorette parties, bridal showers or other intimate events. Then on various nights of the week, they want to invite local artists to provide live, acoustic music to contribute to the environment of the boutique.

Austeria Wine Boutique will also offer various educational opportunities to share their expertise. One of the ways the couple is planning to share their expertise is through a Wine Club where patrons who sign up will receive a monthly or annual delivery of two to four bottles of wine to try. The Wine Club packages will be curated selections and sent with a postcard to share information on the winery or vineyard that created the wine and if there is a personal connection to the couple, such as a wine from a vineyard they have personally visited, they plan to share that as well. Once the Wine Club is up and running, Austeria Wine Boutique will offer local delivery and shipping to other areas.

Once all of the permits are secured for the business, the boutique’s website, austeriawine.com, will include e-commerce for the entire inventory of Austeria and will be the main platform for the Wine Club.