Visited Dayton’s newest wine bar, Joui (pronounced Joy) Wine yesterday for a liquid lunch with a friend. Located in the Fire Blocks on Third street, it makes an impression the minute you enter. My guest declared she loved it from first look.

Owner Lauren Gay, the former general manager of Sueno, wanted to put her sommelier talents to work, curating a downtown wine bar and retail spot, something she feels has been missing since The Wine Gallery closed. When describing her new place she shares that “the atmosphere is first and foremost fun. Wine is often times pretentious and stuffy, and it doesn’t have to be. I want the space to reflect the kind of explorative, relaxed approach that I take to wine. The space is bright, and will be full of light colors, flowing shapes, plants, and art. I want it to be a comfortable place for people to bring their laptop and work, grab a light snack, or have a pre-dinner drink. I want it to be a place of comfort and pleasure.”

We were there to take advantage of their liquid lunch and started with the Airmail and the Spiced Apple Bellini.

Then to decide on a snack:

We decided to share the cheese plate:

Along the back end are racks of wine to purchase and their kitchen area.

Overall for our first visit we liked it. We dropped about $40 on 2 drinks and our snack, pre-tip. The service was very attentive and we have no doubt others will find joy here.