Margaritas and Martinis were the go-to drinks for a night out a few years ago but these days, wine is all the rage.


Growing up, I always thought that wine was a drink for people in my parents' generation. Twenty-somethings were seen with a vodka cocktail topped with a sleek lemon twist or something pink and carbonated with raspberries floating it it - never a simple glass of wine. But now, wine bars with fancy, exotic food are the hot new place to be on a Friday night, not to mention my new obsession.

This summer Bar Bouchon, soon to be named Bar Bouche, opened up in Madison and has remained popular (and packed) since. The Lyon-style cuisine and affordable wine has gotten national attention and even sparked some controversy with well-known chef, Thomas Keller, who happens to own a "Bar Bouchon" in Beverly Hills, Calif.


What's in a name?


While I haven't visited the hot French restaurant, I did find myself at a Spanish tapas wine bar in New Haven this weekend called Barcelona. The food is a tad pricey, but the quality surpasses most of the food I have eaten in my life.

Barcelona, New Haven

The cozy, candle-lit, edgy restaurant makes you want to drink wine - and nothing else. I have a feeling that these restaurants, which already exist in places like New York and LA will be popping up everywhere soon; before people know it, they will be draped over a chair next to a marble-topped bar holding a glass filled with a rich, berry colored merlot.