More and more I've been hearing and reading about wine bars. They have been around for awhile in most metropolitan cities, and hopefully the trend will soon find its way to small towns.

I just find the whole idea of a wine bar really cool. I am not much of a mixed drink sort of person. Other than scotch and an occasional beer, I really don't drink anything other than wine when it comes to my alcohol of choice.

Here's an inspirational story of a group of friends who are getting ready to open their own wine bar in Gainesville, Florida:

Hoping to capitalize on the increasing interest by Generation Xers and Baby Boomers in drinking wine, two couples are opening Dionysus, a Wine Bar, in the Tioga Town Center on Newberry Road this fall

In what one of them calls "a second marriage, of sorts," Chris and Staccie Allen and Bob and Kerrie Mitrione are embarking on the joint venture that has already had them doing a year and a half of planning, researching, learning and - the fun part - visiting other wine bars.

The four - all emergency room nurses - were looking for an investment opportunity when the Allens visited New York City and frequented a wine bar managed by Chris' cousin.

"We just hung out and stuff. It hit us that this was becoming a big trend in major cities the past two or three years," Staccie said.

Upon their return they got together with their good friends, the Mitriones, and hatched the plan to open a wine bar here.

"There's nothing really like this for young professionals to go to, particularly this part of town," Chris said, acknowledging there are other bistros and small restaurants like Panache and Wine and Cheese Gallery offering selections of wine.

"But those are not the same. We're focusing on the wine, and won't be serving full meals, but only salads, appetizers, desserts and cheese and fruit plates. And we want to serve customers who don't necessarily want to go downtown," Chris said.

Kerrie, who grew up here, said, "There was no place for people my age to go out and have fun." She noticed the Town Center going up, and thought, "This would be a perfect place for a wine bar."