Vino Sabor Brings a New Era of Sexy, Elevated Wine Culture to Downtown Columbia
- CUBNSC
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
A CUBN Feature Article | By Javar Juarez
A Handsome Entrance into Columbia’s Cultural Future
When you arrive at 1310 Lady Street, Suite B, there is no mistaking that something special is happening in downtown Columbia. The moment you approach the base of the historic Lady Building, the city feels different—more textured, more elegant, more alive. Built in 1921 as a Masonic Temple for the former Gibbes Machinery Company, transformed over decades into the Merrill Lynch Building, and later into the Lady Apartments, the building carries nearly 105 years of Columbia’s history in its bones. Its architecture—handsome, stately, and unexpectedly magnetic—sets the stage before a single glass of wine is poured.
Vino Sabor, the city’s newest Black-owned wine lounge, occupies the ground-floor retail space with a confidence that feels both new and inevitable. The exterior alone accomplishes what many establishments strive for: it offers Columbia residents the feeling of escape within their own city.
Step through the door, and it becomes immediately clear that Vino Sabor is not Main Street. It is not Victorian. It is not imitation. Instead, it delivers a polished, smoky-room sophistication—moody, sexy, romantic—yet still warm and welcoming. It feels like the kind of space you stumble upon in Atlanta, D.C., or Charlotte… until you remember that Columbia deserves beautiful things too.
Two Best Friends, One Vision
Co-owners Sabrina Robinson and Nicole Woods, two best friends and two Black women committed to elevating Columbia’s hospitality culture, conceptualized Vino Sabor after living in cities that offered more sophisticated lounge experiences. They saw a gap in Columbia—particularly downtown—and decided to fill it with something fresh, elegant, and boldly stylish.
“Vino Sabor means a taste of wine,” Robinson explains. “You’ll come for the wine and stay for the vibe.”
The vibe, undoubtedly, is their masterpiece.
Where Location Becomes Strategy
Vino Sabor occupies the corner of Lady and Sumter, a placement chosen intentionally. Its wide windows face both streets, allowing natural light—and the energy of the district—to pour inside. It sits in the epicenter of Columbia’s growth: banking developments emerging across the street, proximity to the State House, and equal accessibility from neighborhoods stretching from Forest Acres to Lexington.
“We wanted a location that was centered within everything,” Woods says. The Lady Building offered that and more, including a history they intentionally honored throughout the space.
Design That Speaks Without Shouting
The interior is a triumph of thoughtful craftsmanship and imagination. The owners partnered with interior designer Lasheba Boyd, described as “talented and phenomenal,” to bring a vision of sexy warmth to life.
Inside, guests will find:
Velvet wallpaper in deep, evocative tones
Wine barrels integrated into the walls
Ambient lighting that flatters everyone who enters
And the show-stopping centerpiece: a custom live-edge bar, handcrafted by a female carpenter from Charleston
The space is intentionally layered, broken into distinct zones: an open main lounge, intimate pockets of seating, and a private wine room enclosed behind dramatically embellished glass. Though visible from the street, the room possesses its own sense of privacy—intimate and exclusive.
Outside, the heated patio expands the experience. With string lights, a small cigar area, and skyline views peeking above the fencing, the patio offers a nostalgic metropolitan feel rarely found in Columbia.
The Long Road to Opening
Though the vision ignited in late 2024, the construction process felt more like a marathon. Design started in December 2024, followed by official approval from the City of Columbia in June 2025. What was projected to be a three-month build became what both owners describe, hysterically and honestly, as “forever.”
But even in the struggle, wisdom formed.
Their advice for aspiring small business owners?
Put your vision on paper.
Secure mentors who have done it before.
Vet contractors thoroughly.
Lean into the ecosystem of support offered by the City.
Columbia, they agree, is friendly to new businesses and sincerely committed to economic development.
City Support That Made a Difference
Robinson and Woods offer high praise for the Office of Business Opportunity, led by Ayesha Driggers, as well as for Mayor Daniel Rickenmann. Early engagement with OBO, the Chamber, and city departments helped them understand timelines, expectations, and available resources.
“People say they don’t know where to start,” Robinson says. “We didn’t either. But you start by using your city.”
A Menu Made for Pairing and Pleasure
Vino Sabor enhances its wine offerings with a thoughtful tapas menu, building a dining experience meant to complement the lounge’s atmosphere.
Highlights include:
Build-your-own charcuterie board
A selection of premium cheeses and meats
Rosemary popcorn
Fig jams and curated add-ons
The showstopper: a turkey and fig sandwich that is, by all declarations, “to die for”
A pear and prosciutto pairing that is as elegant as it is delicious
Local sourcing—especially from area bakers—remains a point of pride.
A Space for Every Part of the Day
One of Vino Sabor’s most compelling features is its dual personality.
By day, guests can bring laptops, hold meetings, or work remotely in a quiet, sophisticated environment. By night, the vibe transforms: soft lights, attractive energy, beautifully dressed guests, and a lounge atmosphere that feels metropolitan and modern.
Columbia has been waiting for this.
Where Community, Culture, and Craft Meet
Vino Sabor is more than a wine lounge. It is a signal.
A signal that Columbia is evolving.
A signal that Black women are shaping the future of the city’s cultural scene.
A signal that downtown Columbia is ready for experiences that rival larger markets without losing its sense of home.
For Robinson and Woods, Vino Sabor is a love letter to Columbia—a place where elegance meets comfort, where history meets new energy, and where community meets craft.
Visit Vino Sabor
Website: www.vinosaborwinebar.com
Instagram/Facebook: @vinosabor
Email: info@vinosaborllc.com
Vino Sabor is more than a taste of wine.
It is a taste of the Columbia many have been waiting for.
CHEERS!