Uva and Trevi: Two Cape Cod Wine Bars For Summer Sipping

When VinoDuo packs up for our summer on Cape Cod, we load the car with cases of wine from our collection, from Vinho Verde and Italian Rosato for Lisa, to Brunello and Bordeaux for Gary, and well-aged Napa Cabs for us and our Cab-crazy friends. Why schlep all the wine?  Because the Cape has a lot of things going for it, but wine ain’t one of them–at least on the Upper Cape. The further south you go, towards Wellfleet and PTown, the better the wine choices in restaurants and shops.   Most liquor stores near us are packed with beer and spirits. Wine [often the Usual Suspects] comes in a weak third. Sadly, many of the Cape’s top restaurants follow suit, with a bland selection of reasonably-priced corporate wines, big name, high priced wines and a few Whispering Angel and “White Zinfandel” offerings for the ladies. One fine-dining exception is Lune in Dennis Port. It’s up for a James Beard award for Best New Restaurant and boasts a short but inventive wine list by the glass and bottle. Last summer at Lune we discovered the Summers-Salters Rosé 2023 from Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah of Sonoma, which made our Best of ’24 list.         The Old Standby: Trevi Wine BarWhen we feel like going out for wine, we always head to Trevi, a lovely wine bar and cafe in Mashpee Commons.   Trevi’s by-the-glass list changes regularly and typically includes 10-12 white wine selections, 3-4 rosés, and a dozen red wines. With 100+ full- and half-bottle options, the list is heavy on U.S. and Old World wines, with an occasional sprinkling of emerging wine regions. While there are plenty of name brands on the list [Frog’s Leap, Banshee, Josh] there are enough under-the-radar labels to keep us coming back for more.     The food at Trevi is quite good, if not to the level of Lune or Bleu, a classic French restaurant in Mashpee Commons. The full menu includes small plates, shareable dishes, salads, and entrees. We regularly order the pear salad, burger, duck tacos, hummus, and the occasional bolognese.   Uva Wine Bar: A New Kid in Town.Until recently, Trevi was the only wine bar on the Upper Cape. It now has company, thanks to the December 2024 opening of Uva Wine Bar…also in Mashpee Commons! In fact, it’s spitting distance from Trevi. Fortunately, the two venues can happily co-exist, since their business models, menus, and wine offerings are distinctly different.     Uva is a self-service wine bar, a bit like the Automats of olden times. Like its Plymouth, MA sister bar, Uva Mashpee features 48 different wines via self-pour dispensers. Give your credit card to the greeter and start exploring. Feel like a glass of rosé? You’ve got two choices: a Grenache blend from Domaine de la Bastide, Cotes du Rhone, France [$2/oz] and a Pinot Noir from Bodega Garzon Reserve, Maldonado, Uruguay [$2.25/oz]. Bring your glass up to the nozzle, select a 2, 4, or 6 oz pour, and press “play.” Ready to spend big bucks for “Reserve Red?” Uva’s got four on tap, from the acclaimed Post & Beam Cab by Far Niente, Napa [$3.75/oz] to a pricey Isoceles red blend from Justin in Paso Robles [$5.63/oz].     For wine lovers on the lookout for new tastes, Uva offers an innovative selection of wines from lesser-known regions and smaller producers. Step outside your comfort zone with a small pour from Uruguay, Greece, or Argentina without blowing $20 on a full glass. The option to design your own flight–say, four 2 oz pours of Cabernet from the New and Old World–is a treat. [One demerit to Uva for not suggesting interesting flight pairings to customers.]   If you’re hungry, Uva has a small selection of flatbreads, charcuterie boards, and dips, but does not serve full meals. A perfect stop for a light lunch, happy hour, or pre-dinner indulgence. We’re delighted to now have two wine bars so close to home. And while the wine resting in our basement is likely better–and less expensive–than the ones on tap at Uva or Trevi, the convivial nature of both bars will draw us back once summer comes around.