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The recently renovated Bine & Vine bottle shop in Normal Heights

The one part of Bine & Vine that has yet to be renovated shows just how far it's come

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Believe it or not, there was a time when craft-stocked bottle shops weren’t in every neighborhood throughout San Diego. Sure, there was craft beer, even the local variety, but it took awhile for the retail world to focus on any of it. Two of the very first liquor outlets to go heavy on craft were Escondido's Holiday Wine Cellar and Imperial Beach's South Bay Drugs. Geoi Bachoua was one of the early adopters working to scavenge fine ales and lagers for fellow enthusiasts while involved with the latter interest, back in 2003. Today, he owns Bine and Vine (334 Adams Avenue, Normal Heights), one of the better stocked, well respected bottle shops in the county.

Bine and Vine is the type of ale and lager depository where rarities from other parts of the country and the world are in good supply, along with nearly-impossible-to-procure brews from the likes of Russian River Brewing Company (Pliny, anyone?). The guy even got Alpine Beer Co., a company that, for the longest time, wouldn’t even take on new accounts, to brew a special beer to celebrate his store’s three-year anniversary. An IPA brewed with coveted Citra, Simcoe, and Mosaic hops (it’s actually the first Alpine beer ever brewed using Mosaic), it sold out in a mere three days. On top of all the quality beer, there’s plenty of mead, ciders (none of which contain high-fructose corn syrup), sake, and fine wines procured by an on-staff Level 2 Sommelier…who’s also a certified beer judge. Bottom line, the place is legit, and it recently got better.

The special IPA brewed by Alpine Beer Co. to celebrate bottle shop Bine & Vine's third anniversary

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A recent visit turned up an almost-completely revamped Bine and Vine. What once resembled a convenience store with drab colors and faux brick facades now looks much classier. Two walls lined with illuminated refrigeration units are framed in black. The ceiling is similarly onyx and outfitted with light fixtures hovering above wine bins. While I was there, numerous regulars sauntered in, and were visibly and happily taken aback by the night-and-day change. The renovations put Bine and Vine right up there with similarly luxurious Brother’s Provisions in Rancho Bernardo as the most nicely appointed beer outlets in the city.

And Bachoua’s not done. He plans on moving his check-out counter and turning the current register space into a tasting bar that figures to open sometime in 2015. In Bachoua’s words, he wanted to make his store a place that looked the part of a standout spot for fermented beverages. Even only partially complete, that mission’s been accomplished.