
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF CIAO VINO WINE BAR
Hamilton has come a long way in the last decade. Once a former manufacturing town with empty storefronts and distant memories of prosperity, its High and Main Street corridors are now home to a number of boutiques, bars, hotels, and art spaces. And in November, Ciao Vino Wine Bar added to the vibe with imported wines, sophistication, and heart.
From the interior to the origin to the menu selections, family is at the center of everything at the wine bar. Owner Jana Fiehrer Emmons’s dream to open a bar started in her childhood. Her grandfather owned one in Ross, and the fond memories she made there inspired her to enter the business as an adult.
While Emmons was drafting her business plan, her cousin Elisha—whom she describes as “beautiful, hilarious, full of life”—was diagnosed with breast cancer and later passed away. That same year, her mother had a major health scare.
“Everything changed in that year,” Emmons says. “How I look at life, how much time I thought I had. You can blink and your heart can shatter in that half of a second. Reality and mortality sank in. Now was the only time to do it. Tomorrow isn’t promised so I finally finished the business plan I had started before Lisha got diagnosed. Promised her, and myself I wouldn’t give up until I opened. Then, at least, I know I did all that I dreamt of in life, win or lose.”
The importance of family shows up on the walls of the industrial-yet-welcoming wine bar, which are lined with several generations of old photos of Emmons’s relatives. There are even references to them on the menu; the heritage of the wines at Ciao Vino reflects her own Italian and French ancestry, including a nod to her Neapolitan grandfather, who made his own Chianti.
Emmons— who also owns another Hamilton business, The Main Retreat Salon and Spa—grew up in Hamilton and Fairfield, and she and her husband have lived in the Lindenwald neighborhood of Hamilton for 24 years. “We love Hamilton,” Emmons says. “There is nowhere else we could have imagined opening our first location.”
Ciao Vino shares a building with the Strauss Gallery, and is within walking distance of several other businesses, ranging from a clothing and home décor shop to a candy store and an Indian restaurant.
The menu mainly focuses on European wines from countries such as Italy, Spain, and France, although there are a handful of beers, bourbons, whiskeys, cocktails, and nonalcoholic drinks as well as light bites and desserts available. The wines are predominantly dry, with a few sweet exceptions, such as a Moscato d’Asti and Conca d’Oro Dolce Veleno. For a special occasion, try the 38 Special, a celebration package consisting of a bottle of champagne and either two desserts or a charcuterie board for two. The deal is dedicated to Elisha, who died at 38 years old (prices start at $38).
Though Emmons’s cousin didn’t live to see Ciao Vino open and many customers don’t know her, her spirit is embedded in the place. “She would love it, that is for sure,” Emmons says. “She lives on inside every loud, boisterous laugh, and sip of wine.”
Ciao Vino Wine Bar, 218 High St., Hamilton, (513) 893-9463
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