Last year, when husband and wife Alex and Kelly Rodriguez adopted Lola, a Golden Retriever/Louisiana Catahoula Hound mix from Golden Retriever Rescue of Mid-Florida (GRRMF), they had no idea it would drive them and friend CF Hawkins to open a wine bar. You see, Lola is sassy and has a penchant for trouble. “When Lola is bad, we call her ‘Lolita’ and when she is bad, she causes us to drink. So, in order to afford to drink good wine, we had to open a wine market. So here’s to Lola!” says Kelly with a grin.

Lolita’s Wine Market quietly launched last week at 16 18th Street South in the Grand Central District of St. Pete. The space is a cozy 974 square feet — just enough room for around 25-30 people. And the vibe is comfortable and laid-back. “We want people to feel like they are coming to somebody’s house, not necessarily to a restaurant that they have to get dressed up for. We like to describe it as a wine shop meets coffee shop concept,” says Kelly.

Lolita’s specializes in wines from all over the globe, not just American or regional wines. The focus will be on boutique wines and interesting blends and varietals. Kelly, who is developing the wine program, said she wants to take a good-better-best approach by offering a little bit of everything — everyday drinking wines, mid-tier wines and some pinnacle wines.