Wine bar planned for Conrad

Plans are in the works for a wine bar called Tastings that would take the first-floor corner space at the Conrad Indianapolis and continue an explosion of sidewalk seating at downtown restaurants. The $1 million project would add an entrance to the luxury hotel at the northeast corner of Washington and Illinois streets and include a total of 80 outdoor seats along both streets. The wine bar, offering a rotating selection of more than 100 wines by the glass, would replace the hotel’s indoor Vitesse lounge and serve as the flagship of a small chain based in St. Petersburg, Fla. The concept features machines (shown here) that remove oxygen and add nitrogen to the wine to preserve flavor and lengthen its shelf life. Full story is here.