KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — It's a cool little spot nestled in downtown Knoxville, the perfect place to sip wine: The Double S Wine Bar.
The owner, Steven Sansone, has a whole world of wine knowledge to share from his time working in California wine country.
"Wine is a conversation waiting to happen," Sansone said.
The drink is a true passion for him, but it wasn't always something he felt passionate about.
Sansone served in Afghanistan as a Marine, and when he finished there, he was stationed in Hawaii.
That was where he tried wine for the first time.
"Took it on the beach, popped it open, and I was like 'I like the stuff,'" he said. "I got the guys to put down the bottle and have a glass of wine with me."
Then, he started studying up, learning everything he possibly could about wine.
"That bouquet of aromas, the layers, the actual characteristics of the wine, how it should be and the influence that winemaker has to make it into their own expression," he said.
When his service was complete, he went to school and became a sommelier, which took him to cool wineries all over the world, from Napa to New Zealand.
"I found a job working at a taste room at Cosentino, got exposed to Mitch Cosentino, which became my favorite winemaker in this galaxy," Sansone said.
His wine career in Napa was flourishing. Then he met a girl, and that girl wanted to move to Tennessee.
"I came to Knoxville in the Fall of 2017 and fell in love with Knoxville. The sense of community, the location, the growth, everything about it, I just fell in love with it," he explained.
So he decided to bring his extensive wine experience to a new downtown spot.
"I was looking for more of an upscale vibe, but still warm and homey," Sansone said.
He found it in a storefront on the 100 block of Gay Street. He renovated the space and opened the Double S Wine Bar. It features all domestic wines from California, Oregon and Washington.
He takes pride in every single glass he pours.
"It's amazing when you open up that bottle. Sometimes it captures memories and moments in life, kind of like time capsules. It's fun to come around these beautiful hidden gems and you're like okay, I get it. I get why people are into this," Sansone said.
The Double S Wine Bar has live jazz every Thursday and will soon start beginner Argentine Tango classes on Wednesday nights.