Inland Northwest entrepreneur Jackie Casey is taking over the former Blue Cat Vintage space in the Sprague Union District with two separate wine-related businesses.

The northern portion of the building at 1919 E. Sprague will be home to Pinot’s Palette paint-and-sip studio, which Casey is relocating from 319 W. Sprague, in downtown Spokane.

In the south, street-facing portion of the space, she is opening 1919 Wine Cellar.

Pinot’s Palette is expected to open this week, and 1919 Wine Cellar is scheduled to open March 28.

“Initially, I was just looking to move Pinot’s Palette,” says Casey, who also owns the Coeur d’Alene Pinot’s Palette studio. “We were looking for a space that had free parking and is a little bit easier to park and get around.”

The east Sprague location was perfect for Pinot’s Palette, Casey contends, but the 6,000-square-foot space was much bigger than what she needed.

She considered sub-leasing a portion of the building but decided to check off a longtime goal instead.

“Something in the back of my mind is that I wanted to open a wine bar someday,” she says.

Previously a wine sales representative, Casey spent a lot of time in popular wine destinations, like Napa Valley and Sonoma County, in California.

“It’s always been a passion of mine,” she says.

1919 Wine Cellar will feature a self-pour wine dispenser.

Customers can load a card with money, use it to select the wine they want, and then choose between two-, four-, and six-ounce pours.

“You can pick the size of your pour and try it before committing to a full glass,” Casey says.

The self-pour machine has a feature that puts CO2 into the wine bottles, which keeps the wine fresher for longer after they’ve been opened.

“You can have more high-end wines in there, but you can get them by the glass,” she says.

At restaurants and bars, Casey explains, customers often have to buy an entire bottle when they want to order higher-end wine.

The wine bar will offer a mix of local wine and those from around the world, ranging from affordable to higher-end bottles.

1919 Wine Cellar will also have a traditional bar and bartenders.

“We also plan on having a large variety of beer, cider, and seltzers,” she says.

Small, prepackaged food items will be available to start, but Casey plans to offer more options down the road. 

“In the meantime, people are more than welcome to bring in any snack or takeout,” she says. 

Board games will be available for customers also.

“We plan on just making it a really cozy space, bringing in some cozy chairs and couches,” Casey says.

1919 Wine Cellar will take up about 1,500 square feet of the building. Bathrooms will separate the wine bar from Pinot’s Palette.

“Pinot’s Palette also has a little wine bar in it as well," she adds.

The new Pinot’s Palette location will be much more spacious than the downtown studio was, particularly the private-party room.

Pinot’s Pallete is a Houston-based franchise with studios located throughout the country. Casey opened the downtown Spokane studio in 2014 and the Coeur d’Alene studio the following year.

The business offers painting classes for beginners, at which an artist walks attendees through a step-by-step process of painting.

“It’s not fine art. It’s fun art,” Casey says.

Attendees can enjoy wine, cider, or seltzer while they paint.

Guests of both Pinot’s Palette and the wine bar will have access to an adjacent parking lot. Street parking is also available along Sprague Avenue.

Casey says she looks forward to becoming part of the Sprague Union District.

“It seems like a lovely up-and-coming area,” she says.

Pinot’s Palette has 15 employees, and 1919 Wine Cellar will have about five, some of whom will be artists that work at both businesses.

Pinot’s Palette is open daily with varying hours that are available online.

1919 Wine Cellar will have more limited operating days initially, likely Thursday through Sunday, but will gradually increase days over time.

Small Bites

*Domini Sandwiches reopened this week at 107 S. Howard, just blocks away from its original location at 703 W. Sprague.

The popular Spokane sandwich shop had closed in December when its owner, Tom Domini, retired. Domini sold the business to a longtime employee.

*Dave’s Hot Chicken opened last week at 6100 N. Division, in North Spokane, just south of the Tomato Street restaurant. The restaurant’s menu centers around chicken tenders and chicken sliders that are available in seven different spice levels.

Dave’s Hot Chicken, a franchise that now has over 200 restaurants worldwide, was founded in 2017 by a group of friends in an East Hollywood parking lot.