When I first moved to Turks and Caicos more than a decade ago, I was dismayed to find out that living in paradise came with a price. 

While my new home had everything a girl could ever want: sugar-fine beaches, perfect turquoise waters, consistently sunny weather and a ratio of five men to every woman (not that that last point mattered to me I was and am happily married), it was impossible to get a decent glass of wine!  I moved to Turks and Caicos from California, so limiting my wine intake was a bit like telling a retriever not to fetch!  If and when I did find wine on a menu, the reds were usually served too cold and the whites too warm.   I compensated by preserving my wine drinking for when I traveled and stuck to the safe stuff here - Corona with lime.

Fortunately, times have changed dramatically and now getting a decent glass of wine is the least of my worries.  Most restaurants here have great wine lists and proper wine fridges! And, now we have our very own Wine Bar to add to our list of dining options.

You can imagine my excitement when Vino Tiempo finally opened its doors this past weekend. Located in the Regent Plaza in the heart of Grace Bay, Vino Teimpo is - yes you guessed it - everything a girl could ever want in wine bar.  First off, it’s central location in the shopping district makes it very convenient (it is the same complex as Jai’s - the best jewelry store on the island - IMHO).   It is easily accessible from most of the resorts in Grace Bay and it stays open late so you can pop in for an after dinner night cap or after a tough afternoon of shopping!

The decor is fresh, fun and alluring - just like the name (inspired by Italy the home of all things alluring and attractive!).  When you enter, the first thing you notice is the half-moon shaped bar that takes center stage and is dotted with cool lighting and stocked with a full-bar and extensive wine list (of course).  I like how the curved shape of the bar makes it easy to talk to others sitting there - especially if you are with a group of three or more. The way the bar is laid out, it is easy for everyone to be part of the conversation. 

Then there is the menu, which was effectively designed to compliment the wines but it also surprises and delights.  While I haven’t sampled everything yet, I can recommend the Garam Marsala Oxtail springrolls…trust me it works!  There is also a flat bread with artichokes and spicy tuna that is pretty remarkable and the hummus is smooth as silk (we had to have seconds).   Once you’ve explored the creative food options by chef Peter, you’ll want to dig into the wine. You have two choices.   You can order as you’d expect – from the bartender and have your choice of wines by the glass or bottle.  Or, you can experience the self serve wine machine, where you purchase a wine card and then get to select from four whites and four reds how big of a glass you want.   You can get a taste– and by this they definitely mean taste as not much more than an ounce is dispensed in this mode or you can go up from there for a half glass or a full one.   The pricing for a taste starts at $2 and the money is just deduced from the card as the liquid is dispensed from the machine.   If you’ve never had wine from a machine, this can be fun, and it can only be  handy to have a wine card with “credit” on it.   However, like my friend pointed out, the odds of not using all the credit are really slim – especially when you see what they call a glass of wine!

One of the things I liked the most about Vino Tiemp is its atmosphere.   Complementing the modern colors and décor, there is a soft, nice, sophisticated feel to the place.   Aside from the bar, the seating options include cozy cocktail tables and cushy chairs and sofas, which work great for an intimate date as well as a gathering of friends. This is one place I see myself spending a lot of time and worth checking out on your next visit here.

Blue Hills is one of the coolest ‘off the beaten path’ areas in the Turks and Caicos. A 15-minute ride from the heart of Grace Bay, it’s world’s away from the glitz and glamour of Provo’s main strip of hotels, condos and restaurants.

As one of the original settlements on the islands, it still maintains a rustic old world Caribbean charm. Most everything you need to see or do is located right along the scenic seaside road that meanders for about 2-3 miles from the turnoff at Millenium Highway to the junction where you can go one way toward Amanyara or another way to Northwest Point.

Along the way you’ll see some of the original homes built on Provo, old churches and cemeteries, craft markets peddling native made goods, any number of folks set up roadside selling local food, and native sloops skipping across the surf.

Right near the end of the Blue Hills road (past the basketball court and old Texaco station), in an area the locals call Wheeland, Blue Hills entrepreneur Froggie Williams has opened up the most recent addition to the beachfront bar scene in TCI. No sign yet (power still comes from a well placed generator) but Froggie says the joint will be called “Froggie’s on the Da Beach” – that’ll work since his colorful wood structure and sprawling deck rest right on the sands of the Blue Hills beach.

Froggie’s is a nod to the rum shacks of days gone by in the ‘old’ Caribbean. Don’t look for fancy tablecloths or high priced menus. Cold beer out of an iced down cooler, local Rum, and fresh fish on the grill are the fare here. It’s a great place to catch up on local gossip, and just enjoy the sun and cool breezes that whisk across Grace Bay to provide Blue Hill’s with its ‘natural air conditioning’ all year round.

Forggie plans to move his other business – an ATV rental and touring services – to the bar’s locations. His ATV tours have become a popular way to see a truly undiscovered part of the islands.

Make a day of it in Blue Hills. Other notable stops are Horse Eyed Jacks, where full moon parties have been known to last an entire lunar cycle; Da Conch Shack, where you can watch the fine art of conch knocking as you wait for a delicious conch salad; Sailing in Paradise, whose colorful decks reach right out into the waters of Blue Hills; and this writer’s favorite, 3 Queens – the oldest bar in Provo, home of the TCI Conch Festival and where you can always get the latest news, great local food and a lively game of dominoes (ask for Dick and tell him I sent ya).