Meditrina moves to Moon Dog space Restaurant, wine-beer bar planned in addition to shop

After eight years next to the Post Office on Main Street, Meditrina Wine and Cheese is heading “downtown” to the space that, until recently, housed the Moon Dog Cafe.

The move is part of a larger plan that will – in time – include a wine and craft beer bar and restaurant  as well. But for now, owners Amy and Justin Anderson are working against the clock to open for  Memorial Day weekend.

“Eight years ago we opened on Memorial Day,” said Amy Anderson during a break from painting on Sunday, “And then we opened the new space on Memorial Day in 2016. It would be great to open this space the same way.” But aside from the construction hurdles, the pair also needed the state’s liquor control agency to approve the move and that was still pending on Tuesday.

Although the overall space is much larger, the wine shop will remain small – in fact a bit smaller than it was before the move. Contractors have walled off an area to the left of the front door and installed large glass double doors as a shop entrance inside the building. The rest of the space that was The Moon Dog remains vacant — for now.

Anderson says that everything will remain the same with the shop. “We’ll still do tastings and our selection will still lean toward smaller growers and family wineries. We like sustainable, organic and biodynamically grown wines,” she said.

Conceding that there may be less traffic in the new space than the old, Anderson believes that the business has built up a loyal clientele and that the move will work out.

“Once the bar and restaurant are up and running, we think it will become a destination,” says Anderson. The Andersons have applied for a conditional use permit for a restaurant seating 41 customers in the space.

They have a second hearing before the Chester Development Review Board on June 11 and, if everything is in order, they could have the restaurant/bar permit later in the summer. While they are hopeful for an opening in the fall, they realize what a big job it will be. Their closing on the purchase of the building is scheduled for August.

“The space is so beautiful and it has such amazing energy,” says Anderson who has a yoga studio on the second floor. “It will be great to have both businesses under the same roof.”

For the opening weekend, there will be a tasting of summer whites, reds and roses on Friday, May 25 from 1 to 7 p.m. and a tasting of new beers on Saturday, May 26 from noon to 6 p.m.  The Andersons are still mulling whether to be open on Monday, Memorial Day.

After the initial weekend, the new Meditrina will be open Tuesday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday til 5 p.m. and Sunday til 3 p.m.