Church pews are not something usually found in a wine bar, but they are part of the decor at Vino Del Mar.

Sharon Pole recently opened the upscale restaurant at 1201 Savannah Road in what was previously the Lewes Diner.

She has turned the space around to set a new vibe inside and a classier color outside.

Pole’s repurposed pews are now serving a calling for those who want to sit and sip.

“They came from a church in Laurel. I was on Facebook Marketplace and I saw five pews for free,” she said.

Vino Del Mar’s slogan is “Cultivating connections one glass at a time.”

“We brought in wine from around the world, by-the-glass is from France, Argentinian by the bottle, Chardonnay by-the-glass is Italian. A lot of people like a California chard; we have it by the bottle,” Pole said. “We do 3-, 6- and 9-ounce pours.”

Some of the wine is on tap. Craft beer is sourced from local breweries.

The food menu is diverse and 95% gluten-free. 

“We’re not an Italian restaurant. We’re not a Spanish restaurant. We have small plates, tapas-style, which is very Spanish, but the menu doesn’t have a true regional focus,” she said.

Pole said the Peruvian chicken has been a winner.

She described the beet salad and charcuterie boards as works of art.

Pole said they serve Notting Hill coffee and Hopkins Farm Creamery ice cream.

Vino Del Mar is the anchor on one end of the strip. Hopkins Farm Creamery will soon open an ice cream shop next door. Teller Wines reopened under new management last fall.

Pole gives a lot of credit to her team for getting Vino Del Mar up and running, especially Gary Meekins, an award-winning head mixologist; Javiah Prince, executive chef; and Ruby Riot, sous chef.

Her husband, Gozi, is working as front-of-house general manager.

Pole had a 20-year career in cybersecurity. After many jobs, several moves and a big layoff, she decided to follow her dream, one glass at a time.

“I wanted a little coffee shop, then it turned into a wine bar, maybe a coffee shop in the morning and a wine bar at night. Then I realized that’s a really long day, so it just became a wine bar,” she said.