New coffee and wine bar a place to revive, recharge and relax

I think I've found my new favorite spot in South Lake Tahoe! As I walked through the front gate of the Revive Coffee & Wine, I instantly felt at home as the decor both inside and out matched my pinterest boards and crafty endeavors and the smiling and friendly staff was more than welcoming.

Revive Coffee & Wine is a new South Lake Tahoe business inside the old Pichetti Winery at 3135 Harrison Avenue, sharing the space with South Tahoe Standup Paddle.

The story behind the name "revive" is a special one.

Many may think that a good cup of coffee revives ones self, and it does, but the name comes from much more. Owner Robin Bender, whose husband Dr. Bob Bender died of cancer in 2013, within months of her mother's passing to the same disease. A picture of Bob flying into Lake Tahoe hangs over the fireplace.

"The name was going to be Revival," said Robin, "but Revive sounded better."

Not only has Bender stepped out of her comfort level to recreate both herself and the new business, shes brought new life to everything inside, and outside, Revive.

The rounds of wood used as the pathway came from excess materials at the new condo project Zalanta across from the gondola.

The wood of the inside counter was from a house built in Glenbrook in the 1920s, and it was milled in the old mill located there.

The wine barrels which serve as outside tables were given to Robin by Mike Murphy, owner of Dart Liquor. He had them in "The Loft," the one time event center above his liquor store. He also gave her the two cabinets inside that have been re-purposed.

An old window frame was turned into a picture from by Standup Paddle owner Chris Brackett.

Old doors have been turned into the inside tables. Every item has a story, one that preserves the history of the South Shore.

"Everything in here has been revived," said Revive General Manager Gaby Chavez.

Seating outside can be on stools overlooking the front lawn, around the wine barrels on the lawn, or inside the cozy interior room which could be a living room/dining room in many Lake Tahoe homes. The garden in back of Revive has tables and chairs and will be used for special events in the future. There are propane heaters outside for cooler nights as well.

Since this a new wine and coffee bar, I should mention the menu. Being gluten-free, I was pleased to see options I could have along with my morning coffee or evening wine.

Revive will offer pastries, bagels and breakfast themed Panini for morning coffee time, salads and lunch Panini for mid-day, with small portion selections to enjoy when relaxing with a glass of wine. Chavez, who is going to be Revive's caterer, has created a menu full of homemade and organic options.

"We are the first coffee place in Tahoe to offer Nitro Coffee," said Bender. The coffee is on tap, much like beer, and infused with nitrogen for what she says is the best way to experience the flavors of the coffee.

She opened the doors on Saturday, and plans on opening for wine this Thursday, with a grand opening to come later this summer. They are open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. each day, to start with.

Bender also wants Revive to be a place for both locals and visitors, and will have some local and senior loyalty programs coming soon. In the first four days of business, Revive's Yelp page already has four reviews, all five-stars.

Alyson from Austin, Texas said on Yelp: "Such a cute place! They have a lovely indoor area, which is classy yet comfortable, and also a nice outdoor space. They have a nice menu of drinks and food, and you can tell that everything is well thought out. Good luck to this new place, I think it's going to be a hit!"

"I'm trying to create something different here," said Bender.

"I've been blessed by an outpouring of love from the community," she added. Local craftsmen stopped by, offered help, gave us supplies."

As I sat and talked to Robin, enjoying my iced tea and lemonade, my mind was spinning on what I could revive and give to her.