Obladee---A Wine Bar turns one

Obladee---A Wine Bar (1598 Barrington Street, 405-4505) is celebrating its first anniversary this week, with surprise deals every day. Obladee is the creation of sister and brother team Heather and Christian Rankin, and yep, that’s that Rankin family, mostly hailing from Mabou, many of whom are working at the bar. “I was envisioning a quiet little wine bar,” says Heather Rankin of her business dream, but business has been booming; “it’s a proper bar,” she admits, sheepishly. Still, Obladee set out to be a simple establishment, with friendly staff and unpretentious presentation, and has scored on all counts. The approachable wine menu changes every couple of weeks, and Rankin has rotated her staff through Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers classes, so they’re quite helpful for customers who might otherwise be frightened of navigating through unfamiliar vino territory. “I wouldn’t say we have educated our customers,” says Rankin, choosing her words carefully. “But I like to think we’ve broadened thier palates a little by bringing in wines they might not have known.” Rankin hints at possible expansion plans down the road, but that’ll have to wait; for now, she’s too busy stewarding an unexpected succcess.