'Wine is a piece of art': Taunton woman fulfills dream with Talisa's wine bar on the Green

TAUNTON — Talisa Proctor loves the social atmosphere that wine produces — and she wants to bring that to Taunton.

“Wine is a piece of art. You can have a great conversation about the notes and complexities in wine. The right people come into the room when talking about wine,” she said.

Proctor will soon be ringing in the New Year with the opening of her wine bar, Talisa’s on Main, in the heart of downtown Taunton at 65 Main St.

The grand opening and ribbon cutting, organized by Taunton Chamber of Commerce, is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 4, at 4 p.m.

Wet your whistle

Wine is the star of the show at Talisa’s.

The current menu lists an eclectic and exotic assortment of whites, reds, rosés, sparkling and dessert wines.

Proctor said her mission is to have 75% of the wine selection come from women and minority-owned winemakers.

“I’m big on women and minority entrepreneurship. It’s important to highlight these,” she said.

Proctor said her selection is global, including wine from different countries and ethnic groups across the world.

“There’s no other place like this [in the state]. Not with a niche list of wine like mine,” Proctor said.

Customers can sit at the bar and order wine by the glass, bottle or 2-ounce sampler pours — known as "flights" at breweries, cideries and wineries.

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Assortment of craft beers and mocktails

You won’t find any spirits and hard liquor at Talisa’s. But the wine bar will offer other beverage selections.

Proctor plans to offer an assortment of domestic beers and in the future would like to emphasize local brewers with her selection.

Some mocktails will also be offered, utilizing a non-alcoholic cocktail juice mixer, Simple Sips, a product based out of Boston — though Proctor said no other bar or store in Taunton offers it.

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Finger foods, charcuterie plates

Talisa's menu will include some food but not enough to spoil your appetite for main meals. Assorted light foods and finger foods, such as flatbread, charcuterie plates and salads, will be available.

“We’re keeping it light. The food is a complement, to get from one wine to another,” Proctor said.

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Chill setting

Proctor describes the atmosphere of Talisa’s on Main as “casual, laid back, but still elevated and elegant,” meant to make customers comfortable.

She said people can expect a clean, modern look, crossed with assorted wall art and “lots of wood and plants,” giving it a slightly rustic ambiance.

“This is a sip-and-savor environment,” in contrast to a typical loud bar setting, she said.

Outside of the main bar area and shelved selections of wine to purchase, Talisa’s will also have a private meeting and events room for parties and engagements. Proctor said she’s already booked private events, even before the place has opened.

Proctor said patrons can expect warm greetings from her current staff of eight, and for them to be “well-versed” when talking about the notes and flavors of the wine, as well as the winemaker and region of origin for the wine.

What brings joy

A resident of Taunton for the past five years, and previously from the Boston area, Proctor doesn’t have any prior professional experience in the wine industry. This wine bar is a labor of love.

“I wanted to focus on what brings me joy,” she said.

She said her professional career started with studying cosmetology and working as a hairdresser. This profession helped pay her way through college, getting degrees in business administration and management.  She then worked in human resources for over 10 years in various industries, including healthcare, veterinary services, public schools and engineering services.

When “the work got stale,” she became encouraged to seek out a career change by several trips to wine country in California, though she said she’s always loved wine.

It was going to wine bars in California, as well as Boston and Providence, that inspired this venture as she wanted a place like this in the city.

“I love Taunton. I’ve made it my home. I want to help create a better city,” Proctor said.

Taking the path

Proctor said over the last three years she has “aggressively” educated herself on everything about wine, from taking classes and reading books, to meeting and networking with winemakers, enthusiasts and bar owners.

She had been pursuing space for her wine bar for two years, saying she wanted it in Taunton and close to the Green.

“I knew I wanted to be in the Taunton Green area for sure. I didn’t settle. I waited,” Proctor said.

She signed the lease this past April for the space at 65 Main St.

Aside from increasing her current staff from 8 to 12, another short-term goal is to offer her business space to host various ventures, like classes and seminars on wine and business entrepreneurship.

“I have very big ideas,” Proctor said.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Talisa's on Main wine bar offers global selection in heart of Taunton