Sidebar AF Passion 

If you haven’t been to Wine Down in Governor’s Square, you don’t know what you’re missing. The owners have spared no expense to make this place fabulous yet cozy with crystal accents that shimmer under the warm lights as you pull a (very comfortable) seat up to the long, elegant white marble bar.

There are nooks everywhere for social conversations with friends and romantic liaisons, and a path that leads to the restaurant in the next room. The name of the place might imply that it’s a wine-only establishment, but as you’ll discover when you meet resident mixologist Dora Feher it’s so much more.

Dora knew what she wanted to do and where she wanted to go from an early age. She was born in Hungary and studied Tourism and Catering in University for four years before spreading her wings. Her first job was as a bartender when she was only about 16 years old.

The family had earlier visited Spain on vacation and Dora instantly decided that when she got back home, she would earn enough money that she could go there again on her own dime. She trained as she worked, learning about wines, beer and how to mix standard drinks.

It was a seasonal job, and so instead of working for full years, she only found herself there in the summer seasons. Her last position before she left Hungary was working in a bar frequented by students, and by now she was well versed with how to create drink recipes.

Once she completed her university course it was time to move on and she knew exactly where she was going – back to Spain! She got a job as a bartender/server in Marbella, but just like back home, it was seasonal work. She tried to live off her savings in the slow months whilst looking for another job, but there just wasn’t much going.

After a brief sojourn to Norway with a friend, she made her way back to Marbella, but this time to work at the internationally known Nikki Beach.

She started in April 2010, and as the season came to a close, Dora contemplated her next move. She had saved enough money to visit the next place on her bucket list: New Zealand! Over the next year she went back to work at Nikki Beach, dived in Egypt and visited family in Holland.

She was about to go back to NZ when she received a reply to an email she had sent out with her resume attached. It was from Cayman, Wine Down to be specific. She wrote back and within a soon thereafter found herself in Grand Cayman.

She has now been at Wine Down since November 2011 and her personable manner and expertise with a shaker has already won her many fans. Wine Down has a terrific atmosphere and once you’re in the doors you can just relax away from the outside world.

Their market next door has also now opened with fresh meals, salads, and entertaining ideas with nibbles and wines perfect for gift baskets (which they also make.) I can’t get enough of the Grown-up Soda they sell.