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they're not an artist, they wouldn't be any good at this sort of thing, so starting with the wine tasting loosens people up a bit." He'll sometimes off er discounts on the wines featured during the tasting but says Bottles & Brushes does most of the marketing for them, helping to attract new customers. Th e Paint Bar, which opened in February, off ers a similar pricing structure, with a $35 fee for materials and instruction, plus $1 for snacks and $5 for most of their beer and wine, which rotate seasonally. "My Mom and I did a tasting, so we focus on drinkable, aff ordable wines," says Jackie. "We have two reds, two whites and a sparkling wine. For beer, we have Magic Hat and Sierra Nevada, but for St. Patty's Day we did Irish beers and cider." She adds that they may add a riesling for summer, or pair beer and wine with the paintings. For instance, serving a French wine for nights when students are painting the Eiff el Tower. THE TREND TAKES OFF AROUND THE COUNTRY Meanwhile, Tampa's Monet and Merlot also launched earlier this year. Owner and art instructor Brianne Small, who brings painting classes to several wine bars and restaurants around Tampa, says she gives wine breaks during class to let the paint dry and encourage students to order appetizers or another glass of wine. According to Jennifer Bingham, who owns Crue Cellars, a South Tampa wine bar that began hosting Monet Merlot classes in March, most students order at least two glasses of wine and possibly a cheese plate on top of the $40 class fee. "I love having new groups in here," she adds. "It was amazing how well the paintings turned out!" Bingham says Small does most of the marketing for Monet and Merlot classes, so the wine bar just fi elds a few phone calls, puts out Small's fl yers, and watches as the space fi lls up with a mix of regulars and new patrons. Small focuses on promoting her classes through social media and credits a deal off ered through group-buying site LivingSocial.com with getting the word www.cheersonline.com out about Monet and Merlot. "I had 800 people purchase our LivingSocial deal!" she says. Th e Paint Bar uses similar strategies. Th ey were also considering a deal with Groupon.com but were also fi nding success through word of mouth and social media. "People love to see their photos so Jackie [also a professional photographer] puts photos on Facebook after every class," says Jill. "We get an amazing amount of hits and we've already had repeat customers." Some of those repeat customers originally came with friends and decided to host a bridal shower or birthday party at Th e Paint Bar, sometimes as a private party or as part of a regular class. "We've had catered parties here or people are welcome to bring in dinner," Jill explains. "It's a very social atmosphere." Occasionally someone will get so engrossed in painting that they forget to drink. Th en again, "You have two glasses in front of you so occasionally people will accidentally dip their brush into their wine glass," says Jackie. "Which means they'll usually order another!" Susan Johnston is a Boston-based freelance writer who covers business and lifestyle topics. Her articles have appeared in or on Th e Boston Globe, the Intuit Small Business Blog, Pizza Today and Portfolio.com. SEPTEMBER 2011 | 25 Painting classes at the Poison Cup (above) include a wine tasting. The Paint Bar (right) posts class photos on Facebook. BOTTLES & BRUSHES, JACKIE SCHON