Is it just me, or has this summer been rough? Every day is just sticky and gross and it has been making me lazier and lazier. I guess there really ain’t no cure for the summer time blues?

Oh wait, yes there is, it’s booze.

So for some reason, even though it’s a thousand degrees outside, this week I made my boyfriend take me out to Bin 14 for a couple of glasses of wine. Yes, nothing beats the heat like a room temperature glass of red wine (that was sarcasm). But really, it was air conditioned inside, so it was actually a nice respite from the literal steam hissing up from the pavement outside.

Bin 14 bills itself as Hoboken’s “first and only wine bar,” which is probably true, unless you don’t count drinking wine out of paper bags on the PATH train a wine bar. So fine, Bin 14, is the first, and if I can speak for everyone in town, I think we are glad to have it.

The bar was busy on the evening that we stopped by. Most people were seated for dinner, but there weren’t too many unoccupied stools at the bar. Much like when we were at Teak, everyone seemed to be on a date.

“Let’s fake a huge dramatic fight,” I said. “Or how about I text my friend to come down and act like she caught you having an affair?”

I’m just trying to spice up this column, guys.

Anyway, I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before, but I don’t know anything about wine. I know that I like to drink full bottles of it, and if I am paying it is usually the cheapest stuff, but past that, not a thing.

So I went with a white wine that I believe was called “Casa Julia,” and it was only $7. I mean, I know $7 could buy me a shot and a beer and we could really get this party started, but hey, it’s a classy night out. Other wines on the menu ranged from $7 all the way up to $28 for a glass. Bottles are available for purchase, with the cheapest being a $39 rosé, and the priciest being a $192 bottle of red.

As I was swirling my wine and thinking about a vineyard owner named Julia who was collecting grapes to smash with her toes in a big wooden basin, in order to make me some wine, I also took a moment to enjoy the atmosphere. The bar is crafted from wood that came from St. Joseph Parochial School, and is lit with soft hanging chandeliers. The exposed brick wall and painted tin ceiling give the bar a hip, yet comfortable and old-fashioned vibe. A giant pizza oven in the back rounds things out nicely.

It was a nice place, but probably the opposite of Teak (if I can bring that one up once more), in that the décor was beautiful, but subdued. The owner really seemed to be going for a cool, but unpretentious vibe. I could dig it.

The next time I visit, I definitely want to try out their “late night” cocktail menu, featuring a Sweet Violet ($10), with acai, blueberry and huckleberry vodkas, vanilla rum and St. Germain; the Bin to Margaritaville ($11) with tequila, lime, orange juice and Grand Marnier; or the Hail to the King ($12) with King Estate Vin Glace (I don’t even know what this is), Secco Italian Bubbles and soda. 

And if you’re a wine novice (like me) and you want to expand your palate, Bin 14 offers a bunch of wine tasting and pairing classes. They run about $45-55 per person, but hey, make it a nice date night or something.

Anyway, all in all, I’ll award Bin 14 nine out of ten frosty mugs (crystal stemware?). It’s a beautiful bar with an expansive wine list, friendly staff and unpretentious attitude. One point is only deducted, because hey, it’s not an everyday kind of bar. But dress up a bit, find a quick date on the internet, order yourself a nice glass of sparkling wine and enjoy.

And, like I said, the bar is air conditioned.

1314 Washington Street; 201-963-9463. Check out www.bin14.com for more.

The Bar Hopper is a sometimes tongue-in-cheek look at Hoboken's abundant bar scene. The views expressed in these reviews are half-sloshed, and do not reflect the overall views of Patch.