After turning Sovino's into a wine destination, owner Claire Sutton is about to turn over the keys.

Claire Sutton makes it clear that she still loves wine. And she hasn’t lost her appreciation of Sovino Wine Bar & Merchant’s unique vibe—sometimes a casual and friendly spot, other times full of people belting karaoke or calling out answers on trivia night.

"I’ll still come here,” Sutton says. “I just don’t need to run it anymore.”

She is in the process of selling the downtown Monterey fixture after 12 years. The wine bar is currently in escrow and Sutton believes the deal could close sometime next week.

Miguel Silva, known for running Sovino’s popular trivia nights, will be the new owner. While Sutton says it's important for her to turn the spot over to someone familiar with its atmosphere and regulars, she laughs recalling comments from others when they heard Sovino's was under contract: “‘I would have given you more money.’”

Once the sale closes, Sutton plans to travel for a time before returning to Sovino as a customer.