Stogie & Vine tobacconist Matt Vyborny, left, talks with customer Chuck Vinzant in the new lounge's mod digs. Eyeing Tucson's hip business crowd, Stogie & Vine, which opened this week, offers 70 cigar brands and more than 40 wine labels in addition to business amenities such as a copier and a fax machine.

James S. Wood

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Beckoning to Tucson's hip business crowd, a new upscale cigar and wine lounge is offering a different sort of space for gatherings beyond the staid cocktail lounge.

Featuring purple and red settees, plush rugs and a mod-inspired curved bar, Stogie & Vine, 2920 N. Swan Road, is already drawing Tucson's business crowd to the new upscale lounge at Plaza Palomino.

"The whole idea is not to feel like you're in a bar. We want to have a vibe of relaxation and provide a casual place to do business," said Jeffrey Parker, who co-owns Stogie & Vine with his wife, Camerone Parker.

The 2,000-square-foot lounge, which opened this week, features a 1,000-bottle wine cellar, a large selection of scotch and a retail humidor, a room designed to store cigars at a constant level of humidity.

Fifty private lockers are also available to store cigars inside "the vault," used as a private room for members.

Besides the 70 cigar brands and about 45 labels of wine, Stogie & Vine also features something a bit different — access to a copier and a fax machine and soon-to-be-installed Wi-Fi wireless Internet access.

A VIP area is also available for those looking for a bit of privacy when meeting a client.

"We want people to come here to network and close deals," said Camerone.

After seeing professionals gathering at local restaurants to conduct business, the Parkers said they wanted Stogie & Vine to appeal to those looking past bustling eateries and watering holes.

"It gives them more exclusivity rather than being wide open to everyone," Camerone said.

Looking for a place to kick back for a while, Jason Urban and Marta Harvey spent some time at Stogie & Vine.

"I heard about this place through the grapevine," said Urban, a hotel supervisor at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa. "I think it's a novel idea. It has a very contemporary feel that's new to Tucson."

The selection of cigars is great, said Harvey, a real estate agent, who bought some stogies for a client.

"It has a nice, comfortable feel. It's very inviting to everyone," she said.

Drawing women to a lounge featuring cigars was important, Camerone said, who designed the lounge's interior.

"We want everyone to feel comfortable here. We didn't want it to feel like a men's club," she said.

The lounge is the first business venture for the Parkers.

Married for about 3 1/2 years, the Parkers said they first wanted to open a tobacco shop.

After developing a business plan, they decided that offering serving wine in a bar and offering cigars would complement each other.

"These ideas came together at the right time," said Jeffrey, who smokes cigars.

Jeffrey, who grew up in Oregon, has lived in Tucson for 12 years.

The couple met in 2002 while at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort.

After starting a long-distance relationship, Camerone moved to Tucson from Long Beach, Calif., where she still works as an international spokesmodel for Olay Global Beauty, owned by Procter & Gamble.

Jeffrey, director of community and environmental affairs for BHP Billiton, is also planning to keep his day job.

Most of Stogie & Vine's operations are being handled by a staff that includes a sommelier, a tobacconist, a server and a general manager, Camerone said.

Finding cigar and wine afficionados in Tucson won't be hard, Camerone said.

"We're hoping to draw them all here," she said.

Other Tucson stores and restaurants already count them as customers, including McMahon's Prime Steakhouse, 2959 N. Swan Road, which features a "cigar-friendly" back bar carrying 50 brands of cigars.

Other local tobacco shops with cigar lounges include Robusto's Fine Cigars, 327 E. Eighth St., and the Tinder Box at The Plaza at Williams Centre, 5350 E. Broadway.

The Ring Gauge Society, "a gentlemen's cigar club," gathers monthly at cigar-friendly lounges in Tucson, including McMahon's.

A hodgepodge of about 45 mostly professionals make up the group, including former elected officials, doctors, attorneys and business owners.

"It's fertile business ground for conducting business and networking," said society founder Matt Russell, president of Russell Public Affairs Group, 7290 E. Broadway.

"When you go through the ritual of cutting and lighting a cigar, you're making a commitment of time … usually a minimum of an hour," he said. "You're sitting and enjoying that with friends."

Russell said the society has not yet been to Stogie & Vine but looks forward to having future group events there.