Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from across the tri-states. This edition highlights developments in Manchester, Iowa; Dyersville, Iowa; and Galena, Ill.

MANCHESTER, Iowa — An area entrepreneur is looking to bring something new to Manchester’s Main Street with the addition of a new wine bistro.

Dolce Vita opened Monday at 100 E. Main St. in Manchester. The bistro — owned and operated by Dulcie Mangold — offers a variety of wine and handcrafted cocktails, as well as lunch specials, small plates and light evening fare.

“Our atmosphere is very classy and sassy. It’s very uptown,” Mangold said. “I’ve lived here in Manchester for 23 years now, and we don’t really have anything close to this when it comes to serving wine.”

Dolce Vita is open six days a week and is equipped with a large lounge and dining area and a full bar serving wines from across the U.S. and beyond, as well as cocktails and other spirits.

The kitchen offers a variety of breakfast and lunch dishes through 2 p.m., after which the menu switches to a mix of appetizers and small plates including flatbreads, charcuterie boards and dessert trays.

The bistro will be open for casual dine-in service as well as structured wine tastings where attendees can learn more about the various wines.

“There is so much knowledge behind wine that people don’t even realize,” Mangold said. “A lot of people say it’s just juice from grapes, but there is a whole list of things that you can learn about wine and where it comes from.”

Mangold said she hopes the bistro can bring something new to the Manchester community for its residents and visitors alike. Each month, the bistro will feature a different Iowa winery, starting this month with Garber-based Jennings Winery.

She also mentioned that Dolce Vita is within walking distance of Manchester’s well-known Franklin Street Brewing Company, meaning tourists can easily visit both businesses in a single trip.

“I think that the two can go really well together,” she said. “You can have people who visit the brewery and enjoy the drinks there and then just a hop and a skip away is the bistro, so people can really make a day out of visiting Manchester.”

Dolce Vita is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Additional information about the bistro and a full menu can be found online at tinyurl.com/DolceVitaManchester.

Hay and straw auction opening in Dyersville

A new agricultural auction house is coming to Dubuque County.

Dyersville Hay & Straw Auction launches this week at 32315 Little Road south of Dyersville. The business will operate year-round with hay and straw sales occurring each Wednesday at 11 a.m.

“This is something that we’ve been working on for a while, so we’re excited to just kind of put the whole plan into action,” said Jodi Helle, who runs the business with her husband, Dan. “We’re looking forward to working with the buyers and sellers to get things rolling.”

The newly launched Dyersville Hay & Straw Auction will replace Dyersville Sales Co., a hay and straw auction business at 915 Ninth St. SE. that recently closed after the retirement of longtime owner Randy Hess.

The Helles worked with Hess for many years to purchase hay for their local livestock operation and spoke with him earlier this year about opening a new auction house after his retirement, which officially took place in late July.

Now, the couple is working with Hess to ensure a smooth transition as Dyersville Hay & Straw Auction gets up and running.

“It’s great to have his knowledge of all the different kinds of transactions and all the people that come with working in this business,” Jodi Helle said. “We’re excited to get into it and begin meeting all the different buyers and sellers.”

Dyersville Hay & Straw Auction is open Monday through Friday, and its first auction will take place at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7. Interested parties can contact the business at 563-543-0230 or visit dyersvillehayandstrawauction.net.

New store opens in downtown Galena

A new store has opened in Galena with an eclectic selection of local artwork and other vintage items.

The Alley Shop recently opened at 201 Hill St. in the storefront formerly filled by Galena Spoon Co. The store offers a variety of vintage home goods as well as a collection of artwork from longtime local artist Zelma Wilson-Clark.

“I opened the shop for two reasons: to start sharing Zelma’s art with others again and to part with some of the other little treasures I’ve collected over the years and no longer need,” said store owner Maria Stolze-Epple.

Wilson-Clark was a local painter known for her portraits, landscapes and still-life pieces that highlighted the beauty of everyday life.

Stolze-Epple met Wilson-Clark and her husband, Richard, as a child. She worked for the couple for several years and eventually became something of a daughter figure to whom the wife and husband left most of their belongings after their deaths.

Those belongings included many of Zelma’s art pieces, as well as pieces of cabinetry and other woodworking crafted by Richard. Stolze-Epple went years without parting from the items before deciding to open a storefront to share Zelma’s art and a select few pieces of Richard’s woodworking.

“The fun part for me is being able to talk about (Zelma and Richard) again,” she said. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how many people are happy to stand there and talk with me about them and the work they’ve left behind.”

The shop also offers a variety of antique home goods such as lamps, dishes, glassware and decor. One corner of the store is set up with displays of vintage clothing and jewelry as well as a small men’s section.

Many of the items are things Stolze-Epple collected over the years shopping in small stores and boutiques across the country. Now retired, she’s decided to part with some of those items in an attempt to downsize.

“I’ve always loved shopping in little eccentric shops and finding different treasures, but you do that long enough and you end up with too much,” she said. “I’m looking to sell some of those excess items.”

The Alley Shop is usually open Fridays and Saturdays, although the store will be closed through Aug. 30 to accommodate a trip. Additional information about the store can be found online at tinyurl.com/alleyshop.