Davenport’s The Grape Life To Get New Owners on Nov. 1
Jason Huffman proudly served his country for 21 years in the U.S. Army, and then four and half more years as a federal employee at Rock Island Arsenal.
Starting Nov. 1, 2025, the genial Las Vegas native will serve customers as new co-owner of one of his favorite relaxation spots, The Grape Life Wine Store & Lounge, 3402 Elmore Ave., Davenport. Huffman and his fiancée, Rhiannon Nichols, have bought the business – beloved for hosting a variety of live music every weekend – from longtime owners Diane and Kevin Koster, who first took it over in 2015.
“We are so happy and excited they have made this commitment and grateful that they will carry on what we’ve built over the past 10 years,” Diane Koster posted on Facebook Sept. 3. “It’s been a crazy busy, emotional decade for us, and we look forward to some relaxation and travel. Thank you to our family, friends and customers for your support and love.”
Jason and Rhiannon (right) with 10-year Grape Life owners, Diane and Kevin Koster at the business, 3402 Elmore Ave., Davenport.
“It’s been wonderful; we’ve gotten to know so many people,” Kevin said Tuesday, Sept. 9 at Grape Life. “The relationships have grown, and the relationship with the musicians we have, I can’t even count how many people we have relationships with over the 10 years.”
This was the right time for the Kosters to sell the business, especially to the right people (who have been regular, devoted customers), Kevin said. “Everything came together and it all worked out. The timing was perfect, it really was,” he said. “We’re ready; we’re at that age, time to retire. Diane left Genesis and I left banking over five years ago to be here full-time.”
Diane retired from working in the Genesis women’s health department in July 2024.
Nichols has lived in the Quad Cities since she was 10, is a Davenport Central alum, and works as vice president for human resources at Group O. Huffman moved from Las Vegas four and a half years ago, after retiring from a 21-year career in the Army. He was a federal employee on the Rock Island Arsenal (in munition logistics), and accepted a deferred resignation program this past spring when the government was making DOGE cuts.
Jason and Rhiannon (both divorced) met on the dating app Hinge in September 2022. He has a 23-year-old daughter.
Jason started coming to The Grape Life soon after he moved here in 2021, and worked at Olathea Creek Vineyard & Winery in LeClaire as a weekend server starting in July 2022, through mid-2024. “I had a really good time doing that and unbeknownst to me, Kevin and Diane came out there one day while I was working and I didn’t realize they were kind of feeling me out, how I was with guests, wine information,” he said Tuesday night. “Shortly after that, they asked if I’d be willing to cover for them down here, so they could take a weekend and go somewhere.”
Jason is an Army veteran and Rhiannon is Group O’s vice president for human resources (photo by Jonathan Turner).
“I just got really lucky,” Jason said, noting he first covered at Grape Life in early 2023. He and Rhiannon had their third date at Grape Life, and now they’re engaged to be married, in June 2026.
“I’m definitely a fan,” Jason said of wines. “I tell people, I know enough about wine to be dangerous. I feel I’m knowledgeable enough about wine to speak pretty well. I don’t have any certification. But I was stationed in Germany for five years and I spent a lot of time checking out different wines around Europe. That’s where I really fell in love with it and started learning more about it.”
He discovered outstanding wine in Croatia and Bulgaria. He and Rhiannon have visited wineries in Iowa and Illinois, as well as southern California and Oregon. They love The Grape Life’s selection.
Jason Huffman and his fiancee, Rhiannon Nichols at their favorite table Sept. 9, 2025 (photo by Jonathan Turner).
“You really can’t find what they have here anywhere else,” Jason said. “They’ve done a fantastic job of ensuring it’s more boutique — you’re not gonna find it at Hy-Vee, at Walmart. I like that I can find wines here. Kevin has a great palette and he knows his guests really well. It works out perfectly. That’s the role model we’re going off of.”
“We hope to curate the same understanding of our customers’ palettes,” Rhiannon said. “I don’t have as much exposure to wines as Jason has. I am more of a Midwestern wine aficionado. I know I like wine, but I don’t know all the ins and outs of it. He has opened my eyes to a lot. I have learned a lot in the three years we’ve been together. He has taught me a lot more and got me out and about to see what else is out there. I’m excited to do the same for our customers.”
Jason has found excellent niche wines from Paraguay, Uruguay and New Zealand, and Grape Life has a great international variety.
“We definitely want to give the guests something they don’t know, something unique,” he said. “Introduce them to things they really haven’t experienced before.”
Tremendous variety of wines
Wines vary immensely due to where they are grown and harvested, with soil and climate two key factors, Jason said. “Everywhere is different,” he said. “Oregon and Washington border each other and you’d think their wines would taste exactly the same, but they are not. They’re unique in their own sense, and that’s just the way wine goes.”
“It’s interesting how much climate impacts the flavor,” Rhiannon said. “I never understood there were so many different attributes that could impact the flavor. A grape is a grape — there’s white grapes and red grapes, but there are so many things that affect the flavor, the volume, the feel, the texture. It’s a science, and it’s honestly very interesting.”
Jason Huffman and Rhiannon Nichols will become new Grape Life owners on Nov. 1, 2025.
Jason got to help harvest grapes and bottle the wine at Olathea Creek, learning about the wine-making process (including pH, sugar and acidity). “I learned a lot working there and that was just a weekend job,” he said.
He filled in for the Kosters about 8-10 times in the past two years.
They thought about taking over the business about a year ago, but Jason wanted to devote full-time to it. Rhiannon will stay working for Group O, and be at Grape Life mainly nights and weekends. They are closed Sundays and Mondays, and won’t have other staff.
“I want to engage, I want to have conversations with guests,” Jason said. “I feel that is what takes The Grape Life to a whole different level. This is intimate; our focus is you, it’s the relationships.”
“It’s like your home, your living room,” Rhiannon said. “Come on in and let’s get to know each other.”
Home to intimate live music
The couple loves listening to live music there. “This isn’t a bar, where some places will have musicians and they’re in the corner and no one’s really paying attention,” Jason said. “Here, the musician is the focal point and we love about it. We’re going to continue that and do everything possible to enhance the guest experience, and the musician’s experience too. This is the guests’. We just own the place; this is for them and that’s what we care about.”
“Grape Life has an amazing lineup of music, from all genres,” Rhiannon (who was born in 1978, named after the classic Fleetwood Mac song) said. “They have jazz to acoustic and folk. You’ll find something you like here.”
The Grape Life usually hosts live music every Friday and Saturday night.
Artists play a satisfying mix of popular cover songs and originals, Jason said. And they engage closely with audiences, telling stories. Grape Life regularly has live music Friday and Saturday nights, and has a $5 cover charge for nights where there’s live music, to help pay the musicians.
The Grape Life wine club hosts monthly member tastings on the third Tuesday from 5 to 6 p.m., and the couple has been members over two years. You can choose a subscription to buy one ($25) two ($39.99) or four bottles ($69.99) a month, and they do the latter. Each tasting, Grape Life asks people to vote on their two favorite red wines and white wines. The top-vote getters are sold to members, depending on their subscription.
“It’s a good time too,” Jason said, noting they draw about 40 people each time. “Everyone here is awesome. You’re getting your money’s worth out of it.”
Jason is thinking of starting public wine tastings every so often, centered around particular kinds of wine (variety or region).
They are among a group of 10 they hang out with, including the club tastings, and go to other wineries. Grape Life typically hosts “Wine Down Wednesday,” where they offer $6 glasses between 5 and 8 p.m. and free chair massages.
“Working here on top of it, I’ve really gotten to know everybody,” Jason said. “With us taking over, it’s almost like it’s not a major transition. We’re just continuing what’s here.”
“It’s a smooth transition and we’re excited to see what happens,” Rhiannon said.
He’s a Vegas native, and his mother still lives there. “It took me a while to appreciate the small-town life,” Jason said of the QC. “Rhiannon’s been awesome in getting me to appreciate not just the Midwestern life, but here in Iowa, and the Quad Cities specifically.”
Jason was stationed in Germany from 2006 to 2011, and in Korea 2019 to 2021.
“Kevin and Diane have been very supportive, and have been very clear they are not going away November 1st,” Rhiannon said. “They’re going to be our background support and will help us. It’s amazing. We are very excited.”
Upcoming live music at Grape Life includes:
- Friday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. – Levi Craft
- Saturday, Sept. 13 at 8 p.m. – Tony Hoeppner and Friends
- Friday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. – Kellen Myers and Beth Lizano
- Saturday, Sept. 20 at 8 p.m. – Brian Skow
- Saturday, Sept. 27 at 8 p.m. – Freddy Allen and Chris Castle
For more information, visit The Grape Life’s Facebook page HERE.
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