Thanks to cartoons, many Americans believe that the correct way to taste wine is to take a sip, then witness something so shocking that it causes them to involuntarily expectorate. Skip the spit takes and sample wine correctly with today’s Groupon to Cha. Choose between the following options:

• For $15, you get two meat or cheese trays for two people (up to a $30 value).
• For $25, you get a light meal for four (up to a $54 total value). Dinner includes:
• Two meat or cheese plates (up to a $30 value).
• One flatbread pizza (a $10 value).
• Two desserts of the day (a $14 value).<p>

The aromas of succulent small dishes waft through the air as corks pop from wine and champagne bottles inside Cha’s modish lounge, whose edibles and atmosphere earned the title of Best Wine Bar 2010 from the Houston Press. Pungent cheeses, olives, honey, and nuts ($15) ferry their cargo of harmonious flavors into mouth harbors. Cool crème fraiche and tarragon mustard engage in salty conversation with passing capers as each secretly hopes for a slow dance with smoked salmon ($10). Groups of four daintily tear at the seams of a blanca flatbread pizza with white-truffle oil and fresh mozzarella, or breathe in the smoky perfume of the barbecue-duck flatbread. The chef ties up leisurely meals with two portions of the dessert of the moment. Though not included in this Groupon, guests are encouraged to heighten their dining experience with jewel-colored libations from an extensive list available by the glass ($9+) and bottle ($30+).

Elegant potables keep watch over the sultry bar’s interior, accented by white, geometric bar stools; plush, metallic couches; and a dramatic dangling light fixture spanning the length of the wood bar. Pair pairings with an expansive view of the Houston skyline from the second-floor patio, or examine the events calendar for details on live jazz performances, DJs, or Duck, Duck, Goose tournaments.