The ability to crush grapes with one’s feet to make wine is almost as important as the ability to crush grapefruits between one’s shoulder blades to make nosy-neighbor repellant. Sample the satisfying results of grape stomping with today’s Groupon: for $20, you get a wine tasting for two at The Wine Bank (a $40 value). Tastings are held on Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.; reservations are required.
The Wine Bank's expert curators hold court over intimate wine tastings in a private tasting room. Vino visionaries select six vintages from a two-floor population of bottles, whose international members hail from the United States, Europe, and two countries that have not yet been invented. Tasting companions sip from glass stems bearing a diverse sampling of libations on Friday or zero in on a different theme each week with Saturday selections. The Wine Bank’s fermentations age in a cellar whose temperature is as well controlled as a robot that hasn't yet developed a sentient personality, and a wide range of wines are available for purchase, including options at a variety of price levels.
The Wine Bank
The Wine Bank has sold wine and spirits out of its current location for more than 50 years, and it is equipped to preserve fine vintages around the world after recent renovations. Today, two floors of towering wooden shelves and a temperature-controlled basement cellar hold thousands of wines from America and abroad including rare, hard-to-find, and cult varieties. The owners and their crew of wine experts show off their passion for wine and help customers choose the perfect varietal to complement a meal, special occasion, or monogrammed crazy straw. To further facilitate selection, The Wine Bank holds semiweekly tastings that introduce guests to five wines culled from their expansive cellar.