Bar Divani offers weekly wine education

Almost every Wednesday night, Bar Divani owner Rimple Nayyar hosts a wine social. The event is designed for those who wish to understand the complexities of wine appreciation.
A reservation is required to participate and costs $15.
“We have a few regulars but every week it seems we have a few newcomers,” says Mary Beth Kenyon, the Events and Marketing representative. The ages of participants ranges from 25 to 65 years. There are between 10 to 40 attendees each week and they interact with one another and share their experience. Each wine glass is filled two ounces with the various types of wine six times through of the course of the night.
A recent theme, “Wines of the Southern Hemisphere,”  featured wine spanning three continents: South America, Africa and Australia. Nayyar explains what makes each wine unique, why certain aspects of the wine are special and where the wine is made. Even how the soil of a country can affect the way wine tastes, even if all the ingredients, barrel and age of the wine are all the same.
“If you don’t have acidity in wine, it tastes like a flat coke.” says Nayyar. High acidity wines, in comparison, can “strip the amino off your teeth,” he says.
Joan and Mike Weiler of Belmont have attended over 150 wine socials with Nayyar.  
“We buy probably about 85% of our wine here,” says Joan Weiler. Mike Weiler and his wife cannot stay away from Bar Divani.
“The competitive pricing rivals most places,” explains Joan Weiler. “Being able to taste the wine first is great. Most people do not want to spend a lot of money on a bottle of wine without knowing whether or not they’ll like it, or just buy based on what the label looks like.” Nayyar’s expertise, they say, helps them make educated purchases while enjoying the social experience along the way.