Divino’s Secret Wine Club

Can you keep a secret?

The Divino Bordeaux Wine Club meets the second Sunday of every month, but its members don’t want you to know that. And anyone can join, but they don’t want you to know that either. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that they’re not looking for new members (they are), but you have to understand that the more people know about it, the more they will be forced to divvy up their portion of Mr. Grippo’s secret wine collection.

And just who is this mysterious Mr. Grippo character? Why, the owner of Commercial Drive’s Divino Restaurant as well as Dolce Amore Gelateria next door.

The actual concept for the Bordeaux Wine Club was the brain child of Divino’s Austrian sommelier, David Fert. It is one thing to simply be a certified sommelier, and quite another to take an active interest in sharing your expertise with others. On this particular second Sunday of the month, Mr. Fert took us all on a tour of Italian varietals, educating us along the way about the methods behind Amarone (the grapes are harvested and dried on straw mats for approximately 100 days before pressing, which contribute to its robustness) and the history of the Super Tuscan (Antinori was the first to stray from the strict DOC Italian wine regulations by releasing a blend of Italian and French varietals in the 1970’s).

Source: Urban Diner. March 2010 : Katherine van der Gracht,