ntering Terroir is like wandering into a family gathering, where there's an unspoken rule that everyone is restricted to the closet. At 500-square-feet, Terroir isn’t exactly the kind of place to bring your entire office to. With only 24 seats, this intimate wine bar is just that – extremely intimate. The founders of this new East Village spot are Marco Canora and Paul Grieco. Both are veterans of the food and restaurant industry, which means this wine bar is probably here to stay for a while (at least in Manhattan time).

Canora is known for his prior success with La Cucina in Boston, where he catered the fiftieth birthday party for former President Bill Clinton (I wonder if Monica was in attendance, above or below the table). Canora then moved to the Big Apple, where he was at the helm of the critically-acclaimed, New York Times-three-star-ranked restaurant, Craft.

Brazen and willing to take a risk, Canora then left Craft to start completely on his own. He opened Hearth Restaurant with Grieco, who he had worked with previously at the Gramercy Tavern.

At 500-square-feet, Terroir isn’t exactly the kind of place to bring your entire office to.

Grieco is a native of Ontario, Canada, and was born into the culinary arts. His family had their own Italian restaurant in Toronto, La Scala, and it was there that Grieco learnt many trade secrets. He worked his way up through a handful of restaurants in Manhattan, and in the mid-90s, entered the Gramercy Tavern. In 2002, Grieco won eighth place in the American Sommelier Association's competition for Best Sommelier.

In case you’re oblivious, it should be apparent that Grieco knows a thing or two about wines. Their latest restaurant, Hearth, is located just around the corner. It’s a great choice for a fancy night of feasting, but Terroir is incredible if you want to sip some vino and much on some of Canora’s renowned appetizers.

With East Village edginess exuding from every pore, Terroir offers up a carefully selected list of wines that will vary from season to season. Expect the wine menu to be short – Grieco may not be listing off dozens of wines for folks to choose from, but his reasons for doing so are valid. He wants to focus on specific regions and offer up lighter wines that change often. Expect plenty of Rieslings and enter with an open-mind; while Grieco’s progressive wine list may shock many, it’s really set in place to introduce connoisseurs to new regions and appellations that they may be unfamiliar with.

If you love expanding your knowledge of wine and munching on superb snacks, like sausage-stuffed sage leaves and veal-ricotta meatballs, then head to Terroir. With such intimacy and precision, you may want to make it your home away from home. –D.C.