Bethel area oenophiles have a new place to meet and mingle. The 227 Wine Bar, owned by Linda and Michael Rizzo, opened to the public Friday, August 8, in a comfortable setting at 227 Greenwood Avenue.

“We’ve had a really good response. People are happy to have something different,” said Ms Rizzo. “We’re not a restaurant and not a bar; we’re somewhere in between,” she said. The “in between” is an offering of wines, beers, Prosecco, sodas, and cordials, with only small plates and tapas coming out of the kitchen.

Returning from a trip to the Napa wine country in California, in 2009, the Rizzos decided to follow their years’ long interest in wine and wine making, and open the kind of sophisticated but casual gathering spot they had seen in California. “There was nothing like it here,” she said.

227 Wine Bar offers wines from various regions, as well as the sparkling Prosecco wine of Italy, by the bottle or glass. Customers can also choose to sample wines through a wine flight of three 3-ounce glasses of different wines. Linda’s Flight features three white wines, and Michael’s Flight is made up of red wine options. The Make Your Own flight includes three customer choices of any wines or Prosecco, also in 3-ounce servings.

Wine samples and wines by the glass are poured from a “Napa technology wine-dispensing machine,” Ms Rizzo said, which keeps every opened bottle of wine as fresh as when first opened.

Craft and domestic beers, hard cider, port wines, and cordials are the only beverages served besides wine, she added.

By choosing wines that are at a price point suitable for the area, said Ms Rizzo, an evening out at 227 Wine Bar is not a terribly expensive proposition. “Two people can go out and dine and taste wines, and not break the bank,” she said. A few higher-end wines will be added in the future, and the Rizzos hope to host small parties in the space, in upcoming weeks.

227 Wine Bar is located at 227 Greenwood Avenue, Bethel. It is open Tuesday through Thursday, 3 to 9 pm; Friday, 3 to 10 pm; Saturday, 2 to 10 pm; and Sunday, 2 to 9 pm. Closed Monday.

Follow 227 Wine Bar at www.Facebook.com/227winebar, visit www.227winebar.webs.com or call 203-456-6991 for more information.