DeNovo team to open cocktail bar and wine shop 86 & Vine in Norwood

Demetri Malki, the owner of Mediterranean restaurant DeNovo with locations in Montclair and Edgewater, is primed to open a liquor store that will also feature a cocktail bar on Livingston Street in Norwood. Malki said he hopes to open 86 & Vine in late November.

"People are intimidated by wine," he said. "They buy wine 'cause the label looks cool or the bottle looks good."

Malki's under-construction 3,500-square foot liquor store/bar aims to help counter that by "walking people through the whole experience." Patrons can taste wines, buy wines, talk to the sommelier about wines. They can enjoy their glass of wine sitting on couches in the store. Or enjoy a cocktail at the bar and some munchies, mostly tapas, too.

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"It's a place you can wine shop, hang out and have a drink before you to out to dinner — or after," Malki said.

Luigi Tarantino, who was the beverage director at Sofia in Englewood and formerly at New York City's Prohibition-style bar Employees Only, is the managing partner and beverage director for 86 & Vine. Francesco Gaudio, who is a board certified sommelier who has worked for the NoHo Restaurant Group as a chef, is a managing partner as well.

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Why the name 86 & Vine?

Vine, well, that's obvious; 86 because, according to Malki, 1686 is when the borough of Norwood was first settled.

86 & Vine is located at 519 Livingston St., Norwood.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Norwood NJ: DeNovo restaurant owner to open liquor store, cocktail bar