How many times have you wandered into the liquor store hoping to pick up a good bottle of wine that you’ve never had before, only to come home with a popular brand because it was just easier to choose a familiar label?

David Gunawan and Dara Young, co-owners of Vancouver’s Farmer’s Apprentice, want to help you expand your range to include more natural, organic and biodynamic wines with their new wine bar, Grapes & Soda.

“When we step away from the many mass-produced wines that are out there, we open ourselves up to a world of hidden gems that are just waiting to be discovered,” says Hao-Yang Wang, Farmer’s Apprentice’s general manager and sommelier.

The current wine list at Grapes & Soda, which features about 30 different wines--including sparkling, red, white, rose and fortified--focuses on a selection from France and Italy, all produced with minimal chemical intervention.

Executive chef Ron Shaw, formerly of Bishop’s, brings his philosophy of cooking with sustainable ingredients to this 25-seat restaurant, designing a menu of small plates, snacks, cheeses and charcuterie around the wine, with every item bringing out the wines’ unique qualities.

If you prefer cocktails to wine, or you just something sweet to end the meal, you can choose from six artisanal cocktails, crafted by Satoshi Yonemori, formerly of Wildebeest and The Diamond, and pair them with dessert.