Having a partner turns bouncing a ball into a tennis match, a monologue into a conversation, and a bear attack into a slightly longer bear attack. Experience the power of pairing with today’s Groupon: for $40, you get a wine and food pairing for two at Club di Vino, a weekly event featuring boutique winemakers at The Merk Bistro Italiano (a $100 value). Club di Vino is currently scheduled every Thursday at 7 p.m. (excluding holidays).

At the weekly Club di Vino gatherings, boutique winemakers pop the corks of their own bottles to dole out sips and share their oenophilia. Cabernet connoisseurs can pry information directly from winemakers or just sit with friends and sip selections. Wines mingle with carefully chosen morsels that complement notes much like an affectionate tuba. The two-hour tastings are held on The Merk’s mezzanine, which overlooks a dining room and bar with an amber-colored top that glows like actual lava spewed from the volcanoes of overachieving seventh-grade science-fair participants.

Although not included in this Groupon, attendees will also have the opportunity to take advantage of vineyard-direct pricing on individual bottles or cases of wine.