As brewers and distillers open tasting rooms around town with increasing frequency, it can be hard for oenophiles to get some local love. But Upper Glass, launched by Charlestown’s David Garlough in May, is uncorking a different way to put a Boston spin on the wine scene, tapping the city’s top sommeliers to curate small assortments of standout bottles.

“Everybody loves to get wine, but honestly for most people it’s hard to know if you’re picking something great,” Garlough says. “It’s a pretty affordable way to give someone a bit of wine discovery, wines that they wouldn’t find on their own or wouldn’t think to choose on their own.”

Each month, Upper Glass partners with an expert from a local restaurant to brainstorm a theme and put together a collection from artisanal winemakers. Every package ($80) is delivered with four bottles and a booklet that includes tasting notes from the featured sommelier, a role that’s been filled in past collections by Bistro du Midi’s Todd Lipman, Puritan and Company’s Peter Nelson and Brewer’s Fork’s Kari Cooney. In preparation for the holidays, Upper Glass will feature festive picks ripe for dinner parties and hostess gifts with its Party Pairings and Spectacular Sparklers boxes. Garlough teamed up with Kelsey McCallan at Catalyst for the latter curation, having her pick her 10 favorite sparkling wines before using an untraditional method for making the final selection.

“We went and we had a party. We let everyone taste all 10 and had all of the guests vote on their favorite ones,” Garlough says. “We’re finalizing the selections right now, but they’re just fantastic, so we’re pretty excited. That’s a great one for the holiday season.”

Upper Glass (617-657-9463) theupperglass.com


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