This New Calgary Wine Bar is Pouring Without Pretension

Inspired by wine’s knack for sparking great conversation, Unfiltered Wine Bar is a down-to-earth space for great sips and even better chats. Partners in both business and life, owners Nina and Haafiz Hasham set the tone with their grounded warmth.

“At the end of the day, it’s just great grape juice,” laughs Haafiz. “It doesn’t need to be pretentious.”

Open in the Beltline since late June, Unfiltered Wine Bar offers small bites and a rotating wine menu with tasting notes listed in simple, accessible language. Alongside well-loved varieties like Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Riesling, guests can also try lesser-known gems.

“We have this Greek one — the Assyrtiko — and most of our guests haven’t tried that,” says Nina. “When they get a flight, that often ends up being on the flight. We’re just encouraging people to try new things and discover their new favourite.”

To prevent kitchen aromas from interfering with the wine, Unfiltered’s small bites are prepared in-house without cooking or baking. The menu features sophisticated bar snacks like truffle and red wine burratini or crab and pickled oyster mushroom on sourdough thins.

Having built most of the space themselves, Haafiz credits Nina for wearing many hats — from navigating permits to hands-on construction. “She literally did like 95 per cent of all the tiling,” he says.

Light colours carry through the space for guests to better see and experience the wine — from stone-hued stucco walls to oak-finished dining tables handmade by Nina. A deconstructed wine barrel adorns the back wall, dyed with real wine from Bordeaux.

Grateful for the community’s early support, Nina and Haafiz are eager to grow alongside the area — they already share a joint Instagram account (@daddiesof14street) with the brewery across the street, Best of Kin. In the spirit of collaborating with local businesses, they’re teaming up with True Wild Distilling for a wine-infused cocktail night on August 15.

“The whole goal here is to create a community of local businesses. It’s not about us, it’s not about them, it’s about everyone thriving,” says Haafiz.

1020 14 St. S.W., 403-991-9463, winebarunfiltered.com

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