The Hayes and Vine is a great place to enjoy your very own casually empirical impromptu wine-tasting, especially after a long, hard day at the office. The cellar features upward of 1,200 wines, 40 or 50 of them by the glass, creating several relaxing opportunities to educate your palate. (The 40 or 50 change every Monday, so you can return each week for further academia.) A fine way to compare and contrast them is by the flight, a grouping of four wines with a common varietal or geographic characteristic. (The knowledgeable staff can offer guidance if you prefer to fly solo.) Glasses are available in 5- and 2.5-ounce increments, and to enhance the learning process the bar menu offers artisanal cheeses chosen to complement the day's wines, as well as locally crafted pât?s, smoked fish, breadstuffs, and chocolate truffles. The tasting room itself is hip, sleek, and spare, with a long, undulating marble-topped bar, lots of blond wood and exposed brick, and comfy chairs, davenports, and love seats. Here's to higher education!