That's the spirit, I thought to myself, before making my way into the intimate room. Here, in the wine room, Ashdfar Nader is king of wine, and he will gently guide you through the myriad tastes and textures that make up the world of wine.
Mo Afshar, the owner, made it clear to me that the restaurant prides itself equally on food and wine, and that it was an unspoken understanding that the two were really one thing, more than the sum of their parts.

When I asked Afshar about the immense list they keep, the cellar full of the world's offerings, he replied, "there's no reason Salem shouldn't embrace its connections to the bigger world of wine, to all the things offered outside the valley."

And offer they do. At any one time, between 80 and 125 wines are offered by the glass, bottle, or flight (a type of tasting sampler that I strongly recommend -- usually four wines chosen to offer a glimpse into a geographic area or type of grape). DaVinci's usually offers at least four separate flights, ranging from "Fun Whites" to "Unforgettable Reds." Each are carefully chosen to complement each other and open up new roads to the wine novice and connoisseur alike.

"We change our flights as well as many of the wines we offer at least every two months," Nader tells me, "and sometimes more often depending on vintages being released."

A large, welcoming man, and the nephew of Afshar, Nader prides himself not only on his knowledge of wine, but of his connection to what is happening in the world of wine. Wine is not a static thing, like algebra that you learn once; it is constantly changing with the efforts of vintners around the world.

Nader takes enormous pride in the relationships he makes with high quality vintners around the world. He points out a particular Sangiovese that a customer just across the wine bar from us is enjoying.

"That wine was awarded a very distinguished commendation from the regional Italian wine body, in addition to getting a very good Parker score (a respected authority on wine in the U.S.). And I know these people and meet with them, every year when I travel. This year, only 38 cases made it to Oregon, and I made sure we had it," he says, smiling broadly.

This depth of knowledge and research takes Nader around the world, but it also keeps him deeply in touch with our own local producers. You will not find the Willamette Valley slighted in their wine list. He knows by name most of the family-owned vineyards throughout the region, and teaches me a bit about biodynamics, which is related to the French concept of "terroir," or microclimate. The soil, the sunshine, the particular growth of the grape that year as determined by the weather: all of these things contribute to the full flavor of the wine.

A happy pupil, I listen to him sing the praises of the Sangiovese, a type of wine often overlooked as a fiber-wrapped bottle to be drunk and then made into a candle holder. But this one is different, proud and unique. The flavor is hard to describe until I ask Nader how he would describe it.

"I've been there, and walked the land, and talked to the growers," he tells me. He takes a taste himself, eyes closed, and then smiles. "It tastes of my memories of that area, of thyme and Tuscany, of the very spirit of Italian wine."

I've never been to Tuscany myself, but with the lovely rich flavor on my tongue, I feel like I might have been, just for a moment.