When it came time to name their new wine business, Keri Kunzle (right) and Jodie Morgan turned to an unexpected source: Abraham Maslow, the Brooklyn-born psychologist who theorized about a “hierarchy of needs.” Maslow believed that human beings must satisfy certain basic needs in turn. First come physiological needs such as food and shelter; then personal security; social needs such as love, affection, and belonging; esteem and respect; and, finally, self-actualization. “And wine fulfills all of them,” explains Kunzle.

Maslow 6 isn’t just interested in selling you a bottle of wine—though it’ll do that!—but also gathering wine aficionados for seminars and tastings. “Education, or the social part of wine,” says Kunzle, is integral to the company’s mission. Its website, maslow6.com, already hints at the community Kunzle and Morgan would like to build; eventually, the goal is for members to be able to interact with each other via the site.

Maslow 6 started in February, with seminars on Burgundy (held at Estancia 460 restaurant), natural winemaking (at City Winery), and Bordeaux’s Right Bank. Six weeks ago, Maslow 6 took over the retail half of Vino Vino (on West Broadway between Franklin and White); the wine bar remains Vino Vino. While it might seem awkward to have one business nestled within the other, there are obvious synergies between Maslow 6 and Vino Vino. In fact, says Kunzle, Maslow 6 will host tastings in the bar on Tuesdays in September (more on that below).

Kunzle, who lives in Tribeca and was involved in handling technology for investment banks before co-founding Maslow 6, says she’s basically the CEO, while Morgan, who lives in Delaware, is the COO and CFO. But the person Tribecans are likely to see the most of, at least in the store, is wine director Mollie Battenhouse. A candidate for the Master of Wine—she’s currently writing her dissertation—she was formerly the head sommelier at Tribeca Grill, and she’ll be running the store.

The fall series of seminars has yet to be announced, but to give you an idea of what to expect, the four seminar topics last spring were South America, Nebbiolo, Burgundy, and the Loire. There’s a half hour of socializing, then 90 minutes of lecture—usually involving a visiting winemaker—and tasting (eight wines), followed by another half hour of socializing. “But sometimes people stay much longer!” says Kunzle. The seminars cost around $100, or $350 for all four, and the group size is around 24 people.

Free tastings, meanwhile, happen daily at the store from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Each month has its own theme: August is devoted to “Wines from Great Vacation Spots,” and tonight’s tasting is Frederic Mochel Pinot Noir from Alsace. On Tuesdays, there are special tastings. On Sept. 15, Maslow 6 is hosting a special 10-year retrospective of a dozen Barolos. The cost is $95, but these tastings such as this might cost as little as $30.