Corks opens on New Year’s to packed house

ALBANY — With a piano, intimate lighting, more than 100 wines and a unique dining experience, a new eatery and wine bar isn’t just another watering hole.

Corks Wine & Charcuterie opened its doors on New Year’s Eve to a packed house with a pianist playing the baby grand piano.

The idea is to give people an experience they otherwise only would get by traveling some distance to another city or state, said Rob Michie, who operates the new establishment with manager and fiancée Melissa Thompson and general manager Kane Campbell.

“She’s loved wines for years and I’ve been a foodie for years, so we put the two together,” Michie said. “We kind of went with the piano-bar concept. It’s about the most romantic spot in town — when you’re here with your wife and you’re eating with your hands and the lighting. Of course, you can have a fork if you want one.”

Michie said he plans to continue working a new day job with a software company so Thompson will in charge at Corks.

“It’s going to be something you haven’t seen here before,” Michie said. “I’ve been in the car business forever. She (Thompson) was in the car business with me. We wanted to do something that would work.

“We’re not doing it because we want to get rich. We want to bring an experience to Albany.”

Literally translated from the French, charcuterie means “cooked meats,” and its history dates back to methods of using methods such as salting and smoking to preserve meat. Today those methods are a source of flavor enhancement.

“Charcuterie is basically the art of meat,” Michie said. “(It’s) like meat and cheese boards and small plates.

“The meat in the product we use is the best of the best, the best you can buy.”

The opening night crowd was solid, even accounting for the friends and family members who showed up to lend support.

“We had a huge New Year’s Eve,” Michie said. “It was standing room only and out the door for an hour and a half.”

Business hours are 4-10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and from 4-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. In addition, the couple plans to open in three months for brunch on Sunday and cater events.

Corks’ menu contains offerings to satisfy everyone’s taste buds and wallet, from $6 to $32.

The same is true of the wines, which can range from a wine slushie to a glass that goes for about the price of a bottle of beer to $120.

“Whether it’s $6 a glass to $500 a bottle, it’s a little bit for everybody’s taste,” he said. “One of the things we’ve got (is) wines for any budget.”

The experience is not limited to simply food and beverages, which includes local beer made at Pretoria Fields Collective Brewery and other craft and national brands.

Michie said he expects to offer education about the world of wine to those who stop by.

While discussing this aspect of Corks, Michie brought up Orin Swift Cellars. Founder David Phinney once sold his Zinfandel brand, leading to his agreeing not to make the variety of wine for eight years. During that time he wrote a book of short stories and poems titled “Eight Years in the Desert.”

He later named eight varieties of wines after titles from the collection and named his first Zinfandel after the book title.

“He was banned from making (Zinfandel) because of a no-compete clause,” Michie said. “We try to carry wines that have a good story behind them.”

Other information includes how to get more enjoyment out of a glass of wine.

“We have a lot of unique things we can teach people about,” Michie said. “We can teach people how to pour, the different glasses for reds, whites and champagne. We have over a hundred wines.”

The stem of a wine glass isn’t just there for the sake of elegance, he said. Holding the glass by the stem prevents heating the wine that occurs when the drinker holds the glass by its bowl.

“Touching that affects the taste of the wine,” Michie said.

Lead server Kristin Rice has 10 years’ experience in wine tasting.

Customers also will get a chance to sample some more expensive wines without having to purchase the entire bottle with use of a Coravin wine-opening system.

“It punctures the cork and fills (the bottle) back with argon gas,” Michie said. “This allows us to provide a higher-end product at less cost.”

Many of the food offerings will come from local companies, including cheese from a Thomasville dairy, while some are imported.

“Everything from our honey to our jams to our cheeses is locally produced,” Michie said. “Most everything is Georgia-grown and -produced.”

The results of the work and investment will be something completely new to the area, Michie said.

“It’s going to be something you haven’t seen here before,” he said, “It’s not just going out to dinner. Albany needs something like this.”

File Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]
Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]