SCENE By Thomas Henry Strenk Harmonious Blend Corkbuzz mixes education, an event space and dining. W
elcoming guests at the door of Corkbuzz Wine Studio is a dressmaker's form wearing a corset stitched from wine labels. It epitomizes this approachable place where the curious can learn a little or a lot about wine and enjoy themselves as they do. "We collected labels for the corset all last
year," says owner and master sommelier Laura Maniec. "Winemakers come in and say, 'Oh there's my label,'" she quips. Located around the corner from New
York's Union Square Greenmarket, Corkbuzz is a unique hybrid of wine bar, school and wine-savvy event space. "We originally meant it to be an educational and community center for the wine industry," says Maniec. But the sommelier and her partner Frank Vafi er came to the realization that the concept should include a wine bar as well. "It didn't make sense to teach a class on the wines of Piedmont, say, and then send students off somewhere else to drink Barolo," says Maniec. Th e bar also serves greenmarket- inspired dishes designed by chef Hayan Yi to complement the wines.
A WELCOMING SPACE Corkbuzz is sleek and elegant, yet
warm and inviting. Walls are covered in cream moiré with oak molding and round art deco mirrors. Cylindrical pendant lamps hang over the butcher block- topped bar backed by glittering racks of fi ne glassware. Th e round bar stools are covered in a cream colored minimalist plaid. "Th e place feels like you're in your living room with your best friend enjoying a glass of wine," says Maniec. A fl oor-to-ceiling, glass-enclosed wine
cellar serves as a focal point for the back of the space with seating at communal tables and comfortable, California- modern furniture. Th e back area is where classes and private events are held. Th e two classrooms, accoutered with spotlights, A/V projectors and roll-up screens, can accommodate 25 students each, and sliding panels convert it into one large space for larger parties. "Hosting events and dinner parties is
Corkbuzz does a range of tastings for its customers.
16 | JUNE 2012
something I love to do, at home and now here as a profession," exclaims Maniec. Although she concedes there are many
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