
Corkbuzz in SouthPark has taken over the space next door for a new concept.
People today come in to Corkbuzz expecting a wine bar, and realize that Corkbuzz is more of a restaurant, co-founder Frank Vafier said.
The new spot will be a more traditional wine bar — think high-top tables and cheese/charcuterie plates — as well as a dedicated retail wine shop. The vibe will be more casual.
Wine education will be a big part of the expansion.
The goal is for people who don’t know much about wine to be able to walk away describing what they like and what they’d like to try more of, co-founder and master sommelier Laura Maniec said.
The Corkbuzz staff will lead customers through a tasting to drill down to what they like.
But the bottle shop will also be labeled with recommendations if people don’t have the time for a fully guided tour. Bottles will have labels like “pizza night” to quickly describe what the bottle would be good for, Maniec said.
Look for the new spot in early fall. Until then, enjoy the expanded patio.
The outdoor seating has nearly doubled.