Review: Half Cork’d Premium Beer, Wine and Bubbles

Tuesday, 06 December 2011 17:26

Want to toast the New Year with some class? The recently unveiled Half Cork’d wine bar offers a funky new spot to experience the intricacies of a good glass of wine. Located on Southeast First Street downtown, the bar overlooks an evolving lineup of businesses with the Hippodrome Theatre just steps away.

Balancing between an intimate, pre-dinner hangout and late-night social scene, the wine bar boasts plenty of nooks with plush, moveable furniture to settle in with friends.

Customers are in for a “total wine experience” with 14 tasting stations and a knowledgeable staff who loves wine just as much as you do.
General Manager Kelley Washington hasn’t met a wine she didn’t like, and with her help you’ll be sipping on your new favorite in no time. Kelley’s expertise comes from years of working in the restaurant biz, a talent that has helped her assemble a list of more than 200 bottles of wines and 56 by-the-glass varieties.

By Caitlyn Finnegan; photos by Sequoia Santangelo

TASTING TECHNOLOGY

The first of its kind in the area, the bar’s self-serve wine-dispensing technology makes it a resource for both connoisseurs and new wine drinkers. Fifty-six bottles are tapped on the floor with argon gas dispensers that keep wine at its peak for months, allowing patrons to choose from three different serving sizes—a taste, a half glass or a full glass of wine. Prices range from $5 to $65 for a full glass.
To get in on the tasting, purchase a $5 tasting card, load it with whatever amount you want and swipe away—the card’s yours for life. If you stumble upon a favorite, all bottles are available to be taken home, and Half Cork’d changes what’s on the floor every few weeks.
If you’re wondering what to try for the winter months, Kelley suggests filling your glass with a flavorful, full-bodied red like a Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel. Keep a look out for two of her recommendations, Honoro Vera Monastrell and Desert Wind Ruah.
For more upscale selections like the plum and dark chocolate-laced Phelps Insignia, the bar’s most expensive available bottle at $19 a taste, it might be better to sample before making a big buy.

RAISE A GLASS OF BUBBLY

The bar also offers premium beer and sparkling wines. For those celebrating the New Year, or anyone who loves some bubbly, Kelley recommends picking up a bottle of J Cuvee 20, $22. And don’t think wine is the only beverage worth pairing with the tantalizing snacks; the bar’s selection of 15 specially crafted beers is a great accompanying side to any night out. Try Southern Tier Brewing Company’s Harvest with your next Beer Cheese Platter, $9.

FRESH AND FOCUSED

Expertly paired platters assembled by chef Michael MacLeod effortlessly complement any style of wine you find yourself sipping on. Macleod offers a hand-selected Meat and Cheese Platter, $12, filled with prosciutto, pepper salami, bresaola, Red Dragon Mustard Seed Ale cheese, smoked gouda and more.
He works to keep the offerings as fresh as possible by changing his dishes every few weeks to reflect what’s in season and available at the farmer’s market. You can find delicious dishes of antipastos, $4 for your choice of artichoke hearts, olives or mushrooms, and a bruschetta topped with tomato, mozzarella, basil and a balsamic glaze ($6). All platters are served with a crusty loaf of French bread baked at local bakery The Vine. For those with a sweet tooth, try the Gingerbread Cake with Pumpkin Butter Cream, $6, made fresh at The Jones Eastside, before it leaves the menu.

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Comments (1)

• |2012-04-09 21:33:40 Aaron Shay  - Really like this place!
  I went to Half Cork’d for dinner with a few friends the other night and love it. Great food, great wine, great atmosphere.

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