Simply Sippable: Cork & Screw Wine Bar
Easy-drinking, natural wines abound at this outdoor wine bar.
Words By Jessi Devenyns Photos by Baptiste Despois
Wine can easily be misconstrued as a sophisticated adult beverage that is only for the initiated. But that notion is simply wrong, and Tatanka Guerrero from Cork & Screw does his best to dispel the myth.
This,” Tatanka says, gesturing around the two-room cottage that serves as a wine tasting room with bric-a-brac furniture shoehorned into place for an intimate tête-à-tête, “just makes simplicity great. We wanted to make wine really approachable and not intimidating.”
Indeed, with names like 21 Sauvage from the Texan producers Soto Vino and an array of pét-nats (or so is the style pétillant natural is fondly-termed), the walls of wine that line Cork & Screw wine shop, a homey storefront housed adjacent to the tasting bungalow, are anything but pretentious. Even the staff offer an unexpected twist to what many expect from a wine experience.
Kasubi Manega, a self-proclaimed wine enthusiast, has no formal training in the profession prior to working with Tatanka. Nevertheless, it is clear, from the way Kasubi off-handedly picks up wines and rattles off the provenance, grape varietal, and a few pairing facts, that the atmosphere at Cork & Screw is an educational one aimed at cultivating knowledge through culinary pleasure.
Kasubi explains that people who are seasoned and who love wine come in and enjoy it, too. Yet, he goes on to explain that the shop’s unique selection is not synonymous with pompous. In a refreshing change of pace, although this wine shop’s shelves are filled with smaller purveyors and obscure vineyards, the selection feels natural rather than contrived.
As he laces his way between tables, he and Tatanka outline some of their favorite wine choices. Old world wines, new world wines, and natural wines all make the list, but it is the natural wines that elicit a particularly warm introduction.
“We definitely have the majority of natural wines, but we definitely do appreciate the old world wines,” Tatanka notes. “And that’s it to us. Wine doesn’t have to be too serious, you know? At the end of the day, you’re going to catch a little buzz of fun, and I believe the best wine in the world is the one your palate likes.”
Did You Know?
For those who don’t want to commit to a tasting, stop by Cork & Screw and buy a bottle to take out onto the patio and share with friends. Glasses and corkscrew provided! Their tasting room is open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Reservations can be made on their Instagram.
Contact:
2907 E 12th St.
corkandscrewatx.com
@corkandscrew.atx
