It had been a while since I had last visited Cork Wine Bar and it was time for a return trip. I knew that Cork used Enomatic wine dispensers, and I am a huge fan of the technology. It allows consumers to try a wide variety of wines while making business sense for wine bar owners. Thus, I made the journey to the West Village in Uptown.
When I walked in, I saw 48 wine options labeled into categories (big and bold, eight for eight, etc.) along with a variety of computer touch screens giving information about each of the wines along with the price. You can try in quantities from a one ounce tasting to a full glass of six ounces.
My friend compared it to a “grown up’s Dave and Busters,” in reference to the card that you buy to insert into the machines as you taste the wines. We tried wines from several regions – from California to Spain to France to Washington State. The unanimous favorite for the wine was the 2011 Chateau Guiraud ‘Le G de Chateau Guiraud’ Blanc Sec from Bordeaux, France. It was a Sauvignon Blanc blended with Semillon and it had flavors of citrus (lemon and grapefruit), thyme and notes of honey.
Our favorite red was the 2010 Spring Valley Vineyard Kathryn Corkrum Cabernet Franc from Walla Walla, Washington. This was a well balanced red with flowers, green pepper, raspberries, herbs and some strawberry. This was a very nice and fragrant cabernet franc that represented the grape well.
I tried six wines for less than $25 and loved the variety of choices. Cork also designates a certain happy hour section each night and features a retail selection with 350 wines and craft beers. They also have a selection of appetizers and desserts.