New Concept at Rockbrook Village

Corkscrew, a wine and cheese provider, will be moving into Rockbrook Village’s newest 15,000 sq. ft. building.

Rockbrook Village’s newest tenant, Corkscrew, also represents a new concept for Omaha, in oenology and fromagerie. In the wine and cheese trade, coastal creep is occurring – east-west coast wine and cheese establishments seeking to simplify the shopping experience have finally made it to Omaha.

Corkscrew aims to de-mystify wine and cheese selection for the widest audience. Owned by Corey and Anne Keith, Corkscrew will focus on carefully selected fine wines and artisanal cheeses.

Target customers are everyone from wine enthusiasts to wine novices wanting to learn more about wine and fine cheeses. Corkscrew's size will allow the owners to be flexible in purchasing, easily responding to trends in the local marketplace.

A unique aspect of Corkscrew will be a wine-tasting bar. The wine bar will feature wine by the glass and a small menu of light appetizers, cheese plates and desserts. Throughout the day, the store staff will offer tastes of different types of wine. By sampling wine before they buy, customers will minimize the risk of going to a traditional retailer, coming home and opening a bottle they do not like.

Over 70% of the wines will be priced under $25. Owner Keith knows that people tend to drink the lower priced wines daily but want to splurge on the more expensive wines for special occasions.

Corkscrew will also produce its own private label wine under the label “Torrent Cellars.” Shawn Robinson will be operational manager. Robinson was trained at James Arthur Vineyards, the largest winery in Nebraska and Iowa. No other wine store in the area has this capacity, bringing to Omaha wines that will be produced with Nebraska grapes, by a Nebraska vineyard and sold exclusively by an Omaha wine label in an Omaha wine store.

Long term plans include building a micro winery production facility in Rockbrook Village. Accompanying tours and classes will also help to take some of the mystery out of the wine making process.

Perhaps the best companion to wine is fine cheese. Corkscrew will sell specialty cheeses, items that are hard to locate in Omaha. These cheeses are called ‘artisanal.’ This means that the cheese is made in small batches by skilled workers who are trained in the production. Artisanal cheeses have a wide range of flavors and textures. Educating Omahans to cheese selection will be part of the educational focus of Corkscrew.

Because education is a key component throughout every aspect of Corkscrew, teaching customers about every product is crucial. Perhaps the most unique part of education will be information kiosks in the 2500 sq. ft., wood-floored storefront. Corey Keith has a background in economics and computer science. He is developing the software that will provide this information. These kiosks will allow customers to search for wine suggestions by food pairing. Also involved in the business is Anne Keith, Corey’s wife.

Customers can also scan a particular bottle of wine to learn more about the wine than is printed on the label. The kiosks will make wine selection easy and fun, certainly not taking the place of an educated sales staff, but are part of the educational process.

Owner Keith has long been interested in food and wine is a natural extension to food enjoyment. The business will face west, opening onto a 500-sq. ft. open-air patio, featuring an exterior fireplace. Shoppers come into the storefront to select their purchases. The back half of the space will be the wine tasting bar.

Corkscrew will be a comfortable, friendly place for people to come. Staff is prepared to give customers more than they expect both in service and in product. Also, staff will help them develop their palates, broaden their horizons and create a loyalty to this unique new business.