Published Wednesday
December 7, 2005

Wine boutique to open in Rockbrook Village

BY DEBORAH ALEXANDER

WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

A novel retail concept comes to Rockbrook Village early next year when a new store opens featuring wine, specialty cheeses and a wine-tasting bar.

Corkscrew Wine and Cheese is scheduled to open in March.

If the retail store is a success, said owner Corey Keith, there are plans to build a micro-winery in two or three years to produce wines made from Nebraska grapes.

"Our number one focus is wine and cheese," Keith said. "The goal is to have a small-batch micro-winery on site. This is the first kind of retail concept to bring it into the store."

Corkscrew Wine and Cheese will occupy 2,500 square feet in a 15,000- square-foot building currently under construction at the shopping center near 108th Street and West Center Road.

The wine-tasting bar will feature wine by the glass and a small menu of light appetizers, cheese plates and desserts. More than 70 percent of the wines will be priced under $25, Keith said.

The store will open onto a 500-square-foot patio with a capacity of between 30 and 40 seats and an exterior fireplace. The micro-winery would be in the store's 2,000-square-foot basement.

Keith said Corkscrew has a partnership with James Arthur Vineyards, of Raymond, Neb., the largest winery in the state, to produce its own private-label wine called Torrent Cellars. When the Corkscrew winery is built, grapes would be shipped in, and wine production moved from Raymond to Omaha, Keith said.

Keith, who owns the store with his wife, Anne, said their goal is to demystify wine and cheese selection for the widest audience. The Rockbrook area, Keith said, is underserved as far as retail wine stores.

Keith said he based his business on wine stores he saw on the East Coast. The store will feature information kiosks, where a bottle of wine can be scanned to learn more information about the wine's description, ratings and food pairings.

Keith, a computer programmer, is developing the wine software.