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Capitol Hill to get its own winery

The bad news is that I Love New York Deli may not be opening a third location on Capitol Hill.  The good news is that 954 East Union will be getting an (we suspect) equally welcome tenant, Corkhouse Winery.  Corkhouse wiill be operated jointly by longtime friends Travis Scarborough and Josh Fletcher.  Scarborough described the business to CHS as follows:

CorkHouse will be essential trying to find the best possible wine for the best possible price.  We will be basically wine négociants.  In the last few years I have found some incredible wines from great producers & vineyards, who have had trouble selling them due to high prices.  We like to take them off their hands at a significantly lower cost, sign a confidentially agreement, and then give the public some great wine.  I know it’s not a new concept or anything, but it’s a great way for the public to have good wine at affordable prices.  Price range will not initially exceed $15 retail.

We asked Scarborough why Corkhouse chose Capitol Hill, and he explained that he and Fletcher are Hill residents:

 We both live in Capitol Hill (a few blocks from this space) and shared the vision of bringing a winery to the heart of this truly unique neighborhood that we both love. Josh will be in charge of incorporating our space into the fabric of the neighborhood and building a synergy with all the other vibrant businesses in the area. We expect to open the winery as soon as possible this summer.

If Scarborough’s name sounds familiar to you, it may be because he is a founding partner in O’Shea Scarborough Winery.  Scarborough noted that Corkhouse and O’Shea Scarborough may work together:  “Most likely we will partner with O’Shea Scarborough Winery and have a tasting room open on the weekends as well.” 

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oiseau
oiseau
13 years ago

Capitol Hill is getting a new tasting room that also does by the bottle sales. To be a winery a business at least needs to, you know, produce wine.

sandwich fan
sandwich fan
13 years ago

was really looking forward to the deli. at least there is honey hole.

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13 years ago

Not only is it not a winery it is not really a wine négociant either. Basically, Capitol Hill is getting another wine store…

Andrew Taylor
13 years ago

A négociant is the French term for a wine merchant who assembles the produce of smaller growers and winemakers and sells the result under its own name.

Négociants buy everything from grapes to grape must to wines in various states of completion. In the case of grapes or must, the négociant performs virtually all the winemaking. If it buys already fermented wine in barrels or ‘en-vrac’ – basically in bulk containers, it may age the wine further, blend in other wines or simply bottle and sell it as is. The result is sold under the name of the négociant, not the name of the original grape or wine producer.

Négociants, who are also called Wine Merchants/Traders, were the dominant force in the wine trade until the last 25 years for various reasons:

Historically the owners of vineyards and producers of wine had no direct access to buyers.
It was too expensive for growers to purchase the wine presses and bottling lines necessary to produce a finished wine.

Will they be doing all this? Should be fun to watch.

capinjames
capinjames
13 years ago

oh man, nobody knows anything about the wine business. do you know how many people do this? Wineries do this all the time, buy wine and then turn around and sell it.

this place sounds to do the same.

if they blend different wines to create 1 wine, how is that not a a negociant?