[Photographs: Alice Gao]

When Master Sommelier Laura Maniec first began to dream of opening a wine school, she hoped to create a place where you could learn about wine in a casual setting—dropping in to a class like you might at a yoga studio, without the need to sign up for a semester-long commitment. But the dream grew from there—Maniec also wanted Corkbuzz to be a place that you could extend the experience, where you could return and bring friends for a glass of the wine you'd learned about in class.

Realizing that there wasn't a wine bar or a wine school in the city quite like that—and realizing that she'd need all the liquor licenses and vendor accounts that go along with a wine bar anyway—Corkbuzz grew into the first of a new type of establishment. Maniec calls it a wine studio, and it's part wine school, part restaurant, part event space, and part wine bar.

Classes are still a huge part of the plan for Corkbuzz—they'll commence in January—but this week saw the opening of the wine bar. We stopped by to get a first taste of a few of their offerings.

"I wanted Corkbuzz to feel like a living room," says Maniec, "where you're having a conversation about wine in a place that's cozy and inviting, almost residential." The wine list—which includes over 30 wines by the glass—features wines that Maniec feels "take you to the place where they are from," classic wines from classic regions, though they're not limited to the Old World. They're wines with stories (including a few from wineries where Maniec herself has worked the harvest) that are meant to be enjoyed with food.

And food is not an afterthought at Corkbuzz. The menu, from executive chef Hayan Yi (who has worked at Restaurant Daniel and Le Bernardin) features snacks along with larger dishes like delicate hamachi crudo with grapefruit, parmesan-showered bucatini with brussels sprouts, and earthy blue cheese-encrusted bone marrow with shallot and red wine marmalade. You can have a light snack or build a meal, but you won't be limited to just cheese and meat plates.

Check out the slideshow for a closer look at the dishes we sampled »

In addition to the regular menu, they'll be hosting family-style Sunday Suppers, starting 12/18 and running every other week at the communal table ($100 includes all food and wine pairings as well as tax and gratuity.)

—Ben Fishner and Maggie Hoffman

Corkbuzz Wine Studio

13 E. 13th Street, New York, 10003 (Between University Place and 5th Avenue, map)
646-873-6071; corkbuzz.com