Downtown Uncorked
November 11th, 2009 | Published in Eat & Drink
by Sara Muessel
Downtown Uncorked is the product of the blood, sweat, and tears from husband wife team Melba Tucker and Chandler Arden. Located next to The Village Café in historic downtown Bryan, Uncorked features some of the widest variety of wines in the BCS area from notorious wine regions in California, France, New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, Spain, Australia, Argentina and Portugal, with bottles ranging from $15 to the more lucrative $220 and wine by the glass priced between $5 and $20.
The idea for a wine bar in B/CS came during a wine bar tour in the Austin area, led by Melba’s son, that sparked the thought, “someone should open a wine bar in this area,” which later morphed into, “My husband and I should start said wine bar!” The decision to open Uncorked was made final in January of 2009 and 9 months later the doors opened to the public on October 31st. The hours of operation are afternoon through the late evening every night, but the owners are relying heavily on feedback to get the official hours of operation to customer satisfaction.
With so many wines in production around the world Melba and Chandler, a certified level II Sommelier, had a difficult task in picking the great selection put forward at Uncorked. The wines that have made the final cut showcase, said the owners, include “the whole world, and the whole price range.” Some of the best wines, chardonnays, cabernets, and merlots from the best grape growing regions in the world can be found here.
Among the better known of the wines offered include Benziger Chardonnay and White Zinfandel; some of the less well known brands such as Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay alongside the even lesser known Sassicaia and Peacock Cabernet are also offered. With regard to viticulture, Chandler explained, “It’s like cotton. You cannot expect to grow the same quality cotton in say, Lubbock, as in this area. The same goes for grapes. Some regions are just known for growing good grapes. This whole process has been a learning experience for me”
Although the main focus of Uncorked is, of course, wine, they also offer an assortment of beers (from Miller Lite to Belgium abbey style Maredsous), ‘user- friendly’ cheese plates designed specifically to counter the wine varieties, fondue and hummus. They also hope to offer a menu “heavy on the desserts,” featuring decadent chocolate cakes and truffles in the near future.
“We were very lucky,” Melba says in regards to her wait staff. “We have awesome and knowledgeable employees,” that add to the very homey atmosphere at Uncorked. “That’s why we don’t want to offer wireless internet,” Melba said. “We don’t want people to just come in and hide behind their computer screens. We want this to be your living room. We want you to put your feet up, kick back, and socialize.” And that is what they hope to bring to the community, wine, wine knowledge, and a welcoming place for wine beginners and experts.
Downtown Uncorked is open mid-afternoon through the late evening. More information can be found at its respective Facebook page; search “Downtown Uncorked” and become a fan.
