Michael Perlis: Synergy at All Corked Up

A lot of attention has been paid to The Cellar recently, and rightfully so. DiMaggio Washington has regenerated the excitement of the wine bar and restaurant.

But, I thought it was time to revisit the “back of the house” and sit down with David Schutz, one of the owners of All Corked Up, to see how things are going there.

Talking with David, it seems he has been re-energized as well. He is extremely excited about the synergy that has been created between All Corked Up and The Cellar. Victor Herstein, wine buyer for All Corked Up, and DiMaggio routinely taste wines in collaboration, and David himself says he is often very stressed tasting 25 to 30 wines weekly. [Ha!]

In addition, All Corked Up’s wine club and locker members enjoy special benefits at The Cellar, such as reduced corkage charges and free membership in The Cellar’s loyalty program [a $50 value]. The Cellar continues to host All Corked Up’s monthly wine club tastings, and a locker party is being planned as well. They also co-host the weekly Wednesday night tastings.

Speaking of wine tasting, All Corked Up also now provides wine tasting in the warehouse on Saturdays and Sundays, offering samples of four wines for $5.

David is very proud of the selections offered by All Corked Up, with the focus being on wines not readily available elsewhere. For example, ACU carries the 2005 La Sirena Syrah made by Heidi Barrett [of Screaming Eagle fame] for $40 and the 2007 Jalama Giallo for $20. The Giallo is a barrel-fermented Pinot Grigio given a proprietary name by Jalama to distinguish it from the typical Pinot Grigio fermented in stainless steel. Vic described this as similar to an Alsatian Pinot Gris.

Mindful of the economy, David said that he and Vic are focusing on finding high quality wines at lower price points, as well as offering 10% discounts for 6-bottle purchases and 20% off of 12-bottle purchases. David also said that they will do their best to match other stores prices.

Lower prices apply to locker members as well. 15-bottle entry-level lockers have been moved from The Cellar lounge to the humidity and temperature controlled locker area, and are priced at $13.95 per month. Larger lockers are available at discounts as well. [Full disclosure – I am an All Corked Up locker-renter.]

As we were finishing up our conversation, DiMaggio walked in to discuss the plans for upcoming events at All Corked Up and The Cellar. As synergy filled the room, I made my exit.
 
Michael Perlis provides outsourced controller services to businesses that do not need a full-time controller. He balances this with his interest in wine: reading and writing about it and, of course, drinking it. He is still trying to figure out how to combine these two pursuits. Feel free to contact him about either at mcpfinancial@aol.com or michaelthezinfan@aol.com.