Wine "studio" near union square raises the bar for tastings

Zagat Editor James Mulcahy explored a new Manhattan "wine studio" that also is serving up local and seasonal food and filed the following report.

Zagat Editor James Mulcahy recently visited Corkbuzz, a new wine studio near Union Square that will feature classes and and tastings. Owner and master sommelier Laura Maniec describes her new spot:

"Corkbuzz is a 'wine studio,' as we're calling it, it's a place for all things wine. It's a wine bar that has room for 60 seats. It's a wine educational facility, so we're going to have about seven to 10 wine classes a week and wine-focused dinner parties and wine-focused events.

"I'm really excited about the wine list. There's about 250 bottles. I'm really excited that I get to hand-select every single bottle. It's really just like a curated list of things that I love.

"We're right around the corner from the Union Square green market, so we're taking inspiration from the seasons and local ingredients. The food is going to be great, simple and elegant, made to go with wine.

"The menu is shareable small plates. We have these crispy Kumamoto oysters that are made with scallion pancake batter and a ponzu dipping sauce, so it's perfect for Champagne. We have calamari stuffed with shellfish risotto with a saffron aioli. We're making thick-cut, house-made French fries that we hollowed out and stuffed with bacalao and served with greenmarket pickles.

"We wanted small nods to wine in the decor. Our chandelier was made from an old wine barrel. We found this really great light manufacturer who uses reclaimed wood and it sits right above the living room area in the front of the space.

"Corkbuzz Wine Studio is about feeling like you're in a friend's home having a glass of wine. I'm just thrilled and excited about this being my first place, on my own. And I'm a little scared too."