Each week, The Daily Iowan will provide an in-depth look at one Iowa City business.
Walking through the doors of Cork & Bottle, one can find rows of handpicked bottles of luxury wine from across the world and fridges full of craft beer brewed right here in the Midwest.
Owners Ravi and Tina Advani, who have been married for five years, opened the local wine and craft-beer store, 610 Eastbury Drive, in the Old Towne Village neighborhood a little over a month ago, and they’ve already seen repeat customers.
The store offers roughly 150 different wines, including boutique wines from Italy, New Zealand, France, Germany, and all over the United States.
Tina Advani described her husband as a “wine connoisseur,” and he has taught her nearly everything she knows about wine, including tastes, over the last five years.
“It’s not so much that we are a wine store,” Ravi Advani said. “It’s about sharing our experiences and the wines of the world with our customers.”
Customers are invited to attend featured weekly tastings on selected Fridays or Saturdays to test various wines for themselves.
In the beer selection, the duo has focused on craft beers from states they say feature world-class breweries — Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa.
Beers offered include Knoxville’s Peace Tree Brewery, Greater River Brewery in Davenport, Backpocket Brewing in Coralville, and Millstream Brewing in the Amanas.
“We support our Iowa local breweries,” Ravi Advani said. “It’s fun to carry these beers because you’re looking at works of masters.”
The store also features what he calls “legendary beers” from breweries including Lagunitas, Stone, and Founders.
A special feature the store offers is beers by the bottle, in which customers can mix and match different varieties of beer.
“You don’t have to be stuck with a six pack of something you don’t like,” he said.
Jordan DeGrazia, a chiropractor at Bella Vita Chiropractic and Wellness Center a few doors down from Bottle & Cork, said the two have been a very helpful and friendly.
“If there’s something they don’t have on the shelf that [customers] want, they are very willing to see if they can get it for you,” he said.
Nestled in the East Side of town, Ravi Advani said they hope to see more developments, especially restaurants, in order to attract more local residents in the area.
“Everybody we talked to said there really isn’t much on this side of town in terms of restaurants and stores, so anything we can do to make it more of a destination is a helpful thing,” he said.
Both Advanis are former technology consultants, and they say making connections with local residents is one of their main goals.
They say their customers have become their friends.
“We both worked with customers before with previous businesses, and we know what works,” Tina Advani said. “We know how to treat people.”
The couple have more shelves to fill as they continue to learn about their new-founded career, which they say they’re both passionate about.
“Save water. Drink wine, champagne, and beer,” Ravi Advani said, echoing a sign hanging among the glass bottles.