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On a recent Wednesday evening, Laura Maniec, who, at 31, is the world’s youngest master sommelier, put on a little black dress, Prada pumps and pearl earrings to greet friends and family for a preview of Corkbuzz Wine Studio. And this week, her elegant yet homey one-stop center for wine learning, drinking and dining near Union Square is open to the public, offering a flexible slate of classes and wine-themed dinners.
Last year, Brooklyn-born Maniec, after years of overseeing restaurant wine lists, decided to open a wine school. “But then I thought, after you’ve tried a sample of Barolo in class, should I then say, ‘Here’s your coat — now leave?’ Better to offer you a bowl of pasta with an actual glass of Barolo.” Corkbuzz has space for classrooms and private events, a 22-seat white-oak communal table, a butcher-block wine bar and a front “parlor” with a comfy L-shaped couch and wing chairs. “I want people to think of Corkbuzz as a wine club where everyone is a member,” she says.
A decade ago, Maniec was planning to be a chef. “I didn’t have a clue about wine, but then, just before I was scheduled to start classes at the Culinary Institute of America, I took the Windows on the World wine course. And I fell in love with it.” At 10 p.m. after her final class, she took the long elevator ride down. It was the last night the Twin Towers were standing.
Her first job was at Ruby Foo’s — not exactly a wine mecca. Then a head sommelier’s job opened up at 400-seat Blue Fin, and she took it. Soon, she jumped to the position of wine director for BR Guest’s 20 restaurants.
But the path to becoming a certified master sommelier wasn’t smooth. She passed the blind tasting and written exams on her first attempt. The third part was wine service, in which she attended a table of stern master sommelier judges in a mock restaurant. “I was really stiff. You could hear crickets when they asked me to tell them about the 1983 vintage in Margaux.” Maniec failed the service exam three times. So she hired a performance coach and watched herself on videotape for six months. On her fourth try, she passed. Just 29 years old, she was one of only 19 women in the world to be certified as a master sommelier. Established in 1977, the Court of Master Sommeliers is the wine service world’s premier international examining body — there are only 186 master sommeliers worldwide.
A blizzard of wine classes starts at Corkbuzz Jan. 7 with “Seasonal Pairings” at 11 a.m. and a “Who’s Who of French Wines” at 2 p.m. If space is available, just drop in. On Dec. 18, Corkbuzz will hold its first Sunday Supper ($100 prix fixe, including wine, tax and tip) at a communal table. For the adventurous, she’s planning a Tuesday-night “Cellar Grab,” at which you can pay $100, $150 or $300 to raid Maniec’s goodie-filled, 250-label cellar for a special selection at a discounted price. Once a month, you’re invited to bring a favorite bottle and share it with guests, along with hors d’oeuvres and wines from Corkbuzz ($40).
There’s a trend at recently opened wine bars to favor esoteric labels over the tried and true. Maniec’s aim is to offer a wine list that doesn’t take sides. “I want to have one foot in the new and different, but I also want traditional pours,” she says. “Nobody should think that I am thrusting learning or wine down your throat, just because I think it’s exciting.”