Rainy Day Blues...

Known for being one of the cheese kings, Stilton Blue is making a comeback here in Kork...and not just on the top of salads. Made exclusively within three counties in Britain (Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, & Derbyshire) Stilton has proven its flexibilty as one of the best ingredients, even if it is simply on one of our cheese platters. However, "food-pairing"-- the delicate art of pairing delicious food with phenominal wine and beer launching both to their peak flavor potential-- is more our style and Stilton is one of my absolute favorites to work with.

Since the holidays are coming up, one of my favorite "party tricks" involves Stilton and a darn good Port...or a big, slightly sweet red wine (Shiraz). JUST to make sure you like it first, I recommend stopping in to see us and trying our Stilton with a fabulous Shiraz we have down in our wine cellar.

As for the party trick? Stop by Kork and purchase a beautiful wedge of Stilton (we sell cheese by the pound too!), grab a bottle of red (or port)... hurry home and grab a plastic container, set the cheese inside, and (depending on how much cheese you have) pour about half a cup (8 oz) of wine ON TOP of the cheese, and in the container. Now be patient. Really patient. Pop the top on, stop drooling, and wait... 3-5 days if you can stand it, but about 24 hours is minimum, just to make sure the two have time to hang out and blend together.

If patients isn't your virtue, a cheese platter and a glass of wine can always cure the rainy day blues!

We're on the Style File!

You Said You're a Cheese-what-er?

Cheesemonger.

What a great word! But, what is it?

Let’s take the word apart:

Cheese – at its simplest explanation, its a milk based food product

Monger – a promoter or seller of items



Put it together, a cheesemonger is a seller of cheese. Sounds plain and simple, but there’s so much more to the word.

We like to say that a cheesemonger is your guide through the stinky world of cheese.

A cheesemonger is responsible for all things cheese- from procurement to storage and ripening and setting up pricing and menus. If they’re good, they’ll be able to answer an assortment of questions pertaining to cheese and its storage and varieties. If they’re excellent, they’ll be able to pair cheese with beer and wine, give you a pile of recipes, full histories, and pick out the rare nuances of any cheese. “Do you smell the hay in that cheese?” If you’re lucky, they’ll even teach you how to make your own cheese. The life of a cheesemonger does not stop there as they even dabble in the world of charcuterie i.e. meats. Meats, of course, being the perfect accompaniment to cheese.

The craft of a cheesemonger is special, rare, and not for the faint of heart- a lot of tasting is involved. As a growing food city, Miami’s cheese culture is still in its infancy. Our goal- to bring the personalized experience of cheese to Miami’s backyard. Come visit us today and talk to one of our many mongers!

Cheese Me

We'd like to introduce you to our latest delivery, Mimolette - a cheese with a lot of character (and we're not just talking about its flavor).

It was created at the request of Louis XIV, who wanted an Edam style cheese that he

could call his. To differentiate it from Edam, it's colored with annatto, giving it its

signature orange color. Is it just us, or does this cheese look like a cantaloupe?

What else you ask? Cheese mites are intentionally introduced to the cheese to add flavor

to the paste (interior) and color to the exterior.

Mmm, crunchy!

Grand Opening Party

We've been open for a week, but now we are ready to make it official! Please join us on Friday, Sept. 16th, for music, wine, beer, cheese, and fun as we fully inaugurate Kork. Dress to impress and invite your friends - we're looking forward to meeting you!

Thrillist Made a Video for Us!

Super Duper So-Soft-its-Basically-Fluffy Opening

We officially open next Tuesday, the 6th, but with all of our Wine and Cheese coming in stock today, we just couldn't resist opening the doors!

For the next two days you can come down and get first dibs at our earliest shipments. The place looks amazing and the cellar is to die for! We just can't wait to give everyone the grand tour, glass of wine in hand.

Wine not your thing? We also got a few of our craft beers in today, so delicious! The Pear Hard Cider is a hit within the staff and actually tastes great with some ice in it to beat the heat.

It's a Thrillerrrrr... Thriller Night...

We're today's featured story on THRILLIST!!!!

Thrillist is one of our favorite resources to find the best hip places and events, and we are so excited to be one of them!

Click on the picture to read the full article.

Wine Giveaway of the Week!

Each week we will be giving away a bottle of wine to one of our neighbors! Simply drop your business card in our box outside the front door for your chance to win.

This week we congratulate Eve Cann!

We're taking home some wine ourselves - part of the Hurricane Irene "Survival Kit".

Say Cheese!

Today we had a little bit of fun during some cheese sampling and made a tasty plate!

HistoryMiami Celebrates - Kork Cheers with Bubbly!

Yesterday we had the great pleasure of providing champagne and cheese for our neighbor, HistoryMiami, as they became an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution! Read all about it here.

The Feast

We recently had Cassie Glenn from "The Feast" stop by Kork to discuss our opening, take a few pictures, and try some wine and cheese!

Kork would like to thank The Feast for a fantastic article and some great pics!

Check it out

Our First Article!

Many thanks to the Miami New Times for showing us some love in the paper this week.

" ...The 3000 square foot watering hole is more reminiscent of a Medieval tasting tavern than a Miami wine bar. Dark wood, iron chandeliers and heavy leather couches will encourage lingering with flights of wine and cheeses served up by Kork's own "cheesetenders"..."

Click here for the full article

Welcome

Kork is a wine bar and cheese shop located in Downtown Miami. With a hint of Medieval style decor and an underground cellar, Kork is a unique place for patrons to relax and enjoy a glass of wine from our collection, purchase a bottle to-go, or try one of our many varieties of cheese.

There will be live music throughout the week, plus regularly scheduled happy hour mixers, wine tastings, and special events. Kork is also available to rent for private parties and meetings in the main room or cellar.

Keep an eye out for updates as we finish up the final touches at Kork and prepare for our grand opening in September!