Today we’d like to introduce you to John Ley.
So the story begins during Christmas of 2008. John’s brother, Bob sent everyone in the family wine that HE MADE! John said, “You made this?” Bob responded, “Yah! Cool, huh?” It was actually pretty good.
Well, in April of 2009, John was up in Michigan and Bob said he was going to make another batch and asked if he wanted to tag along.
While there, John found the place very relaxing and interesting that you could pick out the type of wine you wanted to make and start it right there. Six weeks later it would be ready and you could bottle, cork and put your own label on wine that YOU made. What a neat concept!
It just so happened that there were franchise brochures on the counter. As he always did, John picked one up. He usually investigates them and the dream slips away and life goes on.
This time, when John returned to Dallas, he asked Elwyn, his best friend who was about ready to retire, what he was going to be doing. Elwyn wasn’t sure. After showing him the brochure Elwyn said… sounds interesting… look into it and see what you find out.
To make a long story short… John did some investigations and found four franchise systems in the United States. Next thing you know John and Elwyn were in California checking out the Wine Not International winery system. One thing led to another and now you have Two Corks and a Bottle ready to serve guests special wines!
John – please continue the story for us.
It wasn’t long after that the franchise system morphed into a buyer’s group and now we’re independent. July of 2017 marks 6 years in business. We’re not only a winery but one of Dallas’s best wine and piano bar!
Our wine club is a great deal. We have entertainment most evenings from Show Tunes to Lounge-type music to solo-guitar or keyboard to Jazz on Saturday nights. We also have a gourmet chef, Chef TJ, who is here once a month and makes gourmet wood-fired pizzas delivered right to your table. We do lots of events but our most popular is when Psychic, Cheryl Andrea, is here. She does a gallery reading for everyone along with privates readings throughout the evening.
Lastly, you’re welcome to host parties – large and small – here bringing in your own food or ordering from local restaurants having it delivered.
We’re all about fun and a relaxing time. We’re the “Cheers” for local wine fans!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There are 2 struggles I’d point out.
- Finding a location. The liquor laws in Texas and the City of Dallas are difficult to navigate around but with some help from a property broker we were able to settle in to our current location.
- Marketing… just getting the word out to people that we’re here. It’s always a challenge. It’s not like we’re in a small town where you can put an ad in the local paper that everyone sees. The fact that we’re dealing with alcohol pose a problem as the laws in Texas restrict what and how we tell potential customers about.
So, let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Two Corks and a Bottle story. Tell us more about the business.
We’re a winery and wine bar and wine store. In fact, with our entertainment we’re Dallas’ Best Wine and Piano Bar. We make all our own wine except for the sparkling wine. We get that from California. The wines we make are sourced from all over the world including South America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, California and Canada.
Because we make our own wine, guests can come in and create their own personal vintage, as well, which includes custom labels and all the fun it takes to walk out with their batch of wine!
If you read the well over 5,000 guest questionnaires we’ve received you’ll see a trend… this is what we’re most proud of… there are 4 areas people constantly compliment us on… the quality of our wine, the wonderful customer services, the cozy and relaxing ambiance/atmosphere, and the fun people & entertainment they meet while they’re here.
We’re the only place in Dallas where you can come in and make your own wine. That’s what makes us unique but I think even more than that is what those 5,000 people say about us! That combination sets us apart from anyone else!
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I’m not sure I’d call it luck but there’s lots of things that have played a role in getting us where we are today… the background and experience of the owners, the chance meeting of certain friends, the people that brought John to Texas, John’s brother finding a place in Michigan to make his own wine and sparking the idea… and the list goes on. The universe has certainly been playing its role in guiding us to where we are today and the even more success we’ll experience in the future!
Pricing:
- Happy Hour is Tuesday through Friday- 25% off glasses and 15% off bottles you drink here.
- Red wines are $22.75 a bottle and $9.75, White wines are $21.75 a bottle and $8.75. We also have sweeter wine along with ports, an ice wine and sparkling.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2800 Routh St. Ste 140, Dallas, TX 75201
using a GPS: 2650 Laclede St., Dallas - Website: http://www.twocorksandabottle.com
- Phone: 214-871-9463
- Email: info@twocorksandabottle.com
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/twocorksandabottle
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TwoCorksBottle
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/two-corks-and-a-bottle-dallas
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
