

Cork & Barrel’s Akshay Mehta, Retail Manager;
Varsha Mehta, Owner; Prashant Mehta, Owner; and Shraiya Mehta, Manager.
Cork & Barrel
1633 Whitney Avenue
Hamden, CT
Square footage: 3,500
Years in operation: 15 years
By Sara Capozzi
Hamden’s Cork & Barrel will celebrate 15 years serving the Spring Glen neighborhood this year. Run daily by husband and wife Prashant and Varsha Mehta with a small, dedicated team of employees and the help of their now-adult children, Shraiya and Akshay, the store is a second home for the family as they bring a unique selection to the closeknit community in a friendly and fun environment.
The store is located in a former auto shop and garage that the Mehtas worked to convert into a retail space for about a year, replacing the overhead garage doors with large windows, keeping the high ceilings and adding on to the building to increase floor space. Items are arranged neatly on low, custom-built shelving according to categories and wine varietals.
There are a lot of personal touches: Prices and tasting notes are written on bottles with white marker in place of shelf talkers (which keeps the shop looking neat and pleasing to the eye), artwork by daughter Shraiya hangs near the back wall and the counter was built by son Akshay from wine crates. The low shelving makes items easily accessible and gives shoppers an inviting, casual space to meet and talk with neighbors as they shop.
Wines are organized by varietals, with bottles sharing similar tasting notes arranged close to each other so that the staff can help customers try out new wines based on their tastes. The Mehtas are happy to introduce customers to varietals they aren’t familiar with but may like based on their current tastes.
“We organized it this way for beginners coming in to try wines,” Varsha said. “Sauvignon Blanc is probably the most well-known, and Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay, but we try to put a lot of the other grapes in between like the French because everybody gets scared of French. If a customer is looking for a Chardonnay, I’ll say, ‘Have you ever tried a Chablis?’ So, we get to teach people and then they start venturing around and trying new things.”
Customers have far-reaching tastes and tend to seek out lesser-known varietals and styles, Amaros, Pét-nats, natural and organic wines and nonalcoholic items. “That’s how perceptive customers in this area are,” Varsha said. “They try it, they like to see different things … we’ve got some customers that are knowledgeable and they like trying unique things from around the world.” Cork & Barrel hosts regular tastings so that customers can discover their new favorite wine, spirit or beer and keeps in touch with their clientele through email marketing and social media channels.
The Mehtas focus on all categories equally and carry low, mid and high price points. “We try to cater to everybody,” Varsha said. “And that’s sort of our motto at Cork & Barrel. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, we’ll order it for you.”
Another unique part of the shop is its 800-square-foot walk-in cooler stocked with every item a shopper would want cold: Champagnes, wines, seltzers, beer and ready-to-drink beverages. The sake area offers a selection of between 300 to 400 products to choose from, while guests will find a variety of gift items, special-edition bottles and gift baskets in the main room.
The shop has become an unofficial meeting place for the community to catch up with friends and neighbors, sometimes spending considerable time in the shop. “That happens actually with quite a few customers because I think we just build a rapport and it’s always come naturally,” Prashant said. “It’s a very nice neighborhood. It’s very friendly, very inviting.” Varsha agreed saying, “People are awesome here. You want to hang out and talk. “I think if you just know your customers and just make them happy … you’re good.”
- Cork & Barrel’s Akshay Mehta, Retail Manager; Varsha Mehta, Owner; Prashant Mehta, Owner; and Shraiya Mehta, Manager.
- The interior of Cork & Barrel.
- The interior of Cork & Barrel.
- The exterior of Cork & Barrel.
- The interior of Cork & Barrel.
- The interior of Cork & Barrel.