A Cork in the Road
Creating Opportunities for Wine Education and Exploration
Wine Media and Events Specialist
A Cork in the Road, LLC uses wine as a platform for connecting and communicating with wine enthusiasts, novices, professionals, travelers, etc. Through designing wine events, teaching wine classes, producing audio journalism, and creating social media adventures, we help people develop skills to explore their own tastes in wine.
Wine Media
Writes articles and creates digital media for wine travel and education
Tasting Events
Customizes events for private clients both in-person and virtually
Wine Handbags
Designed and retails a leather wine handbag with an insulated pocket
Podcast
Interviews people shaping the Southeast wine industry and beyond
About
Kelly @acorkintheroad
Founder of A Cork in the Road, LLC / Host of "The A Cork in the Road" Podcast
Born in Minnesota, Kelly holds a Masters in Exercise Physiology and completed a study abroad program in Argentina during her undergraduate studies in Kinesiology. While pursuing her career in public health, however, she simultaneously fell in love with wine and has since accumulated 10+ years of wine industry education and experience.
From 2011 - 2013, she worked for a South African winemaker while managing a winery in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia learning all aspects of wine production and tasting room sales. Since then, her interest in the people, places, and history of wine has taken her biking to wineries in Mendoza, exploring tasting rooms in Napa and Sonoma, learning about Gamay vines in Beaujolais, meeting with producers in Northern Rhône, studying Pinot Noir in Burgundy, expanding perceptions of Port in Portugal, and discovering the diversity of microclimates in the Willamette Valley.
After founding A Cork in the Road, LLC in 2018, she has contributed to wine and travel publications, designed multi-course wine pairing dinners for restaurants, produced almost 100 episodes of the "A Cork in the Road" podcast, and partnered with retailers to create a wide variety of unique education experiences. She continues to share the joy of all things wine through custom tastings, virtual classes, and Wine vs Beer adventures.
Wine Pocket Handbag Designer
with P. Sherrod & Co. in Atlanta, GA
Partnership with P. Sherrod & Co. began in Atlanta, GA when Donna was planning a fashion show for her line of leather handbags in the fall of 2018. She found Kelly by searching online for a wine educator who could pair wines to several ensembles for the show. At the event, Kelly selected wines based on the style of each look to serve to guests as each model walked the runway. It was a sold-out success and sparked ideas for further collaboration.
Kelly recognized a need among wine lovers for a more practical yet stylish way to carry wine bottles between events, and Donna had the skills and resources to facilitate a design and manufacturing process. Their teamwork guided each wine-loving detail and business decision that has led to the launch of their co-branded specialty handbag for wine lovers.
The first Fall Collection in 2021 sold out, but now after launching several new colors, we have grown to establish retail partners in Georgia, Pennsylvania, and California as well as have inventory available for sale through Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
CONTACT US with interest in fashion event collaboration or wholesale partnership.
PODCAST
The "A Cork in the Road" Podcast highlights people who are shaping the Southeast wine industry and beyond.
Or search for "A Cork in the Road" wherever you get your podcasts.
To honor incredible people and share inspiring stories, this podcast shines a light on those who are inspiring education and truly setting the bar in the industry. This series goes behind the wine so you can meet the distributors, retailers, educators, beverage managers, etc. who are shaping the wine market.
On Air
We are currently producing ~3 episodes each month. Recent guests include:
Episode 103 - Steven Hargrove, Associate Director for the High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction
Episode 104 - Winemaker Alice Anderson, âmevive wine - TRANSCRIPT AVAILABLE HERE
Episode 105 - Meaghan Odum of TRILLwinewife, Media Consultant and Wine Unify Award Recipient
Episode 106 - Jill Davis, Hospitality & Events Manager for DuMOL Winery
Episode 107 - Portuguese Winemaker Filipa Pato, LIVE at Dom Beijos in Atlanta
TRANSCRIPT AVAILABLE HERE
All episodes from Seasons 1-6 are also still available.
Share and write us a review. You can also make a monthly contribution on Anchor's platform.
Our Leather Handbag for Wine
UPCOMING EVENTS
Join us for a ticketed wine education and exploration experience - follow @acorkintheroad for all updates and event announcements
National Rosé Day Celebration and Community Bottleshare
Saturday, June 10, 2:00-5:00pm
Atlanta, GA
This official wine holiday falls on the second Saturday in June each year, so we are getting the ATL community together for an exploration of rosé winemaking styles and cultures from all around the world. We've joined forces with Wines for the Culture to kick off the start of summer. We'll be pouring a thoughtfully curated lineup of 5 rosés, including Ross Knoll Vineyard, for your exploration throughout the afternoon. Prepare to enjoy music, light bites, and all the shades of pink wine alongside a diverse community of wine lovers and industry professionals who are all excited to celebrate the rosé season.
Wine Events and Education
We host and design wine events for retailers and restaurants - some of our most popular ticketed tasting and event topics include:
Wine vs Beer Data Dinners
Wine Pairing Dinners
Palate Training and Wine Structure Workshop
"PINKies Up" Rosé Exploration
How to Navigate a Local Wine Shop
Discover Small Producers of Sonoma Valley
Discover Small Producers of Virginia
Discover Small Producers of Willamette Valley
Old- vs. New-World Blind Tasting
U.S. Expressions of Classic Grape Varieties
Ross Knoll Vineyard Partnership
A Cork in the Road, LLC serves at the Southeast Educator for a portfolio of wines produced in Sonoma County.
In partnership with Diane Carpenter, a SommTV Board Member and a Somm Films Executive Producer, we support the Ross Knoll Vineyard project. This opportunity brings us closer to our roots in wine production, and it is so fun to be able to share these thoughtful small-production wines as part of what we can offer at events and tastings. The Ross Knoll portfolio currently consists of a Rosé of Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley, a White Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley, and a Russian River Pinot Noir produced by winemaker, Justin Seidenfeld.
MEMBERSHIPS
The Ross Knoll team introduced a membership program in 2023 because we sell out of Rosé and White Pinot Noir very quickly; therefore, all our allocations will be offered to members first going forward. We are offering 3 membership levels: I love Rosé, Premier Cru, and Grand Cru. The Grand Cru membership includes "The Sonoma Wine Experience" in collaboration for 4 Sonoma wineries. In addition to tasting with Ross Knoll's winemaker, potential Grand Cru member tasting appointments include:
Shipping direct to CALIFORNIA, NEW YORK, ILLINOIS, FLORIDA, VIRGINIA, and GEORGIA. You can also Join the Mailing List, Make a Purchase, or Request a Tasting.
PUBLISHED
Available for reporting assignments and media bookings
Contact acorkintheroad@gmail.com
Sign Up
Monthly newsletter
OR... LEAVE A MESSAGE
Custom event inquiries, media bookings, product review requests, etc.
Copyright 2015