Elegantly innovative.
Cork & Flame opened its doors in 2018. Its history can be traced back to 2004 when Roger Strohl opened The Vineyard Wine Market. After a successful 13 years as a standalone wine market, Strohl partnered with other local food and wine enthusiasts to form a truly unique dining experience.
After its opening, Cork and Flame became known for being the premier stylish, upscale restaurant in Columbia County. Unlike any other restaurant in this area, most of our menu is cooked over oak or hickory wood flames on our open Argentinian hearth. Our menu's creativity paired with innovative cooking techniques yields a genuinely exceptional experience each time you visit.
Patrons at Cork & Flame can also partake in winemaker’s dinners, exclusive chef’s experience dinners, and weekly wine tastings. In addition, we currently have a majority of our staff with WSET certification so that we maintain high standards of wine knowledge to share with you each visit.
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Roger Strohl
Originally from Shelbyville, Illinois, wine aficionado Roger Strohl graduated from Millikin University with a degree in Biology-Medical Technology. After graduating, Strohl worked in pharmaceutical sales, but his passion for fine wine continued to grow. As a pharmaceutical representative, traveling across the country was a large part of the job. During his extensive travels, he would make a point to stop in different wine stores to speak with the owners and bring back home the best wines each had to offer. After Strohl relocated to the Augusta, Georgia area in 1999, he decided it was time for a change. In 2004, the Vineyard Wine Market at Evans was born and quickly earned a reputation as the CSRA’s premier wine shop. In 2018, Strohl joined forces with a team of local food and wine enthusiasts to open Cork and Flame, and the wine market continues to offer the finest selections in the area as it did as Vineyard Wine Market just under a new name.