Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Elizabeth Martin, left, and Mary Martin, sisters and co-owners of Corbeau Wine Bar in downtown Trussville, are opening their second location at The Edge in Homewood this summer.
Corbeau Wine Bar, a French-inspired wine bar, will open a Homewood location later this year.
Corbeau owners Mary and Elizabeth Martin, who launched the first location in Trussville in May 2023, chose The Edge commercial development in Homewood for their expansion. The Edge is planned for the Green Springs Avenue site formerly occupied by Royal Tobacco and Gulf Seafood.
Spearheaded by J.J. Thomas and designed by Black Design Architecture, The Edge’s other future tenants include The Standard, Baba Java Coffee and the QUE*BICLE, a new concept by Birmingham chef Nick Carter.
The Martins, who are first-time business owners, said they were approached by Thomas to open a new Corbeau location at The Edge but initially turned down the offer because it was so soon after their initial opening.
“J.J. Thomas reached out to us and asked if we would be interested, and at first, we said no, that we felt like it was a little too soon for us,” Mary Martin said. “But he asked if we would meet with him and go over what his ideas and plans were, and once we heard his offerings and the location, and we did our research on the market there and what our competition would be, it was just too good of a deal to pass up.”
Corbeau offers the Napa Technology WineStation, a self-serve system allowing customers to pour small samples or full servings of dozens of wines from around the world. Mary Martin described it as “an experience all on its own.”
“The other places are fantastic and have fantastic lines, but there is nowhere else where you can taste this many wines and sample this much wine, which makes us completely unique,” Elizabeth Martin said.
Corbeau’s bar and retail wine selections are curated and constantly evolving, and the Martins are eager to show interesting wines from around the globe.
The Martins have regularly scheduled events, such as wine tastings and classes educating people on how to host tastings. The sisters said their goal is to demystify wine and provide people with an opportunity to explore and develop a deeper appreciation as they move up from the typical choices on supermarket shelves.
“Wine by itself can be so intimidating,” Elizabeth said. “The last thing we wanted was to create a space that felt intimidating on its own as well.”
The Martins are also passionate about pairing food with wine, featuring charcuterie, flatbread pizzas and other small plates on the menu. Mary Martin said food will receive greater emphasis at the Homewood location.
“What intrigues us about wine so much is pairing it with food and exploring the different flavor profiles and how they enhance each other,” she said. “That’s something that we’re passionate about, and it’s playing out in our business because as we plan these exciting wine dinners and classes, it’s just so much fun, and each one is so unique.”
The Martins expect the Homewood location of Corbeau Wine Bar to open this summer. For more information, visit corbeaubar.com.
