New Pop the Cork Wine Bar Opens in Downtown Moline
About two and a half years after the diverse gift shop WaterMark Corners closed in downtown Moline, the space is now filled by Pop the Cork, a spacious, relaxing wine bar and store at 1500 River Drive.
The upscale business is owned by Tara Rommel, native of Hanover Park, Ill., a northwest suburb of Chicago, and Chris Carr – who met when they both worked at Davenport West High School. That’s where she taught special education and P.E. from 2007 to 2022, and he still works there in security. Rommel also runs a business, Michelle’s Vocational Placement (MVP), which provides employment services for individuals with disabilities. Michelle is her middle name, and she started that company in 2022.
Rommel has enjoyed going to The Grape Life in Davenport and Swirl in Bettendorf, so she came up with idea for Pop the Cork.
“We’re like, how fun would this be? Then we walked past here and we’re like, oh, this is a prime location,” she said Monday of the 4,500-square-foot downtown Moline building in the John Deere Commons area, which is still owned by the Trimble family (and runs Trimble Pointe, Moline). After nearly 25 years in business, WaterMark Corners closed in January 2024, and still maintains its exterior sign on the building.
Part of the “wine” side of Pop the Cork. (photo by Jonathan Turner)
“It was much larger than we expected, but working with the Trimbles, they’ve worked with us so well it was hard to pass up,” Rommel said. “So we’re taking that leap of faith. We briefly looked at other locations, in Davenport, but we wanted to stay clear of areas that were too close to the other wine lounges. And then we walked past this place and nothing around here on the Illinois side really is here for wine lounges. And so it was like we were just stuck on it.”
She and Carr also own the shaved ice truck Tropical Sno, which used to be at Green Thumbers, Davenport.
The owners have gotten good advice from their wine distributors, WaterMark owner Amy Trimble and the owners of Grape Life and Swirl, regarding wine sales.
Part of the “bourbon” side of Pop the Cork. (photo by Jonathan Turner)
“It’s a very long learning process, but the distributors have been very helpful with suggestions, and then also the wine tasting that they meet with us on, just to give us extra guidance on what is good, hot, and what isn’t, and everything,” Rommel (who’s a member of the Grape Life wine club) said. “We try to have a wide variety of costs of bottles, so then it’s appealing to everyone.”
“Jason from Grape Life has been very helpful for us when in the planning process,” she said. “Giving us suggestions, advice, and everything. And then briefly, the owner of Swirl would cheer us on and help us out if need be when we were there. But yeah, it’s nice because Chris and I have always said that it’s not competition. We would love to partner with them being on the Iowa side and us being on the Illinois side somehow.”
Not in competition
Rommel doesn’t see herself as competing with Trimble’s CityView Celebrations (701 12th St., Moline) either, which also has wine tastings and sells wine by the bottle.
“I feel like the support and the excitement that Amy has always shown us just has made us feel very welcoming and everything,” she said. “I don’t feel like that at all. And she’s another one that would be great to work with. She has been a pleasure to work with.”
“When we first heard that there was a wine bar looking, we were as a family very excited,” Trimble said Monday night. “We really wanted it to be a customer, visitor-friendly business.”
Some of the wine selection — Tuesdays you can get $10 off any bottle purchase. (photo by Jonathan Turner)
“Our challenge was filling the space. And so with theirs, what I think is beautiful is that gives them — we’re lucky in the Quad Cities to have some really great wine bars, and they each have their own niche. But what I think is beautiful about this one is that they can have multiple things going things going on at one time,” she said of Pop the Cork. “They can have a concert in one part and people— I was there the other night with friends and they had music going on and we could still have a conversation in the other section.”
“Everyone in today’s world, when you open a business, you’ve got to have something that differentiates you,” said Trimble, who hosts regular wine tastings and happy hours at CityView.
Part of the “wine” side of Pop the Cork. (photo by JOnathan Turner)
“It’s really been interesting to me and beautiful to me to see the community support each other, because what happens so often is the opposite,” she added. “People get antagonistic and, oh, somebody’s coming in and they’re going to compete with me. And instead, if you can all support— and people want three different wine bars to go to. One time they want Swirl, one time they want Grape Life, and then they want Pop the Cork. So to have options, and if everyone just works together and Tara finds their own niche, it will be great.”
WaterMark Corners operated its Corner Bar in the store from 2021 until they closed, and Trimble later opened WaterMark Lounge at CityView to stay in touch with their longtime WaterMark customers, and she recommends they also go to Pop the Cork.
“I’ve been looking for ways to get people in our building, experience our building that aren’t here for a funeral or a special event that rents out the building, a reunion or party,” she said of CityView. “So with the bar, one thing that I really enjoyed at WaterMark was the wines and exploring the wines and bringing in different wines. So I change out our wines now and we turn it into a wine tasting.”
So far, Trimble has hosted wine tastings eight times ($30 admission, for 10 tastings) with heavy appetizers, and then every other Saturday has a happy hour with specials from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. CityView also sells wine by the bottle, but doesn’t have regular bar hours.
Trimble (director of operations at Trimble Pointe, which includes CityView, Trimble Funeral Home and Crematory, Veterans Funeral Care, and Trimble Funeral Planning) recommended wine distributors that Pop the Cork uses, emphasizing small vineyards, and wines that usually aren’t available in other retail stores.
Part of the “bourbon” side of Pop the Cork. (photo by Jonathan Turner)
“First of all, people see a wine and they know they can get it at Hy-Vee, oh well, I don’t need to buy it now, I’ll just get it next time I go get my groceries,” she said. “But if they can’t find it anywhere else, then it’s like, oh, I have to go there to get it.”
The smaller vineyards are preferable to many people, since they produce “small batch, no added sulfates, no added sugars, no added dyes,” Trimble said. “A lot of them work toward organic, whether they are certified organic or not. They follow organic methods without the added additives.”
“What I love about following Pop the Cork on social media is that every time it pops up, every time I open my Facebook, they have a new thing, or a new event,” she added. “I’m really pleased with them because a lot of businesses think they can just open their doors and the people will follow, and that’s not how society— and it’s not how it works. You have to be front of mind. You have to get in front of people to think about. I think they’re a beautiful addition to downtown Moline.”
Part of the blue “wine” side of the wine bar. (photo by Jonathan Turner).
Live music on weekends
Pop the Cork opened on June 22, and they have featured live music every Friday and Saturday night, and occasionally comedy. They’re starting a trivia night for Thursdays, and this Saturday features Don’t Tell Comedy, and Friday night is singer Nina Little. There are no cover charges for the live performances.
Rommel said she is personally partial to Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc, and is looking forward to traveling to visit vineyards, which she’s never done yet.
“I cannot wait till I book my first one. That is the goal for this year, within some time to actually experience that because talking to others that have been there, it’s an amazing experience, and I definitely want to try it,” she said.
Pop the Cork opened at the former WaterMark Corners in downtown Moline June 22, 2026. (photo by Jonathan Turner)
Pop the Cork offers wines by the glass ($8-$12); bourbons by the glass ($9-$17), a variety of vodkas, tequilas, gins and whiskeys by the glass, as well as beer (including three varieties of Moline’s Bent River). It has a variety of Charcuterie Board options – you can choose three items with crackers for $12, and a large (six items with crackers) for $20. Their weekly specials are:
- Sunday — $1 off sparkling wine
- Monday — $5 wines by the glass
- Tuesday — $10 off any bottle purchase
- Wednesday – A 5-ounce glass of wine for $5
- Thursday – Happy hour from 4-6 p.m., $2 off all glasses of wine
- Friday — Happy hour from 4-6 p.m., $2 off all glasses of wine
- Saturday – Order a River House combo and get 10% off.
Their first wine tastings are scheduled for Aug. 4 ($20) and Aug. 12 ($10), with a bourbon tasting planned for Aug. 18, Rommel said. The new wine club (Cork Club) charges $75 a month for four bottles and $37 for two bottles, with 10% off all purchases, and free admission to wine tastings.
Pop the Cork will be available to host private events; they’ve already hosted a birthday party and retirement party, Carr said. Including working at Davenport’s J.B. Young School, he’s worked for the school district 16 years. Pop the Cork has two other employees, and when the school year starts back up, Carr will work mainly nights. Their hours are Monday-Tuesday 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Wednesday-Thursday noon to 9 p.m.; Friday noon to 11 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sundays noon to 6 p.m.
The exterior of Pop the Cork, 1500 River Drive, Moline, in the former WaterMark Corners building. (photo by Jonathan Turner)
“We’re doing trial and error on that,” Rommel said of hours. “We evaluate it each week because we want to give people the opportunity to go have somewhere to go, yet some days are slower than others.”
Carr said the vibe they try to create is “relaxing, sophisticated, laid back,” he said. “Just unwind.”
“Expect an elevated but approachable atmosphere — staff guide you like a knowledgeable friend, not a stuffy sommelier,” the Pop the Cork website says. “You’ll find rotating wine selections, curated charcuterie pairings, and often live local entertainment. The lounge setting encourages lingering over your pour, not rushing through like at a typical bar or restaurant.”
The two sides of the business aim to be distinct visually – the wine side with blue walls, and bourbon side with a more brown theme (like the drink), though people can obviously drink whatever wherever they’d like. Aside from painting walls and getting new furniture and decor, very little renovation work was needed for the new business.
Pop the Cork is in the former WaterMark Corners gift shop, which operated from 1999 until it closed in early 2024, including a Corner Bar there from 2021 until closing. (photo by Jonathan Turner)
Rommel said her vision for the bourbon side was “kind of like an old school cigar lounge. Vintage,” she said, even though patrons can’t smoke indoors. “So they enjoy bourbon and wine instead of cigars.” They may add an outdoor patio on one side of the building, off the alley, she added.
Carr said he’s learned a lot so far with the business.
A Cabernet at Pop the Cork, July 27, 2026. Mondays you can get a glass for $5. (photo by Jonathan Turner)
“The people, customers. I mean, I get a great thrill of watching them come in and see the place and being happy with what we’re doing and say this is what’s needed here,” he said. “Because we’re not that typical bar.” There are no TV screens at all, for example.
“That’s what we aim for from the get-go, you know, just to be able to sit in your peace in here, instead of hearing outside noise all the time,” Rommel said. “You can really just sit and relax here.”
Most of the wines for sale range between $20 and $40 per bottle, Carr said, noting his favorites are red – Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
For more information, visit the website, popthecorkllc.com.
Owners of Pop the Cork are Chris Carr (left) and Tara Rommel. (photo by Jonathan Turner)
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