Having friends over and want to make it a special occasion? The Cork & Board may be able to help.

The Cork & Board is a wine, cheese, and gift shop located at 1207 Centre St. in Newton Centre opened by Ryan Gott in 2022, bringing unique products and offerings to Newton Centre that can’t be found elsewhere.

Gott spent over 20 years as a probate and family lawyer before realizing it was time for a career pivot. He had managed a paint store before attending law school, but he wanted to focus on a type of business that he had always enjoyed himself.

“It called to me,” he said. “I wanted it to be like an adult candy store,” he added, so in addition to wine he sells other items one might need for an event, like olive oil and fresh bread. “It’s definitely a happier group of people who come through the door,” he noted, compared to the clients at a family law office.

Gott is originally from California, but moved to the Boston area for law school and now lives in Sharon. However, because Sharon doesn’t have a large business district, he looked to other towns when he wanted to open his store. He considered several other suburbs before settling on Newton Centre. He liked that it had many thriving small businesses, a lot of foot traffic, and at the time, no other liquor stores.

While today there are other stores selling alcohol, Gott sees the Cork & Board as offering something unique by also selling gifts, including Newton-themed gifts, that can’t be gotten elsewhere in Newton Centre. He thinks Newton Centre is improving as a business district, and is glad to benefit both from the foot traffic generated by other businesses and from the thru traffic on Centre Street.

He tries to emphasize New England products, and enjoys attending trade shows to learn about a variety of locally made foods, as well as other goods like soap and candles. These have been popular among people traveling overseas who would like to bring something locally made to offer to hosts. He also sells New England craft beer. However, he sources wine from elsewhere, primarily California and Italy, regions that are far more conducive to growing grapes than Massachusetts.

The store offers a rotating selection of new wines. He tries to expose customers not only to the wine itself but also the story of the vineyard behind it, which he thinks makes wines more appealing to buyers.

The wine industry overall has experienced contractions in recent years due to decreased demand, but he hasn’t seen it. “We don’t sell Two Buck Chuck,” he said, referring to the extremely cheap wine brand that can be had at Trader Joe’s. His customers continue to appreciate premium products, reflecting larger national trends about the valuation of luxury goods. Cork & Board wine tasting events attract large crowds, and people continue to show up even during bad weather.

A favorite moment so far? Seeing a post online about a birthday party and realizing one of the gifts in the image was from his store. Overall, he’s happy with his business and is pleased by the positive reception by Newtonians.

“I’m bringing more happiness to people than the turmoil of divorce,” he said.