Wine and culinary skills: They make a fine pairing. That’s what Colleen Janke thought when she decided to open Savory Kitchen on The Alameda in San Jose eight years ago.

According to Janke, business is booming to the point that they’ve had to turn people away. The search for a second location culminated in an Oct. 26 grand opening in Cupertino, in a 3,000-square-foot facility on Stevens Creek Boulevard.The new Savory Kitchen has twice the square footage of its San Jose counterpart.

“We have been so lucky to outgrow our first location and venture into opening a second space that can accommodate a larger class size without sacrificing comfort or hands-on lessons,” Janke said.

The original Savory Kitchen in San Jose’s Rose Garden area has an industrial-quality kitchen at one side of the store, and a dining room at the other. The Cupertino store houses three six-burner gas ranges as well as a separate oven.

The concept for Savory Kitchen is both elegant and simple. Groups gather at the store and learn, or sharpen, their cooking skills with a chef. Then they gather and share the communal meal, which is often accompanied by wine.

Janke’s background lends itself to this type of endeavor. She spent many years working for Clos LaChance Winery in San Martin, and studied Culinary Arts in Florence, Italy. She credits her coursework in business and economics at Saint Michael’s College in Vermont for providing her with insight into running a small company.

“I began thinking about the idea of opening Savory Kitchen because I felt that there were not many of these entities around,” Janke said. In addition, she wanted to utilize her expertise in wine and allow customers to learn about meal preparation and wine pairings.

Corporate team building is a major source of her business. Local companies and, on occasion, school districts, use her services; they also hold private parties for adults for birthdays and anniversaries.

“When I first opened the store, people said I was crazy,” she said. “We looked in Campbell and Willow Glen, but found the perfect place where we are now.”

At that time in 2012, the economy was just coming out of a recession. To market her new business, she had a grand opening, notified friends who worked at area companies and also distributed some information. Within a couple of months, they were booked for a succession of events. Along the way, she also had three children.

On a recent visit to their San Jose location, a long table was set for 16 people. Three mason jars filled with sunflowers, marigolds and greenery—all autumn colors—sat at intervals on the snowy tablecloth. White napkins lay folded on the table before each chair.

Wine is an integral part of the Savory Kitchen experience, be it as an ingredient in the food or as an accompaniment. A wine rack, going almost floor to ceiling, stands in a corner against one section of a wall. Many of the wines are from California, as Janke tries to emphasize local wineries. By the sideboard behind the dining table stands another low wine rack stacked with gleaming bottles. Beer is also available for customers. For teetotalers, there are elderflower sodas and rose lemonade.

Barbara Valcazar, a chef at the San Jose location, said, “It is very meaningful to bring awareness of cooking at home and the health benefits of preparing fresh food. For our cooking classes, we try to buy as much organic as possible.”

When asked if there were any particular challenges, she said, “Sometimes, people don’t tell us about any dietary restrictions until the end. They need to inform us at the beginning so that we can make accommodations.”

Savory Kitchen is located at 754 The Alameda in San Jose and 20530 Stevens Creek Blvd. in Cupertino. For more information on classes and group activities at each location, visit www.savory-kitchen.com​.