Don't cry because it's over, but smile because it happened.

That’s what Ric and Dianne Jacobson told sorrowful customers at the news of CorkyCellars’ closing.

CorkyCellars, a wine shop in downtown Des Moines, has been a staple of the community for almost two decades.

It’s hard to put into words the impact people have on a community. Sometimes it’s things that are hard to describe--a smiling face, a welcoming expression, a warm environment, a place to talk.

CorkyCellars was all of that and more to many people over the years.

"The selection at CorkyCellars was outstanding. In the nearly 14 years my husband and I shopped there, we were always able to find that special wine to match the food or occasion. Ric was a wonderful resource for information on wine, and never steered us wrong once. I will miss the store, the selection, and the amazing customer service Ric and Dianne provided,” said long-time customer Nancy Warren.

Des Moines Mayor Dave Kaplan issued a proclamation officially declaring April 12, 2013 “Ric and Dianne Jacobson Day.”

“We were acknowledging their contributions to the city, we don’t do proclamations very often, said Mayor Kaplan. “It’s just too bad it was on the closing of their business.”

Kaplan said that this wasn’t a requested proclamation. The city just felt like it needed to publicly recognize them.

“It’s hard to put into words everything that people add, because they’re special,” said Kaplan. “It’s an attempt to try and capture that and acknowledge it.”

“We agreed that Ric and Dianne have given tremendously of themselves and we couldn’t let them go away without acknowledging them, they had become such an integral part of our community,” said Councilmember Carmen Scott. “It was a special award, done for them uniquely.”

Councilmember Scott said they were people who cared about the community and wanted to be involved and put a lot of personal energy into various organizations in Des Moines, including the Business Boosters, Destination Des Moines and the Rotary.

“I’m sure there’s far more than that,” said Scott. “They’re very, very nice people.”

Ric and Dianne and two other partners opened CorkyCellars in 1999.

“The idea came from sitting on a porch enjoying a glass of wine and talking about how much fun it would be to have a wine shop. The subject kept coming up, a name emerged, and we all said, ‘Let's look into it or quit talking about it ’”according to the CorkyCellars website.

“We have enjoyed having a business in Des Moines. We have made great friends and really felt like an integral part of the community,” said Dianne. “Being involved is so important-- every business should remember that if you want to be supported you must support back.”

The Jacobsons said some of the highlights of their time in Des Moines was Ric's involvement with Rotary, working on the annual trick or treat path, helping with the beginning of the Farmers Market and watching it grow and pulling the community together to start the holiday season with the annual tree lighting.

“The list is long but those are some of the biggest,” said Dianne.

“The best parts of having Corky Cellars has been exploring so many different wines and then sharing them with all of our customers,” said Dianne. “Meeting winemakers and winery owners from all over the world, seeing a lot of the kids in the area grow from toddlers to teens. Again, being part of the Des Moines community.”

“Our lease was up at the end of April. We had been tossing the idea around for about a year that retirement would be an option before we committed to another year on the lease,” said Dianne. “As the time grew closer we decided that, indeed, that was the path we were going to take.”

The Jacobsons said they plan on enjoying their retirement by spending more time with their granddaughters and discovering what it’s like to have Saturdays off.