Raleigh has seen a boom of beer shops and breweries over the past two years but guess what? The same could be said for wine shops in the area which is a wonderful thing in my mind. We’ve seen the addition of three wine shops inside the Beltline and pretty close to each other: the Raleigh Wine Shop, Wine Feed and Wine Authorities. All of them deliver wonderful wine expertise and hand-selected bottles but in three very different settings and styles. But you can’t go wrong with any of them, let’s take a quick look at these vino stores!
The Raleigh Wine Shop has only been around a bit over a year but is the oldest of the three. Located on a quiet corner of S. Glenwood, you can’t miss it’s hanging sign out front, European style. Inside it’s a fantastic and well-designed space full of warm wood floors, high ceilings and neat overhead air vents. Bottles are neatly displayed by geo’s and regions, up back they’ve got a small wine bar along with several Enomatic wine dispensers for wine by the glass. The owners are always present at the store and will share their passion for wine with you whenever possible!
What I like best about Raleigh Wine Shop is their full calendar of events and lively social media presence. They are constantly hosting and supporting tastings, wine-dinners, food trucks and partnering up with local businesses to showcase their presence. There’s always a nice flow of people in and out of the Raleigh Wine Shop and it feels like it’s been in the neighborhood a lot longer then a year. They also do a monthly Sir Walter Raleigh Six-Pack where you get a discounted and diverse selection of bottles for the month. Overall the shopping experience at the Raleigh Wine Shop is very comfortable for both novices and expert oenophiles alike!
Moving north on S. Glenwood you’ll find the brand new Wine Feed which just opened up over the holidays at the end of 2013. Located at the base of the new Hampton Inn Hotel, the Wine Feed does its wine merchandising quite differently. Modern graphite interior with a beautiful curved wine bar with granite top, the Wine Feed is slick and upscale. But the guys who own and run the Wine Feed are equally down to earth and knowledgeable about their vino.
With a nice display of bottles and gourmet foodstuffs, the Wine Feed is still growing into its space. What they do do, very well are wine classes! I had done one in their original location but recently attended a S. American wine class. Covering six wine pours (2 white, 4 red) they took us through a virtual tour of the regions and wineries for the bottles.
The set-up at the wine bar is great for a class and they add red leather seating around the periphery of the space for additional students. At $20/class and a 10% discount on featured bottles, Wine Feed wine classes are a relaxing and fun way to spend the evening. I like what they’ve started to do here, just expect a different feel compared to Raleigh Wine Shop which is a good thing.
A new entry to the Raleigh wine scene is Wine Authorities over in the Oakwood neighborhood. A sister store to the original in Durham, they’ve got a nice open space with gourmet foodstuffs (cheese, nut butters, meats) along with some beers on tap at the tasting bar. Right now, Wine Authorities is doing free tastings on Saturdays from 12 pm – 3 pm and I enjoyed my first go-around.
Wine Authorities is quite big, there’s a lot of bottles available at this shop and it definitely feels more like a large wine market compared to the Raleigh Wine Shop or Wine Feed. With quite few bottles in the $10 – $30 range, I’m optimistic about the Wine Authorities future, especially given their reputation in Durham.
So while can not live by great beer alone, you’ve now got some great options for a great glass of vino. And given how well it pairs with food and lower calories, I often find myself reaching for a glass of syrah or sauvignon blanc versus a porter or kolsch. Don’t miss out on these three fine wine shops on S. Glenwood: Raleigh Wine Shop, Wine Feed and the Wine Authorities. I guarantee you that they’ll find you a decent bottle at a decent price for your next dinner or party, ching!
126 Glenwood Avenue
Raleigh, NC 27603
919.803.5473
602 Glenwood Avenue
Raleigh, NC 27603
919.374.0036
211 E Franklin Street
Raleigh, NC 27604
919.489.2884
