$65 4th of July Case Special

July 4th Case for $65

Available June 30th - July 5th 2009

Save 13%!

It's time to celebrate our independence along with all things USA and if you are like us, your celebrating will probably involve some wine mixed in with some family along with some pyrotechnics thrown in for good measure.

We've been listening to Beach Music all week long (is it only Tuesday?) and it has inspired us to put together a great July 4th case of wine for only $65. This case is perfect for your in-laws, the backyard BBQ and drinking while holding dangerous fireworks made in China that you bought roadside on I-95 South.

Contained in your July 4th case will be:

3 bottles of Foxbrook Cabernet
3 bottles of Astica Torrontes
3 bottles of Salmon Creek Chardonnay
3 bottles of Protocolo Tempranillo

To reserve yours you can:

Order online and pickup at Southpark by clicking

You can call SouthPark @ 704-442-4024

Or call Blakeney @ 704-443-2944

Value Tasting

Taste Our Best Values

Friday June 26th - Sunday June 28th
All Weekend Long!

The 2 Favorite Whites and 2 Favorite Reds of the weekend are going into a special July 4th Case!

We're out there in the trenches every week tasting wine (I know, somebody has to do it) trying to find you the absolute best values possible. We want you to be able to come in and find fantastic wine at any price point without any hassle whatsoever...

We have been crunching the quality / price ratio numbers over the last week (the left is a picture of one of our actuaries in our back office :) ) and have come up with what we believe to be the best values in the store. This weekend you get to taste and see if you agree!

Each person tasting will get to vote on their two favorite whites and their two favorite reds; the winners will be put into a special July 4th case special that you can take with you to the beach. So come on in out of the heat this weekend, taste a little vino, and make sure your vote so your favorites end up in the case.

We're going to go back to tasting now - there are a lot of wines out there we need to try! (for you, the customer, of course)

Zinfandel from Merry Edwards at 40% off

2006 Starlite Zinfandel at 40% off
Handcrafted by Pinot Noir Master Merry Edwards

$24.99 (net) (Save $17 or 40%)

Regular Price: $42

The winery sells this wine for $42 - See here

We'll keep it short and sweet - when we saw this deal we jumped all over it. Merry Edwards is considered by many to be one of the most talented pinot noir producers in California - and it just so happens that she makes amazing Zinfandel as well. You can now own a few bottles of this spicy, beautiful Zin for only $24.99. We checked and we're pretty sure you can't find any wines on the planet that are made by Merry Edwards at this price - heck even her Sauvignon Blanc is $30! Drink Up and Enjoy!!!

There are only 10 cases available (the wine is in stock) at this price! We expect to sell them all today.

To order online you can click

To order over the phone from SouthPark please call 704-442-4024

To order over the phone from Blakeney please call 704-443-2944

Pictures from the tasting going on today!

Come by today to taste some of the worlds best!

Unreal Wine Tasting!

Taste the World's Best
High End Wine Tasting
Saturday June 20th (that's right - tomorrow!)
11am - 8pm

Father Drinks Best

With Winestore’s third anniversary here on Saturday and with the opening of our new store, we’re feeling a little self-congratulatory. We think we deserve something for all our hard work. Or maybe it’s just that Father’s Day is coming and we’re trying to put together a nice gift suggestion list.

Since we’ve been open, we’ve tried to have great wines available for tasting. Like other retailers, we’re offered world-class wines by the importers. We’d like to think we have better taste than most, and so we hope that our selection is a far more consistent group of wines than what most retailers are offering.

But who knows? Taste is very personal. Maybe you won’t like the following wines as much as we do. Even if these are all legends in the wine world and a lot of people would offer up an important organ to acquire one of them.

But it’s not like YOU don’t deserve something. I mean, it’s Father’s Day, after all. Have you done all you need to do to deserve these wines? Go ahead; mentally check your list. We’ll wait. Faucet fixed? Good. Light bulbs changed? Excellent. Bills caught up? Well, not everything has to be perfect.

These powerful gems are rarely available by the bottle, so having them by the glass is pretty cool. Here is what we will be tasting for you all day at the store tomorrow.

1992 Louis Carillon Puligny Montrachet – available at Southpark only - old wines are a crapshoot; let's be honest. Seventeen-year-old white Burgundy is a far more likely prospect than old California Chardonnay, and Louis Carillon is a wonderfully consistent and smart producer of Puligny Montrachet. Didn't he used to be mayor of the town of Puligny? Something like that. So, anyway, expect lots of earth, lots of nuttiness mixed in with that earth and a buttered pear character. But also expect it to show fresh fruit for about five minutes after it's poured into your glass and not much longer. Hey! It's old and it's gotta right to be a bit tired.

1990 Au Bon Climat Chardonnay Reserve Bien Nacido – available at Blakeney only - like I say, California Chardonnay doesn't age. Oh, except this one (and few others), because Jim Clendenen is an amazing winemaker who does amazing things. But this, I gotta admit, is just bizarre.

1986 La Jota Cabernet Franc Howell Mountain - available at Southpark only - the wines produced in the year 1986 seemed too tannic to ever turn out to be lovely or lush. And places like Howell Mountain only made for more tannin than any amount of aging could soften. At least that's what I thought twenty years ago when I wrote stuff like that. It turns out, that I, uhm, well, I, uh, yeah, I, uh, I didn't get that right. They're actually really great wines.

1984 Chateau Montelena Zinfandel – available at Blakeney only - this is the vintage I thought would woo all the pretty girls with its soft and generous fruits. The generosity ran out a few years ago, but with some wines (like this one) there is an ethereal character that remains: soft, fleeting but I think this is compelling stuff.

1982 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow – available at Southpark only - Speaking of tannins, Diamond Creek has crafted some bombers in its long and storied history. The 1982's are still eager for battle. If you think great wines should bite back, then 1982 Gravelly Meadow is your man. This may still have another ten years left to go…

1985 Chateau Sociando Mallet Haut Medoc – available at Blakeney only - one of the go—to wineries for anyone who is knowledgeable about Bordeaux and its cedary, smoky, earthy, seductive aged wines. The 1985 vintage lies somewhere between the richness of 1982 and the intensity of 1990.

2005 Patrick Jasmin Cote Rotie – the Rhone Valley's amazing string of brilliant vintages (2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007) can be constructively viewed by tasting the work of one of the greatest wine producers in the world: Jasmin, who also happens to be in the northern Rhone Valley, in the "roasted slope" of Cote Rotie (that what it means).

2006 Mas Doix "Doix" – this is not the Salanques bottling (which is fantastic and cheaper) but still not as good as this. This is why we drink Priorat. It might seem like a lot of money to those who aren’t drinking Priorat, but they would be wrong, wouldn’t they?? Not that you aren’t entitled to your own opinion but PLEASE!!!

2004 Domaine de Marcoux Chateauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes – The 2004 vintage is first-rate and a far better vintage than the much-heralded 2003 vintage. And among the many estates of Chateauneuf, Marcoux is unquestionably a star. Consider this a guaranteed winner in the cellar or on the table tonight. Simply put, just hurry up and buy it.

2006 Lewis "Reserve" Napa Cabernet - Thermonuclear fruit bomb from our Indy Car race friend Randy Lewis. If you like big wines then this, you could say, is GIGANTIC wine.

2005 Araujo "Eisele Vineyard" Syrah - Eisele Vineyard is hallowed ground for Cabernet lovers but don't forget about the amazing Syrah that is grown there as well. Araujo is a top class operation that producers the types of wines people fight over to get their hands on - so enjoy this beauty from the brilliant 2005 vintage and see what all the fuss is about.

2006 Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape - as stated above the 2006 was part of a string of brilliant vintages in the Rhone and if you are a Chateauneuf fan than certainly you are familiar with this marvelous wine.

2005 Domaine de la Soumade "Confiance" Rasteau - note that 2005 was a brilliant year (see notes above) and know that this is not your Fathers Rhone wine. Soumade makes dense and powerful creations that are the perfect treat for Dad to drink while grilling steaks on his special day.

There will be plenty more surprises on the machines to taste but this should hopefully gets you pretty excited. We hope to see you tomorrow to enjoy these rare and wonderful treats and we want to wish all of the Father's out there a Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day and Happy Drinking,
Doug Frost, Matthew Hartley, Matt Snyder and the Team @ winestore.

Unreal Wine Tasting!

Taste the World's Best
High End Wine Tasting
Saturday June 20th (that's right - tomorrow!)
11am - 8pm

Father Drinks Best

With Winestore’s third anniversary here on Saturday and with the opening of our new store, we’re feeling a little self-congratulatory. We think we deserve something for all our hard work. Or maybe it’s just that Father’s Day is coming and we’re trying to put together a nice gift suggestion list.

Since we’ve been open, we’ve tried to have great wines available for tasting. Like other retailers, we’re offered world-class wines by the importers. We’d like to think we have better taste than most, and so we hope that our selection is a far more consistent group of wines than what most retailers are offering.

But who knows? Taste is very personal. Maybe you won’t like the following wines as much as we do. Even if these are all legends in the wine world and a lot of people would offer up an important organ to acquire one of them.

But it’s not like YOU don’t deserve something. I mean, it’s Father’s Day, after all. Have you done all you need to do to deserve these wines? Go ahead; mentally check your list. We’ll wait. Faucet fixed? Good. Light bulbs changed? Excellent. Bills caught up? Well, not everything has to be perfect.

These powerful gems are rarely available by the bottle, so having them by the glass is pretty cool. Here is what we will be tasting for you all day at the store tomorrow.

1992 Louis Carillon Puligny Montrachet – available at Southpark only - old wines are a crapshoot; let's be honest. Seventeen-year-old white Burgundy is a far more likely prospect than old California Chardonnay, and Louis Carillon is a wonderfully consistent and smart producer of Puligny Montrachet. Didn't he used to be mayor of the town of Puligny? Something like that. So, anyway, expect lots of earth, lots of nuttiness mixed in with that earth and a buttered pear character. But also expect it to show fresh fruit for about five minutes after it's poured into your glass and not much longer. Hey! It's old and it's gotta right to be a bit tired.

1990 Au Bon Climat Chardonnay Reserve Bien Nacido – available at Blakeney only - like I say, California Chardonnay doesn't age. Oh, except this one (and few others), because Jim Clendenen is an amazing winemaker who does amazing things. But this, I gotta admit, is just bizarre.

1986 La Jota Cabernet Franc Howell Mountain - available at Southpark only - the wines produced in the year 1986 seemed too tannic to ever turn out to be lovely or lush. And places like Howell Mountain only made for more tannin than any amount of aging could soften. At least that's what I thought twenty years ago when I wrote stuff like that. It turns out, that I, uhm, well, I, uh, yeah, I, uh, I didn't get that right. They're actually really great wines.

1984 Chateau Montelena Zinfandel – available at Blakeney only - this is the vintage I thought would woo all the pretty girls with its soft and generous fruits. The generosity ran out a few years ago, but with some wines (like this one) there is an ethereal character that remains: soft, fleeting but I think this is compelling stuff.

1982 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow – available at Southpark only - Speaking of tannins, Diamond Creek has crafted some bombers in its long and storied history. The 1982's are still eager for battle. If you think great wines should bite back, then 1982 Gravelly Meadow is your man. This may still have another ten years left to go…

1985 Chateau Sociando Mallet Haut Medoc – available at Blakeney only - one of the go—to wineries for anyone who is knowledgeable about Bordeaux and its cedary, smoky, earthy, seductive aged wines. The 1985 vintage lies somewhere between the richness of 1982 and the intensity of 1990.

2005 Patrick Jasmin Cote Rotie – the Rhone Valley's amazing string of brilliant vintages (2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007) can be constructively viewed by tasting the work of one of the greatest wine producers in the world: Jasmin, who also happens to be in the northern Rhone Valley, in the "roasted slope" of Cote Rotie (that what it means).

2006 Mas Doix "Doix" – this is not the Salanques bottling (which is fantastic and cheaper) but still not as good as this. This is why we drink Priorat. It might seem like a lot of money to those who aren’t drinking Priorat, but they would be wrong, wouldn’t they?? Not that you aren’t entitled to your own opinion but PLEASE!!!

2004 Domaine de Marcoux Chateauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes – The 2004 vintage is first-rate and a far better vintage than the much-heralded 2003 vintage. And among the many estates of Chateauneuf, Marcoux is unquestionably a star. Consider this a guaranteed winner in the cellar or on the table tonight. Simply put, just hurry up and buy it.

2006 Lewis "Reserve" Napa Cabernet - Thermonuclear fruit bomb from our Indy Car race friend Randy Lewis. If you like big wines then this, you could say, is GIGANTIC wine.

2005 Araujo "Eisele Vineyard" Syrah - Eisele Vineyard is hallowed ground for Cabernet lovers but don't forget about the amazing Syrah that is grown there as well. Araujo is a top class operation that producers the types of wines people fight over to get their hands on - so enjoy this beauty from the brilliant 2005 vintage and see what all the fuss is about.

2006 Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape - as stated above the 2006 was part of a string of brilliant vintages in the Rhone and if you are a Chateauneuf fan than certainly you are familiar with this marvelous wine.

2005 Domaine de la Soumade "Confiance" Rasteau - note that 2005 was a brilliant year (see notes above) and know that this is not your Fathers Rhone wine. Soumade makes dense and powerful creations that are the perfect treat for Dad to drink while grilling steaks on his special day.

There will be plenty more surprises on the machines to taste but this should hopefully gets you pretty excited. We hope to see you tomorrow to enjoy these rare and wonderful treats and we want to wish all of the Father's out there a Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day and Happy Drinking,
Doug Frost, Matthew Hartley, Matt Snyder and the Team @ winestore.

15% off Gran Opening Celebration!

15% off Cases!
Thursday June 11th - Sunday June 14th

It's time to celebrate the opening of our new store in Blakeney - and we figured what better way to do that then to take what are already the lowest prices in North Carolina and give you an even better deal. Starting Thursday June 11th running through Sunday June 14th we are offering you 15% off mixed cases at both our SouthPark location as well as our Blakeney location.

We cannot thank each of you enough for all of your support for winestore. over the last 3 years (yup, we've been open 3 years on the 16th) and we truly appreciate your business. If there is absolutely anything we could do to make your experience better please feel free to e-mail us by clicking here.

We hope to see you this weekend!

Taste the Best Sellers of 2009

Taste our Best Selling Wines of 2009
Friday June 5th - Sunday June 7th

All Day

Working in a retail environment we receive a lot of questions, but more times than not the question is, "What's the best selling wine in the store"? Starting on Friday June 5th, we're giving you, our beloved customers, the answers to that question by featuring the top 24 selling wines in the store on our tasting machines! That's right - you can swing on in and taste what all your friends have been buying by the case! I'm sure you're curious which wines are going to make the cut, but to add some excitement we're going to keep them a mystery until Friday. We've crunched the numbers, tallied the votes and have come up with our 16 best selling reds and our 8 best selling whites . Soooo...call everyone you know, cancel that weekend conference call and make your way to either winestore location (hint hint of a big announcement tomorrow) to taste the best of 2009! We look forward to seeing you all this weekend!