iPad Drawing and FREE Sparkling Tasting!

iPad Drawing & FREE Sparkling Tasting!
Saturday May 1st
2pm-4pm (Drawing at 4pm!)

The time has come for you to win your iPad. You've bought your wine, become a friend of Winestore. on Facebook, and now you can come on in this Saturday and drink some great sparkling wines for FREE right before you win! Remember, every $50 you spend through end of business today (8pm) gets you one more entry to win. In addition to the iPad drawing we've got all sorts of fun deals running (Fuse Napa Cabernet at 41% anyone?) and we'll even be closing out some high end Spanish gems!

You don't have to be present to win but we hope you can stop by! The drawing for the iPad will be at 4pm this Saturday and the FREE Sparkling tasting will run from 2pm-4pm. We'll be pouring the following sparkling wines:

Duval Leroy Cuvee Paris
Gloria Ferrar Blanc de Noirs
Gruet Blanc de Noirs
2007 Gramona Gran Cuvee

Also remember you can get an entry to win (one at each store) simply by becoming a friend of Winestore on Facebook by clicking

We'll see you Saturday and as always, we appreciate your business!!

Napa Cab at 42% off!

Fun Deals this weekend!

Lots of good things always happen the first Saturday in May - and two of them are the Quail Hollow Championship and the Kentucky Derby. We thought we'd celebrate these fun events with you by offering some ridiculous deals on some amazing wine!

2006 Fuse Napa Cabernet



Regular Price: $21.99
Winestore Price: $14.99 (Save 32%)
Buy 6: $14.24 (Save 37%)
Buy a case: $13.50 (Save 41%!)

We've been itching to get this deal out to you, but we had to wait until the wine showed up. Napa Cabernet made by Ray Signorello (you may remember we had a 1992 Signorello Cabernet on the tasting machine last weekend) for under $15. This is what we like to call a "show up at the dinner party and everyone thinks you spent $50 on the wine" wine. Come in and try some and see for yourself!

2008 Plungerhead Zinfandel



Regular Price: $17.99
Winestore Price: $14.99 (Save 16%)
Save an additional 10% on cases and 5% on 6-11 bottles!

The label is weird as all get out but the wine will knock your socks off! We love it and think you will too!!

We'll also have some other deals brewing this weekend as well as our iPad raffe. So stop on in after watching some golf and before you bet on the ponies! We'll see you this weekend!

FREE Tasting

FREE Tasting Thursday!
April 29th 6-8pm

Toby Scaffe, from Juice Wine Purveyors, will be in the store Thursday night pouring some new wines from his portfolio. As a reminder, you now have the added bonus of being able to attend our FREE tastings at either winestore location, Southpark or Blakeney. So, clear your schedule, call all of your friends and join us from 6-8pm for our FREE wine tasting Thursday! Toby will pour the following 4 wines:

99 Vines Chardonnay
99 Vines Pinot Noir
Lees-Fitch Cabernet
Fuse Cabernet

Taste wines 15 to 20 years old!

Taste Wines that are 15 to 20 years old!

Saturday April 24th, 2010
11am -8pm
All Day Long (or as long as they last!)

Tasting at SOUTHPARK:

1987 Domaine Tempier Bandol

1992 Signorello Napa Valley Cabernet

1994 Coto de Imaz Rioja Reserva

1985 Talosa Riserva Vino Nobile de Montepulciano

1998 Shea Wine Cellars Pinot Noir

Tasting at BLAKENEY:

1987 Domaine Tempier Bandol 1989 Stag's Leap Winery Merlot 1989 Saintsbury Piont Noir Carneros 1989 Ridge Geyserville 1997 Ridge Mazzoni Home Ranch Once I reached a certain age (I'm going to be purposefully vague about the exact number), I began to appreciate others persons of a certain age. Where once I might have chuckled cynically about a starlet's return to the screen after a decade or two of absence, or I might have done some eye rolling over a nostalgic song, now I am more attentive. The charms of Sophia Loren may be hard for the young to grasp, but she is no less charming to me. Who knows; I might even care that Demi Moore is coming back to the cinema. Or not. You kids may not know who Demi is, but some of her charms are on display on YouTube. But if an actor's worth can be measured by his or her ability to stir something inside us, and I believe that to be truer than that she is simply "hot", then age could help. Meryl Streep's abilities have grown with time; they've not diminished. I guess that's not a great comparison; she was never really hot. She was way more interesting than that. But more to the point, wine, at least the best among wines, is supposed to get better with age. It drops its painted color, its boldly theatrical fruits, its spicy barrel character, and its dramatic and gritty textures, and develops a subtler persona. Where loud emoting was its mode; whispered gentility now should hold the audience spellbound. Truth be told, that's the ideal. Most wines never make it that far. Most are consumed a few hours after purchase, and indeed, they should be. Only the best improve with time (and therein lies my best advice to collectors – only buy the best), and even that can be hard to predict. Some people believe that power and intensity offer the best indication as to which wines will best age. I prefer to think of balance as the leading indicator; power alone says nothing about balance. And perhaps more importantly, few wine consumers today have experience with aged wines. More's the pity. Those of us who love mature wines feel the same disconnection that Turner Classic Movie channel devotees must feel when someone doffs 3-D glasses to view the latest vapid but kaleidoscopic sci-fi thriller. Sure, it's showy and loud, but what's it actually saying? Of course, there's visceral enjoyment to these extravaganzas, but variety is the spice and so forth. And just as there are other, quieter movies, there are other attributes to older wines. This weekend, I've dragged a few old actors out of the cellar, just so we can see if any have blossomed into something interesting, maybe even seeming to say something, even if only in a whisper. Happy tasting and we'll see you Saturday!! Cheers, Doug Frost MS MW Master Sommelier & Master of Wine

Winemaker Tasting and Almost Perfect Tasting!

FREE Winemaker Tasting
Friday April 23rd, 2010
4pm-6pm

As part of the "Taste with the Winemakers" events at Charlotte Wine and Food weekend we are pleased to be able to announce a FREE Tasting with Chateau Montelena, Darioush and Writers Block.

So go ahead and clear your calendar that Friday, come in, and taste some amazing California Wines - you can even get your bottles signed by the winemakers themselves!

EVENT BEING HELD AT SOUTPARK ONLY - we apologize for any inconvenience



ALMOST PERFECT TASTING with Doug Frost!

Kevin Zraly, author Windows on the World along with Master Sommelier & Mater of Wine (one of only 3 in the world) Doug Frost, will lead you through 10 wines that have received 98+ points from the leading wine critics. Wines will include:

2007 Clos des Papes Chateauneuf-du-Pape

2006 Colgin IX Proprietary Red

2007 Brewer Clifton Cargasacchi Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills, Santa Barbara, CA

2005 El Pison, Rioja

2005 Aalto PS, Ribera del Duero

2005 Mas Doix Costers de Vinyes Velles, Priorat

You can purchase tickets for "Almost Perfect" by clicking HERE.

Please call us at 704-442-4024 with any questions!!

Blind Taste Caymus Cabernet vs. $25 Rivals!

Blind Taste Caymus Cabernet
Saturday April 17th
11am - 8pm
ALL DAY LONG!

It's time for our 3rd Annual Caymus Cabernet Blind Tasting. Every couple of months we put a heavyweight wine up against some lower priced competitors and the feedback from you, our valued customers, is that you absolutely love the opportunity to taste blind to find great values. There is a certain satisfaction being able to find out that you can get wine that you really love for really low prices - and that you don't always need to buy the highly touted name brands to get some tasty juice. So Saturday you will be able to taste a California stalwart, from an amazing vintage - the 2007 Caymus Cabernet. Caymus has long been one of the most famous Cabernets coming out of California and now its time to put it to the test. We'll have some $25 rivals on the machine - but we'll also throw some wild cards into the mix to make it really interesting!

If you don't know the price, can't see the label, and can't hear someone barking in your ear about the wine's "score," then all that is left is the juice and your taste buds. It's a scary proposition for any winemaker. That's why you have marketing departments that design catchy labels, create campaigns to build a wine's image, and spend all of their time and energy essentially trying to convince consumers that a wine is great. The problem is that you can't out "market" a blind tasting.

Which is why we're playing "Find the Caymus" this Saturday. It's simple really. The wines will all be tasted blind. One of them will be 2007 Caymus Cabernet and the others will be an assortment of wines at every price point from a number of different regions. All you have to do is taste and pick your favorite. Yes, that's right, your favorite. If that's the Caymus, then great, if not, well that's OK too. You may be surprised as to what your favorites actually are.

ALSO DON'T FORGET

Buy Wine - Win an iPad!

Simply put, we love two things - wine and gadgets. With that in mind we stood in line so that you wouldn't have to, and now we're having a raffle drawing for the hottest new gadget of 2010, Apple's iPad!

Here is how it works - through April 30th, every $50 you spend allows you to put your name in the drawing to win a $500, 16 gigabyte Wi-fi enabled iPad . There is no limit to the number of times your name can be entered - every increment of $50 gets you another shot to win. Each store will be giving away 1 iPad so whether you shop at Southpark or Blakeney, we've got you covered! Seriously - how fun is this? Just by buying your daily drinkers you can win really cool toys!!

Also - every fan of Winestore on Facebook by April 30th at 12pm will get their name put in once at each store! Become a fan by clicking

Not sure what an iPad is? Find out more by Clicking Here.

We will hold the drawing during a special tasting on Friday April 30th (details on that will follow in the coming weeks) but don't fear - you do not have to be present to win.

The iPad is on display in the store if you just want to stop by and take a look.

FREE Tasting with Chateau Montelena, Darioush and Writers Block!

FREE Winemaker Tasting
Friday April 23rd, 2010
4pm-6pm


As part of the "Taste with the Winemakers" events at Charlotte Wine and Food weekend we are pleased to be able to announce a FREE Tasting with Chateau Montelena, Darioush and Writers Block.

So go ahead and clear your calendar that Friday, come in, and taste some amazing California Wines - you can even get your bottles signed by the winemakers themselves!

More information to come (as well as an event with our own Doug Frost and Kevin Zraly) but be sure to SAVE THE DATE - April 23rd - for this special event!

Buy Wine - Win an iPad!

Buy Wine - Win an iPad!

Simply put, we love two things - wine and gadgets. With that in mind we stood in line so that you wouldn't have to, and now we're having a raffle drawing for the hottest new gadget of 2010, Apple's iPad!

Here is how it works - through April 30th, every $50 you spend allows you to put your name in the drawing to win a $500, 16 gigabyte Wi-fi enabled iPad . There is no limit to the number of times your name can be entered - every increment of $50 gets you another shot to win. Each store will be giving away 1 iPad so whether you shop at Southpark or Blakeney, we've got you covered! Seriously - how fun is this? Just by buying your daily drinkers you can win really cool toys!!

Also - every fan of Winestore on Facebook by April 30th at 12pm will get their name put in once at each store! Become a fan by clicking

Not sure what an iPad is? Find out more by Clicking Here.

We will hold the drawing during a special tasting on Friday April 30th (details on that will follow in the coming weeks) but don't fear - you do not have to be present to win.

The iPad is on display in the store if you just want to stop by and take a look.

__________________________________________________________________

PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS RAFFLE

TERM:

The iPad Raffle (the "Raffle") entry period for the Prize commences at 11 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Friday, April 9th, 2010, and ends at 6:00 pm. Eastern Daylight Time on Friday, April 30, 2010.

ELIGIBILITY:

This raffle is open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia, 21 years or older. Employees of winestore; any promotional companies or advertising agencies participating in the Raffle and employees of their respective subsidiaries and affiliates; any persons involved in the creation, development, or implementation of this Raffle; and any other persons or entities directly associated with this Raffle and any members of their immediate families or households ("Raffle Parties") are ineligible to participate. Entries for the Raffle drawing must be received prior to the expiration of the "Raffle Entry Period" as defined above. This Raffle is void in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and wherever prohibited or restricted by law, and is subject to all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. By submitting an entry, entrants agree to abide by these Official Rules and all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations that govern sweepstakes.

PRIZE/VALUE

Prize is a 16 gigabyte Apple IPad with a retail market value of $499.00.

CONDITIONS:

The Raffle Parties are in no way liable for any damage, loss, or injury resulting from computer malfunctions, misdirected or incomplete entries, or acceptance and use of the Prize. The winner assumes liability for injuries caused or claimed to be caused by participation in the Raffle or the use or misuse of the Prize. Sponsors reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, modify or suspend the Raffle should causes beyond the control of sponsor corrupt the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper play of the Raffle and award the Prize from all eligible entries received prior to cancellation or suspension.

The prize is not transferable or assignable. The cash equivalent of the Prize will not be substituted. Sponsor may substitute any prize of equal value for any reason at its sole discretion. The prize winner is responsible for compliance with all applicable federal, state, and/or local laws and regulations, including, without limitation, the payment of all applicable taxes. By accepting Prize, the winner grants Winestore Holdings, LLC permission to use his or her name and likeness for advertising and promotional purposes without any additional compensation (except where prohibited by law). By entering the Raffle, entrants shall be deemed to have agreed to have their entry information made available to the Sponsor. The Raffle is subject to these Official Rules. By entering the Sweepstakes, entrants and the winners agree to waive any right to claim any ambiguity, inequity or error in the Official Rules of the Raffle, and/or of the Raffle itself, and agree to be bound by these Official Rules and by all decisions of the Raffle judges, which in all respects shall be final and binding.

Taste the Biggest Baddest Wines We Could Find!

Thermonuclear Fruit Bomb Tasting
Friday April 9th - Sunday April 11th

All Day Long!

People absolutely LOVE really big wine. Wine that stains the teeth, enough alcohol to run your hybrid and thick jammy fruit. Well, we decided to go out and find some of the absolute biggest flavored wines that exist on the planet. Big grenache from Spain, gigantic Cabernet from Napa, and even some big pinot from your friends at Caymus. There are some wine writers that would describe these wines as "Hedonistic Thermonuclear Fruit Bombs" and that is exactly what these are...

Sooo - if you are looking to enjoy some really amazing wine this weekend here are a few of the gems that we will have on the machine for you all weekend long:

2008 Tait "The Ball Buster"
2007 Klinker Brick "Old Ghost" Zinfandel
2007 Belle Glos Clark & Telephone
2006 Vine Cliff Oakville Cabernet
2006 Bennett Lane "Maximus" - I mean, this wine is called Maximus...
2007 Boekenhoutskloof "The Chocolate Block"
2007 Jeff Runquist Cabernet
2007 Mas Conscience "Le Cas"
NV Le Lapin "Multiplicity"

So, call your best friends, draw straws to see who's going to be the D.D. and bring everyone to the tasting! The wines are going to be AMAZING!!!

Charlotte Observer Sip of the Week

Sip of the Week

Posted: Wednesday, Apr. 07, 2010

Sitios de Bodega Con Class, 2007, Rueda

$12.99 at Winestore.

This is one of those wines that's perfect for patio sipping. It's also terrific with a salad or the first of the grilled spring vegetables. It's mostly made from the zippy verdejo grape, with a bit of crisp sauvignon blanc. I liked this enough that after tasting it, I went back and bought more. It's handy to have on hand for company, or just for a glass with a light dinner. Catherine Rabb

Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/04/07/1361047/sip-of-the-week.html#ixzz0kRJ7FuBD

White Wine Sale!

Spring has Sprung!
5% off all white wine this weekend
10% off six packs of white!
Plus other special deals (including Conundrum)
Friday April 2nd - Sunday April 4th

It is FINALLY warming up and that means it is time to drink some white wine! It's time to sit out on the back porch and sip a little bit of that chilled Albarino, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or whatever white floats your boat. That is why we are having a white wine extravaganza this weekend - every single white wine in the store (except those already on sale) will be discounted by 5% and if you pick up a six pack of white wine we'll do you one better and give you 10% off!

We're also going to be running these great deals!


2008 Conundrum
Costco Price: $21.99
Winestore Price: $19.99 (net)
Weekend Sale Six Pack Price: $17.99 a bottle!
SAVE 18%!


2008 Salmon Creek Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio
Winestore Price: $6.99
Mix and Match Six Pack Price: $5.00 a bottle!
Save 28%!

2007 Pahlmeyer Napa Chardonnay
A deal so good we can't even put it in writing...you'll have to stop in to find out!

So stop in this weekend, try some great wine wines and take advantage of some great deals. We look forward to seeing you and as always, thank you for your business!