Thanksgiving Deal #3 - DO NOT MISS... 🤯

11.16.2023

2022 Maison de Rue 37 Rasteau

Release Price: $35.00
SALE Price: $14.99 (net)

To order you can:

Order ONLINE for IN STORE or CURBSIDE PICKUP / SHIPPING



E-mail us HERE

Call ahead for IN STORE / CURBSIDE PICKUP:

Call ASHEVILLE @ 828-417-7305

Call RALEIGH @ 919-747-9077

Call CHAPEL HILL @ 984-234-0446

Call WILMINGTON @ 910-239-9479

Call MORRISVILLE @ 919-694-5028

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662

HOLIDAY HOURS!

Saturday     11/18      9am - 8pm

Sunday      11/19       10am - 6pm

Monday      11/20       9am - 8pm

Tuesday.     11/21       9am - 8pm

Wednesday  11/22     9am - 8pm

Thursday      11/23     CLOSED - Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Deal #2 - I'm not even sure what to say...👀

11.15.2023

2022 Maison Belliac Chardonnay

Release Price: $25.00
SALE Price: $9.99 (net)

Let's do this!

To order you can:

Order ONLINE for IN STORE or CURBSIDE PICKUP / SHIPPING



E-mail us HERE

Call ahead for IN STORE / CURBSIDE PICKUP:

Call ASHEVILLE @ 828-417-7305

Call RALEIGH @ 919-747-9077

Call CHAPEL HILL @ 984-234-0446

Call WILMINGTON @ 910-239-9479

Call MORRISVILLE @ 919-694-5028

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662

Thanksgiving Deal #1 - $12.99 to rock your world...

11.14.2023

2021 Canteperdrix Vinsobres

Release Price: $25.00
SALE Price: $12.99 (net)

To order you can:

Order ONLINE for IN STORE or CURBSIDE PICKUP / SHIPPING



E-mail us HERE

Call ahead for IN STORE / CURBSIDE PICKUP:

Call ASHEVILLE @ 828-417-7305

Call RALEIGH @ 919-747-9077

Call CHAPEL HILL @ 984-234-0446

Call WILMINGTON @ 910-239-9479

Call MORRISVILLE @ 919-694-5028

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662

Thanksgiving Wine Deals!

11.13.2023

Thanksgiving Wine Deals!

SALE runs Monday November 13th - Sunday November 19th, 2023

*Curbside Pickup Always Available*

*All wines posted at the lowest online price in the US!*

Is it really almost Thanksgiving?! I feel summer was like last week, am I right?

Either way, it means it is time for our annual Thanksgiving Wine Sale!

I'll go on record for this one. You will not find a better selection of oustanding value anywhere in NC, and I'd put these offerings and prices up against anything being offered in the United States right now.

In a world where we already work hard to guarantee you the absolute lowest prices, we are pulling out all the stops!! Inflation has no home here at winestore! I mean, several wines on here simply boggle the mind in terms of the quality to price ratio.

All prices are good through Sunday, November 19th! (no, they are not good on the 20th)

It should also be noted that as always, there are going to be some insane "in store only" specials rolling.

2022 Sonoma Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay
Winery Price: $28.00
SALE PRICE: $16.98 (net) per bottle
SAVE 39%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

It's Sonoma Cutrer - what more do we really need to say? Oak, Vanilla, butter - all that you expect from a great California Chard and then a little extra thrown in for good measure...



2021 Benieres Pinot Noir
Release Price: $20.00
SALE Price: $9.99 (net)
SAVE 50%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

Fresh and fruity Pinot Noir from the Pays d'Oc, a region warm enough and varied enough to allow even persnickety Pinot Noir to find its happy place.



2020 Bonterra "The Roost" Chardonnay
Release Price: $50.00 (Click HERE to see)
SALE Price: $24.75 (net)
SAVE 50%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

Bonterra is as close to an OG among the wineries devoted to sustainability and true regenerative viticulture as any among American wineries. This single vineyard wine comes from a spot nestled between the shore of the upper Russian River and a blue heron nesting site and preserve; hence the name of Blue Heron Ranch. It’s Biodynamically farmed, and shows the sort of tangy cut that’s typical of Mendocino Chardonnay.



2020 Pocapita Rioja
Release Price: $15.00
SALE Price: $7.99 (net)
SAVE 50%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

Pocapita is a great example of how much the Rioja region has upped its game in the last decade. Like many of their wines of late, this 100% Tempranillo is rich, powerful, intense, heady and every bit a modern version of concentrated Rioja, but one that nevertheless still tastes like Rioja.



2021 Highland Falls Proprietary Red
Release Price: $20.00
SALE Price: $9.99 (net)
SAVE 50%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

"Mountain-grown, it’s the richest kind,” as coffee commercials used to say, but it’s also true of Cabernet. Foley Family's pedigree doesn’t hurt either: the guys who bring you Merus, Chalone and Chalk Hill Wines are behind the powerhouse Highland Falls lineup too.



2021 Bonnet Hill Cabernet
Release Price: $35.00+?
SALE Price: $14.99 (net)
SAVE 57%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

Lake County lies just to the north of Napa, and while it shares none of the fame of its southern sibling, it’s a sleeper region for Cabernet. That might be why Napa legend Andy Beckstoffer started investing in the region, purchasing a 1,200-acre vineyard that he calls Amber Knolls in the Red Hills AVA. That’s where this comes from and, if it’s good enough for Andy Beckstoffer, Napa’s most important wine grower, then it’s good enough for us too.



2021 Sombrero Cabernet
Release Price: $20.00
SALE Price: $9.99 (net) per bottle
SAVE 50%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

Over four generations of winemaking, the Vellas family have slowly assembled a strong group of properties in Languedoc and Roussillon. In beautiful sites like Mas du Pont they have created not only a vast set of vineyards but also farmlands, bull breeding, equestrian centers, olive groves and more. With Cabernet spread out across these sunny and Mediterranean climes, ripeness and aromatics are both in strong supply.



2022 Prejuges Chardonnay
Release Price: $18.00
winestore. Price: $9.99 (net)
SAVE 44%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

Cabardès has not always been a favored site but its intense limestone soils are beginning to consistently offer Burgundy-like nerve. It’s tasty wine, but maybe the best part of the story is that Cabardès is named for the 13th Century Lords of Cabaret – seriously. Picture Joel Grey or Alan Cumming astride white stallions, swords a-glinter in the sunlight, horses prancing. Okay, you just can’t un-see that image, can you? Drink this incredibly tasty number and try to forget we said this.



2020 Waccamaw Proprietary Red
Release Price: $25.00
SALE Price: $12.99 (net)
SAVE 48%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

Put together a bunch of passionate kids (some with backgrounds selling wines for legends such as Eric Solomon and Martine Saunier) deeply immersed in the California biz and you can find some pretty tasty wines. That's what they did and that's what we have here.



2022 Larme en Rose
Release Price: $20.00
SALE Price: $9.99 (net)
SAVE 50%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

If you stick around the wine business long enough, you’ll have seen it all. Where once wine coolers were cooler than Liebfraumilch, now hard seltzer is hot (served cold). White Zin was once de rigeur, though it was never French; it was from the good ol’ US of A. But then that became too sweet and the category died. Or seemed to. Because then rosé rose up like a zombie eager for fresh meat, though the current iteration of the pink stuff is more often French than not. Provence is the epicenter of it and the French have figured out how we like it: dry, pale pink, light and refreshing.



2022 C'est Pas La Mer Picpoul
Release Price: $18.00
SALE Price: $9.99 (net)
SAVE 44%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

Here’s what you should know about Picpoul de Pinet: it’s never bad; and only sometimes good. So there’s a lot to be said for grapes that never suck. About the time I decided I was no longer going to think about the Picpoul grape, I tasted this Picpoul de Pinet and it was utterly delicious.



2022 Maison Ventenac Cassandre
Release Price: $20.00
SALE Price: $10.99 (net)
SAVE 45%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

Within Cabardès, a prime site in the ocean of vines that is Languedoc-Roussillon, the Ramés are growing many of the same grapes as their neighbors but using them to sometimes unusual ends. They call some of these wines “les Dissidents” which are “delicate blends concocted in jars of 150 or 500 litres, and in casks of 2,000 litres.” This one is 100% Vermentino (they call it Rolle there) and it has layers and layers.



2021 Cape Charles Cabernet
Release Price: $105.00
SALE Price: $24.99 (net)
SAVE 76%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

It’s tough for me to contain my excitement about this one. It is unanimous amongst our team - this is the single best under $25 wine (of any varietal) we have ever offered. It may be the best sub $50 Cabernet we have ever offered. Our long time partner, Baron Ziegler, brought it to us from one of the top Cabernet producers in the United States - but it's a name we cannot give you for all sorts of wine related legal reasons. The winery has been making wine since 1977. They’ve notched multiple 100 point scores. Some have opined that their 1978 Cabernet Sauvignon was one of the most important wines ever made in America. This particular lot, is the exact same wine the winery will be selling for $135.00. Your price is $24.99. That is correct. This is not a typo. $24.99.



2020 P/N Pinot Noir
Release Price: $25.00
SALE Price: $12.99 (net)
SAVE 48%
Lowest Online Price in the US!

Put together a bunch of passionate kids (some with backgrounds selling wines for legends such as Eric Solomon and Martine Saunier) deeply immersed in the California biz and you can find some pretty tasty wines. That's what they did and that's what we have here.



2021 Bleu Blanc Thau
Release Price: $14.99
winestore. Price: $7.99 (net)
SAVE 47%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

This blend of Picpoul, Terret, and Colombard is so tasty, so refreshingly crisp (but still weighty enough to matter) and, dare we say it, a freaking value that it practically crawled into our bag and said take me home the first time we tasted it. Say hello to your new house white wine.



2022 White and Sea White Blend
Release Price: $15.00
SALE Price: $7.99 (net)
SAVE 47%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

It’s surprising that grapes like Sauvignon Blanc aren’t more widely planted in southern France, as they can be harvested fairly early to retain bright and citrusy acidity without really losing character or even complexity. Maybe wines like this will encourage more winemakers to try working with crisp and aromatic white grapes in Languedoc-Roussillon.



2019 Willowlake Pinot Noir
Release Price: $39.99
SALE Price: $19.99 (net)
SAVE 50%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

Finally! A wine that rivals Belle Glos at a much friendlier price point. Pinot lovers unite!



2022 Le Cabas Sauvignon Blanc
Release Price: $20.00
SALE Price: $9.99 (net)
SAVE 44%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

Gascony ain't just the Three Muskateers, though they have a place in our hearts as well. More than anything, Gascony is foie gras, delicious plums and apricots, rich dinners with Armagnac to follow. But the white grapes grown here are not just for great brandy, they have always been consumed as wine too and the last decade or so has seen an embrace of clean, cold winemaking to preserve the aromas of otherwise neutral grapes like Ugni Blanc or Folle Blanche. It's also seen new plantings of Sauvignon Blanc, a grape that requires no heroic measures to reveal its aromatic riches. Whats fun here is that these same winemaking methods generate something bright and vibrant but without much resemblance to other such Sauvignon Blancs (I'm looking at you, New Zealand), many of which have begun to seem like self-caricature. This one is comfortably itself, needing only an ice bucket and a big glass.



2021 Kingstree Cabernet
Release Price: $25.00
SALE Price: $12.99 (net)
SAVE 48%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

This is a tasty little gem unearthed by the pros at Banshee Wines. Banshee, started by three guys who just happened to like wine and wanted an excuse to be out west, hasn't been around long but they sure have kicked off righteously during their short career. They’ve always been focused upon cooler climate sites, especially with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and at the prices they offer their wines, it’s no surprise that things have gone swimmingly well.



2021 Vim Solis Canteperdrix
Release Price: $25.00
SALE Price: $12.99 (net)
SAVE 48%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

Vinsobres is a red wine only appellation that sees a more diverse set of soils than most of the other Rhone AOCs. The usual intense Mistral wind is accompanied by a cooler, gentler Pontias wind, making this one of the cooler sites of the southern Rhone. The wines have a bit more nerve: think of cranberry instead of black cherry, more tangy Grenache than rich, robust Syrah.



2020 Darley Proprietary Red
Release Price: $75.00
SALE Price: $19.99 (net)
SAVE 73%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

We argue about vintages and that’s because we don’t all like the same style of wines. You may hate Napa Cabernet in 2011 because you think they're weak and insipid; I might find them elegant and sleek. You might champion Napa Cab 2013s; most people do. I might complain that some are too ripe. But 2020 is one of those vintages that makes fans of us all. Sonoma Cabernet in 2020 has richness but also balance. Check out Darley’s 2020 Knights Valley Cab and make your own mind up.



2022 Maison Belliac Chardonnay
Release Price: $25.00
SALE Price: $9.99 (net)
SAVE 60%+
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

When the French decided to build the Canal du Midi, they unsurprisingly chose a portion of the Pays d’Oc that is flatter and less mountainous than much of the regional landscape. The climate is different, needless to say, but not so very different from sunny California, and the wine has some of that same buttery character that West Coast Chardonnay exemplifies.



2021 Brooks Bank Cabernet Sauvignon
Release Price: $39.99
SALE Price: $17.99 (net) per bottle
SAVE 55%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

This 100% Cabernet is full of dark berry flavors to offset its tough guy tannins. This is BIG wine for little money. It’s basically the wine equivalent to Patrick Swayze in “Roadhouse.” Best movie EVER.



2022 Maison de Rue 37 Rasteau
Release Price: $30.00
SALE Price: $14.99 (net) per bottle
SAVE 50%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

Aside from sounding like Dustin Hoffman’s character in Midnight Cowboy, Rasteau is one of the genuine values in red wine. More or less baby Chateauneuf, Rasteau these days mimics the blend that has evolved in Chateauneuf-du-Pape and now extends to other critical areas of the Southern Rhone: 70% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah, 5% other (in this case, Cinsault). It reflects a perceived truism of wine: if you want to create complexity in warm climates, you need additional grapes. It helps that these vines are between 30 and 50 years old, facing a most helpful southeast towards the famed Dentelles de Montmirail (the “teeth of Montmirail”, don’t you know), so they pick up all the morning sun and avoid the harsh sunlight of the late afternoon.

Second wines are always fun... 🤩

11.10.2023

2018 Le Comte de Malartic

Release Price: $40.00 
winestore. Price: $24.99 (net)

Napa winemaking icon Jayson Pahlmeyer had a quote about second label wines (specifically about the Jayson red blend that was his $50 second label to the $150 Pahlmeyer Prop Red) that I love. He said "“The Jayson goes into the same brand new French oak barrels [as the main label, Pahlmeyer], has the same barrel-aging regimen, same blending, same care and dedication from my winemaker,” Pahlmeyer explains. “It’s 90 percent of the quality at 50 percent of the price.”
 
90% of the quality at 50% of the price is a standard I can get behind.
 
I told you last week that one of the best wines I tasted in 2023 was the 2018 Chateau Malartic La Graviere, but at $59.99 that is not in my weekly wine budget.

Enter the 2018 Le Comte de Malartic, the second label from this famed estate.
 
In 2018 for this wine, we’re talking about almost the exact same grape blend, same vat period, same vilification methods, and really the only difference being yields (the Comte is from some of the younger vines on the Estate that have higher yields), and aging time - the Comte sees 15 months vs 18 months for the big boy.
 
After tasting the wine I think Jayson Pahlmeyer is pretty spot on.

Is it as good as the flagship wine? It is not.
 
But at $24.99 vs. $59.99 it suddenly becomes probably one of the 5 best sub $25 wines we carry in the entire store. I had a bottle two Sundays ago with some Cheeseburgers and it was divine. Honestly, the fact that it is below $25 makes me love it even more.

It reminds me a bit of a wine called Mas Doix Salanques from Priorat. Not in that they taste the same, but Salanques was a second label to the $100 Mas Doix, and at $29.99 it was not only delicious, I have bottles that are now 20 years old and still taste fresh and young. As a collector and wine lover, finding $25 wines that can go the distance is part of the fun!
 
No other bottles of this vintage are currently for sale in the United States. Wine.com does have the 2019 vintage available for $34.99 per bottle.
 
A great wine for your cellar / wine fridge, for this weekend, for Holiday gifts, or maybe your Thanksgiving table (that all depends on how much your relatives drink 😂).

All that said, I know what I'm drinking tonight!


To order you can:

Order ONLINE for IN STORE or CURBSIDE PICKUP / SHIPPING



E-mail us HERE

Call ahead for IN STORE / CURBSIDE PICKUP:

Call ASHEVILLE @ 828-417-7305

Call RALEIGH @ 919-747-9077

Call CHAPEL HILL @ 984-234-0446

Call WILMINGTON @ 910-239-9479

Call MORRISVILLE @ 919-694-5028

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662

You're gonna want to try this one.....trust me!

11.09.2023

2018 Expression de Chateau Grand Bourdieu Rouge

Vivino Avg Retail Price: $37.57 (Click HERE to see) 
winestore. Price: $14.99 (net)

On a buying trip back in February we uncovered a lot of great value gems, but the wine we are presenting to you today, to me, was the best value wine we tasted the entire trip (and honestly one of the best wines all around).

It's been awhile since I've found something under $15.00 that checks several boxes for me:
1) Is really a food wine, but also can drink well by itself (I tested this last night!)
2) Is pleasant and complex with acidity that can excite multiple different flavor preferences (people that love light bodied wine and full bodied wine could be united here!)
3) Great packaging and a great deal

I took the below photo from our first taste of the wine with a note attached to the photo "2018 Expression - buy it all"



Sadly they would not let us buy it all, they only let us buy 250 cases. Which while it sounds like a lot, for a wine this good I even wonder if it will make it until Dec 31st. Here's to hoping!

So what is the background here?

There are around 10,000 wine brands in Bordeaux; you’ve probably not heard of most of them. In 2018, a lot of them made big, juicy wines, thanks to warmer weather, and garnered exciting scores. But a goodly number of those wines were just big and lacked complexity; the top sites were riper than most winemakers there are accustomed to handling. The so-called lesser sites were riper than they’re used to as well, but not so crazy ripe. Grand Bourdieu is planted on a mix of clay and gravel, like this part of Graves enjoys, that can handle the wet May-June-July but without holding too much water. They’ve been making wine since the 17th century and these days it’s heavy on the Merlot (70%), backed up with Cabernet Sauvignon (30%).

So if you're thinking about Holiday table wines, changing up your weeknight wines, looking for new tasty treats or just love great bottles...your ship has come in.

I continue to opine that our lineup of value right now in the store is the best that it has ever been - and the 2018 Grand Bourdieu is leading the charge!

I know what I'm drinking tonight (and I drank it last night too 😂).

To order you can:

Order ONLINE for IN STORE or CURBSIDE PICKUP / SHIPPING



E-mail us HERE

Call ahead for IN STORE / CURBSIDE PICKUP:

Call ASHEVILLE @ 828-417-7305

Call RALEIGH @ 919-747-9077

Call CHAPEL HILL @ 984-234-0446

Call WILMINGTON @ 910-239-9479

Call MORRISVILLE @ 919-694-5028

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662

The Two Best Selling Wines in the Store...ON SALE for $9.99 🔥

11.07.2023

Our Two Best Selling Wines - ON SALE!

2021 Snowvale Cabernet
Release Price: $20.00 
winestore. Price: $12.99 (net)
SALE Price: $9.99 (net)

For the third year in a row, we are going to take our two best selling wines year to date, and put them on sale this week.

Snowvale Cabernet has remained at the top of the heap for the third year in a row (like this wine just dominates), but this year a Chardonnay has slipped into the #2 spot.

In a world where every single day a vendor tells us prices are going up because "their prices are going up and we have to do it", the ability to bring you these two wines for only $9.99 per bottle is what gets us excited about our store set right now!

So let's toast to all things that are awesome and inexpensive, am I right?

6 days only - lets gooooooo!

To order you can:

Order ONLINE for IN STORE or CURBSIDE PICKUP / SHIPPING

E-mail us HERE

Call ahead for IN STORE / CURBSIDE PICKUP:

Call ASHEVILLE @ 828-417-7305

Call RALEIGH @ 919-747-9077

Call CHAPEL HILL @ 984-234-0446

Call WILMINGTON @ 910-239-9479

Call MORRISVILLE @ 919-694-5028

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662

Something special for you this Friday! 😍

11.03.2023

2021 Maison de Palais Voleur

Release Price: $40.00 
winestore. Price: $24.99 (net)

Chateauneuf du Pape was one of the wine regions that got me into wine in the first place. I had a bottle of Domaine de Marcoux that knocked my socks off, and I was hooked from then on. That said, over the last decade or so, many of those Chateauneuf wines have priced me out. I have had to seek out value elsewhere...and elsewhere just happens to be right next door to Chateauneuf, in Gigondas.

Only a few years ago, we could say that Gigondas, nearby and reflecting the terroir and grapes of Chateauneuf, was the great bargain of the Southern Rhone Valley. But the price creep has started there as well, and now you have to look harder to find those values. But the quaint little village Gigondas deserves some attention; the Romans certainly thought so. They called it In “Jocunditas” which means joy or rejoicing, so we can guess that somebody liked the wine even then. It’s hard to say what the grapes were in Roman times; the Maison de Palais Voleur though is 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, and 10% Mourvedre.

We've talked a lot recently about discovering wines that have the "it" factor, but don't cost an arm and a leg. Here we have a wine, in the Gigondas bottle with the etched glass, with juice that reminds me of Chateauneuf, all below $25. That's the kind of stuff I need in my life. While $24.99 is not my Monday price point, it surely fits squarely in my "weekend" price point.

Just for fun, we'll have the Palais on the tasting machine at all 8 locations for only $0.01 to taste. That's right, spend a penny and see what all the fuss is about!

So I don't know about you, but I know what I'm drinking tonight!

TGIF!

To order you can:

Order ONLINE for IN STORE or CURBSIDE PICKUP / SHIPPING



E-mail us HERE

Call ahead for IN STORE / CURBSIDE PICKUP:

Call ASHEVILLE @ 828-417-7305

Call RALEIGH @ 919-747-9077

Call CHAPEL HILL @ 984-234-0446

Call WILMINGTON @ 910-239-9479

Call MORRISVILLE @ 919-694-5028

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662

One of the 3 best red wines I've had this year...🤩

11.02.2023

2018 Chateau Malartic-Lagravière

750ml Bottle
Release Price: $85.00
Total Wine Price: $69.97 (Click HERE to see) 
winestore. Price: $59.99 (net)

We rarely focus on expensive wines in this newsletter, mostly because expensive wines are supposed to taste good. If you spend $60 on a bottle of wine, expectations are sky high. It is much tougher to find those gems that outkick their coverage at the $10-$15 price range.

That said, every now and again we come across a wine that is so special, you just have to know about it.
 
Back in May we released for you the 2015 and 2016 Chateau Malartic LaGraviere, the best collectible Bordeaux bottles we tasted on a buying trip to France back in February. We approached the Chateau (after you all bought everything we had) and asked if they had anything else we could taste, and amongst a smattering of samples they mailed us was the 2018 vintage of their flagship wine.
 
I can easily say this is one of the 3 best red wines I’ve had this year, and it may be the best. No hyperbole. This stuff is the real deal.
 
As we told you before regarding this estate, the thing about Bordeaux is that there is so much history and, unlike Burgundy, we actually know the details. That’s because Bordeaux has always been the domain of the upper crust, and people keep track of such things. This chateau started its life as Domaine de Lagraviere but after the Malartic family bought it in the 1850s, they appended their name to it, in honor of their favored son, Comte Anne-Joseph-Hippolyte Maures de Malartic (what a name), a well-known French Navy Admiral (that’s why they have a boat on their logo). The Bonnie family (soap magnates) bought it in 1997 and have dropped $20 million on fancying it up. It’s worked. Each of their last twenty vintages, whether strong or shaky, are beyond excellent.
 
It’s tough for me to explain how excited a wine like this makes me, especially from Bordeaux. Prices for the prize gems in the region have gone parabolic, and it’s tough to weed through some of the more “affordable" wines and find something that really stands out. Prior to February I had never even heard of this estate, and if we’re being honest the only reason we tasted it is we thought the label was cool (the label is cool). Boy, am I glad we did.
 
Age-worthy Bordeaux of this quality for less than $60 and magnums for less than $120, both packed in sealed wooden boxes, is what I want to be collecting, drinking, and sharing with friends. No, it’s not an everyday wine price point - but this is a price point where wine lovers of all sophistication can dip their toe in and find a world class wine that can last as long as they would ever want to age it.
 
I bought a case and two six packs of magnums for myself…and while my wife may never forgive me, I feel like it needed to be done 😂. I mean, the holidays are coming up, right?!?!?!?

We've only had the wine in stock for a few weeks but you know you're onto something good when people take the time to e-mail you after they drink something. Some responses we have gotten over the last few days include:





So get while the gettin's is good! 

I'm not drinking this tonight, but I will be this weekend!


To order you can:

Order ONLINE for IN STORE or CURBSIDE PICKUP / SHIPPING

E-mail us HERE

Call ahead for IN STORE / CURBSIDE PICKUP:

Call ASHEVILLE @ 828-417-7305

Call RALEIGH @ 919-747-9077

Call CHAPEL HILL @ 984-234-0446

Call WILMINGTON @ 910-239-9479

Call MORRISVILLE @ 919-694-5028

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662

Total Wine - $17.99 vs. winestore. - $12.97....let's go!

11.01.2023

2021 Meiomi Chardonnay

Total Wine Price: $17.99 (Click HERE to see)*
winestore. Price: $12.97 (net)

To order you can:

Order ONLINE for IN STORE or CURBSIDE PICKUP / SHIPPING



E-mail us HERE

Call ahead for IN STORE / CURBSIDE PICKUP:

Call ASHEVILLE @ 828-417-7305

Call RALEIGH @ 919-747-9077

Call CHAPEL HILL @ 984-234-0446

Call WILMINGTON @ 910-239-9479

Call MORRISVILLE @ 919-694-5028

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662

*Total Wine price taken from their Wilmington, NC location at 8:10am on Wed Nov 1st. 2023

This is what value in wine looks like...💥

10.31.2023

2020 Chateau Fombrion La Grivelière

Release Price: $30.00 
winestore. Price: $12.99 (net)

I've said it time and time again. We have never, in the history of our company, had a more outstanding selection of wine under $20 in the store. The number of sub $15 values that exist right now has me almost giddy just thinking about it!

All that said, the Cuvee La Grivelière from Chateau Fombrion appears at first glance to be an off the charts type deal. According to the people at Vivino the avg. price paid by their users for this wine is $97.18 per bottle. We have it for you for $12.99 per bottle! 👀

Now, clearly there is something off in their data, but we can still tell you this is the lowest price in the United States and a straight up steal for $12.99.



Bordeaux is of another era; though it’s not meant as an insult. It was controlled by the British for centuries, and commerce there still has a very orderly tenor. Chateaux make wine; courtiers (brokers) sell the wine to the rest of the world. But these bright lines get fuzzy and most of the courtiers have vineyards and chateaux of their own; those can offer very seductive value in this pricey realm.

This Cabernet and Merlot blend is owned by the courtiers Horeau-Beylot (founded in 1740), one of the oldest such in Bordeaux. The chateau is over a century old too and is part of the Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux appellation, just across the narrow Gironde River from Margaux, and a satellite region of Pomerol and St.-Émilion, home of the world’s greatest Merlot.

So today we have a wine from $97 down to $12.99 😂. Or can we just say today we have for you a seductive value, from a pricey realm, that pairs very well with Halloween candy.

I know what I'm drinking tonight!


To order you can:

Order ONLINE for IN STORE or CURBSIDE PICKUP / SHIPPING



E-mail us HERE

Call ahead for IN STORE / CURBSIDE PICKUP:

Call ASHEVILLE @ 828-417-7305

Call RALEIGH @ 919-747-9077

Call CHAPEL HILL @ 984-234-0446

Call WILMINGTON @ 910-239-9479

Call MORRISVILLE @ 919-694-5028

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662

It is the Scariest Wine in the Store 🎃 - On SALE!

10.27.2023

2019 Double Ripasse GSM

Release Price: $30.00 (Click HERE to see)
SALE Price: $17.99 (net)
SAVE 40%



Sale runs Friday October 27th - Tuesday October 31st, 2023

Lowest Price in the US!

*Curbside Pickup Always Available*

Three years ago we took the photo above of some decorations in Wilmington that happened to include a bottle of wine that we carry and decided we just HAD to put it on sale during the week of Halloween. We had so much fun with it we decided we should do it every year! 

What's up with the wine?

I'm not gonna lie. This label is a little out there. Maybe it's a lot out there. But when we saw it in a box of samples sitting on our desk a few months ago it certainly stood out. But would the wine be any good?

It was insane.

The Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre varietals are happy bedfellows from anywhere, and the Vellas family sites throughout Mediterranean help create wine with balance as well as intensity. As for the name Double Ripasse? In wine terms, ripasse is to press or to squeeze, and that typically means someone has made wine from grapes but held onto the skins. Then they dump fresh must onto those once-squeezed skins, using the new juice to soak more flavor (and often tannin) from the skins. 
 
Do it twice? Double the pleasure, double the fun :)

So spice up your front porch decorations a bit, and drink some nice wine while you're at it!

TGIF everyone!
 

To order you can:

Order ONLINE for IN STORE or CURBSIDE PICKUP / SHIPPING



E-mail us HERE

Call ahead for IN STORE / CURBSIDE PICKUP:

Call ASHEVILLE @ 828-417-7305

Call RALEIGH @ 919-747-9077

Call CHAPEL HILL @ 984-234-0446

Call WILMINGTON @ 910-239-9479

Call MORRISVILLE @ 919-694-5028

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662

2022 Clos Delfines Albariño

10.26.2023

Our #3 best selling white wine is FINALLY back in stock!

Release Price: $25.00
winestore. Price: $14.99 (net)
SAVE 40%



Lowest Price in the USA!

*Curbside Pickup Always Available*

The #3 selling white wine in the entire store, one of our "Wines of the Year" for all of 2020, and personally my go to house white wine, is FINALLY back in stock (and with a new vintage 😁)!! 

Not that many years ago, Albariño was an unusual addition to a wine list, generally the sole example of Spanish white wine. It was followed by other grapes, particularly Verdejo from Rueda, and many of us wine watchers think that Godello is the next big white Spanish grape. But Albariño is no longer an odd corner on retail shelves; now there’s an actual section. And if the grape’s producers have stopped trying every winemaking trick under the sun (brand new barrels, barrel fermentation, sweet styles), there’s plenty of variety still available, albeit of a subtler kind.

Well-known producer Bodegas lo Nuevo gives the grapes only a short bit of skin contact, at very cold temperatures, and then only a portion of the wine is fermented in large puncheons and demi-muids. The rest is in stainless steel, of course, because those vessels preserve the real charm of Albariño in its tangy citrus fruit, its hints of tropical ripeness and the mineral character from a wine grown next to the sea.

We are truly thankful to be able to continue to serve you and your family. Happy Thursday!

To order you can:

Order ONLINE for IN STORE or CURBSIDE PICKUP / SHIPPING



E-mail us HERE

Call ahead for IN STORE / CURBSIDE PICKUP:

Call ASHEVILLE @ 828-417-7305

Call RALEIGH @ 919-747-9077

Call CHAPEL HILL @ 984-234-0446

Call WILMINGTON @ 910-239-9479

Call MORRISVILLE @ 919-694-5028

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662

The sneaky best selling wine in the store...ON SALE! 😍

10.24.2023

2022 Boulée-Cordot

Release Price: $15.00 
SALE Price: $7.99 (net)

We've had this wine at this price only ONE other time in our history...and that was November of 2020.

Since then Boulée-Cordot has not been part of any holiday sale, or year end sale, or even been on sale for that matter...and it is still the 19th best selling wine in the store.

I was shocked to learn that. Like it has been tough to keep in stock, and people have been loving it, but to perform at that level (and against some insane competition), is really something else.

So to celebrate all things Boulée, we're putting it on sale through Sunday for $7.99.

Sometimes I lose sight on how crazy that price is. I mean I paid $5.68 for a Starbucks drink during a meeting just this morning, and now you're telling me I can get an entire bottle of amazing wine for only $2 more? I need more of this in my life!



Also a fun tidbit of information on this wine? We placed it back in March in the Belle Glos Pinot Noir Blind Tasting as a ringer (this wine is not Pinot Noir) and it TIED Belle Glos for 3rd place 👀

What is the background story here?

As France evolves into the modern world, there are times when it seems that they’ve merely arrived in the late 20th century. Blends like this one wouldn't have been seen only a few scant years ago. Instead, the wine would have been named after the place where it originated; perhaps the grapes would have been listed on the back label if they were noted at all. But somebody in France got the memo – the modern world wants more information, and the old place names, unless they’re the famous ones, don't mean much.

So basically even if we had seen this blend, we wouldn't have known we were drinking it, even if we were :) Syrah is planted throughout Mediterranean France, and has a strong reputation dating back to the mid-19th century when Bordeaux chateaux would blend a small amount into their wines to improve them. Alicante? It’s one of the rare Teinturier grapes, having red juice as well as red skins and in the right spots it can be powerful and juicy, not just inky. Together they make for a very modern, fascinating, if nontraditional, wine.

So let's do this folks! Modern, fascinating....and $7.99. 😁

To order you can:

Order ONLINE for IN STORE or CURBSIDE PICKUP / SHIPPING



E-mail us HERE

Call ahead for IN STORE / CURBSIDE PICKUP:

Call ASHEVILLE @ 828-417-7305

Call RALEIGH @ 919-747-9077

Call CHAPEL HILL @ 984-234-0446

Call WILMINGTON @ 910-239-9479

Call MORRISVILLE @ 919-694-5028

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662

Are we drinking Merlot? Yes, we are... 😁

10.18.2023

2018 Chateau du Fort Pontus

Release Price: $30.00 
SALE Price: $14.99 (net)

To order you can:

Order ONLINE for IN STORE or CURBSIDE PICKUP / SHIPPING



E-mail us HERE

Call ahead for IN STORE / CURBSIDE PICKUP:

Call ASHEVILLE @ 828-417-7305

Call RALEIGH @ 919-747-9077

Call CHAPEL HILL @ 984-234-0446

Call WILMINGTON @ 910-239-9479

Call MORRISVILLE @ 919-694-5028

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662

End of Season Rosé Blowout / Closeout - Let's gooooooooooo

10.17.2023

End of Season Rosé Blowout

October 17th - October 22nd, 2023
ALL WEEK LONG!



It's that time of year! You know, when it finally cools down from summer, and that first time you have to put the sweater on to leave the house (it kinda reminds me of the opening line of this song for some reason...also how good is that song)

At this point though, cold weather doesn't slow down rosé. Rosé has basically become a year round sensation, but that doesn't stop our suppliers from being scared to have the product over the winter months. It's like they don't even know rosé is the ultimate Thanksgiving pairing!

Hey - their loss is your / our gain, as we took advantage of some end of season distributor closeouts and have, of course, passed the savings on to you guys. It's just how we roll. Oh - we're also bringing these to you at the lowest online prices in the United States :)

You might need some wine for trick or treating, or for the upcoming Holidays, or just because...and rosé always seems like a good option to me!

One thing I know for certain. You will not find a better lineup of rosé at these prices anywhere in the United States. 

*While supplies last*

*Curbside Pickup Always Available*

2021 Balcon Sur La Mer Rosé
Release Price: $20.00
SALE Price: $9.99 (net)
SAVE 50%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

Balcon delivers everything you want in a great rosé in spades. This unctuous pink wine is dry, stony, fruity, lengthy. Comprised of Grenache, Grenache Gris and Mourvedre, there’s a lot more here than many a rosé that you’ve tasted before.



2022 La Culottée Rosé
Release Price: $18.00
SALE Price: $9.99 (net)
SAVE 45%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

This 100% Caladoc wine is barrel-fermented, though it is still recognizably rosé in style. Needless to say, barrel-fermented rosé is anomalous anywhere, much less in southern France. The barrels are over-sized, and the wine has no added sulfur or added yeast. Dry, clean and rather full for a rosé, you can nonetheless drink it chilly on a sunny day, just like you would the rest of the rosés you’re slamming this summer.



2021 SWIMBAD Rosé
Release Price: $15.00
winestore. Price: $8.99 (net)
SAVE 40%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

Rosé is the tipple of the tempting whether we are in Touraine, Tempe, Tuscaloosa, Tuscany or Saint-Tropez. Provence, the archetypal French vacationland, is the poster child for what modern rosé ought to be. Pale, quenching, lip-smacking.



2021 Larme en Rose
Release Price: $20.00
SALE Price: $9.99 (net)
SAVE 50%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

If you stick around the wine business long enough, you’ll have seen it all. Where once wine coolers were cooler than Liebfraumilch, now hard seltzer is hot (served cold). White Zin was once de rigeur, though it was never French; it was from the good ol’ US of A. But then that became too sweet and the category died. Or seemed to. Because then rosé rose up like a zombie eager for fresh meat, though the current iteration of the pink stuff is more often French than not. Provence is the epicenter of it and the French have figured out how we like it: dry, pale pink, light and refreshing.



2022 Rosabelle Rosé
Release Price: $18.00
SALE Price: $9.99 (net)
SAVE 44%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

For rosé it doesn't matter as much what grapes you use, just the process. Though they need to be picked early and when they’re still tangy and tart. For Rosabelle that means Grenache and Cinsault. These days a paler style of rosé prevails, set by Provençal producers and Rosabelle is cut from that cloth.



2022 Lou Pichoun Rosé
Release Price: $18.00
SALE Price: $9.99 (net)
SAVE 44%
Lowest Online Price in the USA!

Along France’s border with Italy, between the Mediterranean coast and the continental region of Savoie, the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is traversed by the Durance river. Vineyards are mostly found on the valley hills for maximum sunlight exposure. So the days are Mediterranean warm but the high altitude and the presence of the mountains makes for much cooler nights as air from the Alps descends into the vineyards.

These conditions make for delicious rosé. While this has the look and feel of Provençal rosé, it's a bit lighter and airier. And in case you wondered who Lou Pichoun is, that’s Provençal slang for the youngest, as in, the most favored child.

This is a back up the truck situation! 🍷

10.13.2023

2022 Colline du Bonnet Grenache

Release Price: $25.00 
SALE Price: $9.99 (net)

To order you can:

Order ONLINE for IN STORE or CURBSIDE PICKUP / SHIPPING



E-mail us HERE

Call ahead for IN STORE / CURBSIDE PICKUP:

Call ASHEVILLE @ 828-417-7305

Call RALEIGH @ 919-747-9077

Call CHAPEL HILL @ 984-234-0446

Call WILMINGTON @ 910-239-9479

Call MORRISVILLE @ 919-694-5028

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662

Brooks Bank on SALE for $14.99 (62% Off) - 🎄in October!

10.10.2023

2020 Brooks Bank Cabernet

Release Price: $39.99
Vivino Avg. Price: $23.00 (HERE)
SALE Price: $14.99 (net)

It is powerful, poised and persuasive Cabernet and to put it frankly, stupid cheap for the money. Honestly, I wish this was one of those things that would never run out of supply.

The Vivino reviews are stellar as well. And the avg reported price from users is $23!

Christmas in October? Let's do this!

I know what I'm drinking tonight!

To order you can:

Order ONLINE for IN STORE or CURBSIDE PICKUP / SHIPPING



E-mail us HERE

Call ahead for IN STORE / CURBSIDE PICKUP:

Call ASHEVILLE @ 828-417-7305

Call RALEIGH @ 919-747-9077

Call CHAPEL HILL @ 984-234-0446

Call WILMINGTON @ 910-239-9479

Call MORRISVILLE @ 919-694-5028

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662

Your weekend wine and it is 50% off...

10.06.2023

2020 Vieux Lescours Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

Vivino Avg Price: $47.22 (HERE - out of over 800 data points)
winestore. Price: $24.99 (net)
SAVE 47%



Lowest Price in the US!

*Curbside Pickup Always Available*

I'm sorry, but wines like this just get me fired up.

One of the wines that really got me into drinking and collecting wine was Chateau Pavie. It's a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon from Saint-Emilion in Bordeaux...and it's like really, really awesome (that is a professional wine recommendation).

Sadly, it now costs over $350 a bottle (inflation? 😳), and that's not really in my wheelhouse.

So when we tried the 2020 Vieux Lescours for the first time earlier this year, I got that same Chateau Pavie feeling.

We're talking similar grape blend, a vineyard originally planted in 1850, 12 months in 75% new French Oak, and all the acidity a wine like this needs to be an age worthy rock star.

And the kicker here? We can bring it to you for the lowest price in the United States - $24.99 per bottle...and that is decidedly in my weekend wine wheelhouse.
 
So if you're looking for maybe a bottle or two to age in the wine fridge for a few years, this is a top choice. That said, it also drinks well on a cool Saturday fall evening when the weather dips below 50 degrees for the first time and you just want a delicious, big red wine to accompany the evening.

So here we go:

- Top flight Grand Cru Bordeaux
- 47% off and lowest price in the US at $24.99
- It's the weekend

Let's do this people!

To order you can:

Order ONLINE for IN STORE or CURBSIDE PICKUP / SHIPPING



E-mail us HERE

Call ahead for IN STORE / CURBSIDE PICKUP:

Call ASHEVILLE @ 828-417-7305

Call RALEIGH @ 919-747-9077

Call CHAPEL HILL @ 984-234-0446

Call WILMINGTON @ 910-239-9479

Call MORRISVILLE @ 919-694-5028

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662

Riserva Chianti from $47 to $24.99 😳

10.05.2023

2018 Tenuta di Arceno Chianti Classico Riserva

Wine.com Price: $46.99 (HERE)
winestore. Price: $24.99 (net)
SAVE 47%



Lowest Price in the US!

*Curbside Pickup Always Available*

Can we bring you to you a Riserva Chianti Classico, from one of my favorite producers, at the lowest price in the US?
 
The answer is yes!
 
Tenuta di Arceno is an ancient Tuscan estate, massive in scale at over 2500 acres, producing some of the most interesting and powerful wines in the Chianti Classico DOCG region and under the Toscana IGT designation. The estate is in the southern portion of Chianti Classico in the all-important commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga (or the historical Chianti) within the much larger delineated as “Chianti”. Arceno is both traditional and modern, if a bit more contemporary in its embrace of Bordeaux varieties (which I love).
 
Here the region’s grape, Sangiovese, has 10% Cabernet added to it, gaining both some muscle and power (Tuscan Cabernet is that, believe me) but also a sense of flavor familiarity from that grape too. This is one of those wines that I love not only because of Arceno’s excellence but because the 2018 vintage is universally considered to be an ideal combination of the warmth of harvests like 2015 that were gently watered and cooled off as in 2013. So here you get strong, firm, even powerfully weighty Chianti that will repay aging for a decade or more, but it’s also a wine that will be delightful with your massive pork chop tonight. Or, if we’re being honest, just drinking it after the kids go to bed while watching Netflix 😂

I know what I'm drinking tonight!

Let's do this!

To order you can:

Order ONLINE for IN STORE or CURBSIDE PICKUP / SHIPPING



E-mail us HERE

Call ahead for IN STORE / CURBSIDE PICKUP:

Call ASHEVILLE @ 828-417-7305

Call RALEIGH @ 919-747-9077

Call CHAPEL HILL @ 984-234-0446

Call WILMINGTON @ 910-239-9479

Call MORRISVILLE @ 919-694-5028

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662