Studio 91

I got a Living Social deal a couple of months ago to try this place out. Unfortunately, I think they’re out of business because their phone number (919−933−3700) is disconnected. I tried calling 4 times over 2 hours to verify. Time to contact Living Social to get a refund.

We grabbed a drink here before dining at the very excellent Saffron down the street. Joel is an artist so we were drawn in by the promise of art and vino. It’s a small establishment with good lighting and neat tables (corks and wine boxes beneath glass tops).
The atmosphere in this joint is somewhat cozy, though something’s a little off — it feels like a conversion, a wine bar that’s been squeezed into a space originally designed for something else (custom framing shop? real estate office? who knows).
It was a bit chaotic when we walked in — evidently there was some tasting going on that we were not part of. Our slightly coy waitress asked us if we were here for the tasting, and when we responded «ummm… no… not sure… this is our first time here’, she seated us, gave us some wine menus and then disappeared for a while. We soon found out she did NOT have good peripheral vision, as it took quite some time to flag her down again.
When she finally came back over, I of course wanted to know what the tasting was all about and where were the flights on the menu. I felt she could have done more to orient us to the options when we arrived, since she knew we were on our maiden Studio 91 voyage.
Anyway, I ordered a glass of ’09 Sancerre and Joel had the Poppy pinot noir. My wine was fine but a little austere on account of being served too cold and the bottle having just been opened. We fared better with Joel’s pinot, a cheeky little number from Monterey.
Their selection of reds was decent, whites a little less extensive, sparklers slim (there were two or three) and dessert wines basically non-​existent. All in all this is not a bad spot for popping into if you feel like quaffing a glass or two, but I don’t think I’ll be a regular.

The quote below is copied directly from the email I received confirming my reservation. I found it a little rude and un-​welcoming. Had I not already pre-​paid (Groupon), I probably would have written a snarky response back saying I didn’t want to disrupt their day jobs and would like to cancel my reservation.
«Not a problem. I have you down for Wednesday @ 8pm. Bring your voucher when you come tomorrow night and we just ask that all of your party be on time for your 8pm reservation since we do close at 10pm. Our staff has fulltime day jobs so I want to make sure we don’t keep them out too late.»
That said, the wine tasting was nice. The wines were neither spectacular nor terrible. It was $ 35 for 4 with the Groupon, and well worth that price. However, I would not recommend paying the $ 100 they say the tasting is supposed to retail for.
I find the ambiance and selection much nicer at West End on Franklin if you’re looking for a wine bar. However, the size of Studio 91 is nice if you are just looking for a small place for a glass of wine.

Went to this trendy wine studio Saturday night for a private wine tasting that a friend purchased on groupon/​twongo/​living social (one of them?).
The studio was small, with about 5 tables and a couch/​relaxing area in the corner if you wanted to come in a sit with friends and socialize away from a tall-​table setting. On the alls are various pieces of modern art. There is a small bar, that seats about 4 – 5 where one can come in for tasting or a glass (or three).
All four of us girls tasted 6 different wines. The wine host did a great job explaining the wines to us and presented them in a comfortable manner. The tastings were a great size, much larger tastes than I am used to at other tastings so it felt well worth the money. With the first 4 wines, we shared a cheese and olive tray with tiny breads. This went well with the wines chosen. A great tidbit to add was that the host heard me talk about not wanting to have any of the cheese that had nuts on it due to an allergy. (I don’t like to promote this allergy because I don’t like to be «that girl» in restaurants who makes a big deal out of things) and she returned with a plate of my own cheeses and breads that were not touching any nuts.
For the final two wines, we were served a chocolate truffle with rasberry and whipped cream. The host also made an accomodation for me without asking, serving me a chocolate truffle that did not have nuts.
Bottles are sold at a discounted price if taken out of the store, but are a more expensive price if opened and served at the location. I would recommend taking the bottle out. I bought a bottle at $ 18 but if I drank it in house it would have been $ 32.
We really enjoyed ourselves. It was a great setting, despite being in a strip mall setting. I highly recommend for wine lovers in the triangle and surrounding areas!