Winestore

I love coming here with wine friends. Filling my wine tasting card and hitting the machines. I love to taste wines and make notes and find new gems.
Depending on who is working the counter, you might get a great wine mind or something less skilled… so its always good when you hit on a the right person to ask their schedule and when they work. the right person can make or break your wine buying experience.
The tasting machines are mainly my fave thing and even though this sleepy little shopping center never seems to change, I like to come here for sushi and then hit the wine store or vice versa. :)

Wow. another place I haven’t given a review for!
Winestore and I go way back. Well, not really… but I popped into this location BEFORE I decided to move here. We were scouting the area and I was intrigued by the idea of a wine boutique. There was nothing like that available in Dallas. Shocker, right? Anywho, moving on…
Winestore offers a variety of wines that you may or may not find in grocery stores. What I like about this concept is that they’ll let me try any wine if I’m unsure before I buy it. Today I bought two wines but I ordered them online. Walked in and they were sitting there waiting for me. I recently bought a wine captain (not a fridge… totally different) and I need to fill it with wines that I can save and wine that I can drink. Their website offers just that when looking for specific wines! I bought one wine that I can keep for years and I bought another that I could save but lets be honest… I probably won’t.
Good selection… great customer service and perfect for what I’m looking for to feed my new found love of collecting wines!

Excellent concept, employing the European «pay by the ounce» pours. You can load up a card with $$$ according to however much you want to drink, and drink until you eat up what you put on your card. The card is yours to keep, just keep refilling it with $$$ and taste away.
They have a pretty nice selection, and their prices are really good, especially IF you buy Half or Full Cases. Lots of «unusual» selections, like a white from Macedonia, a Grillo from Italy, and many «boutique» producers that you won’t find in many other winestores.
My only issue is that for many of the wines you taste, there aren’t any «flyers» or info describing what you’re tasting. The staff can’t walk you through each wine as they’re dealing with other customers. It would be nice if they had some information for each wine you’re trying.
It’s a small shop, and yes they have a few $ 100+ bottles. But the focus here folks is on VALUE! Great concept.
Friendly staff and overall a great place to try some wines.

What a fun store. The prices are great, but the best part, after load up your ‘card’ with money, you taste at your leisure… pop the card in the reader, and pour your taste! I’ve seen $.65 to $ 2.75 a taste. It’s fun, it’s cheap and the staff is incredible. We had a great time. I love the fun tags they have for sections of wine ‘breakup’ wine, ‘celebration’ wine, ‘tax return’ wine! Fun Fun Fun!

How convenient is this?! Well-​organized and featuring a nice selection of wine [both at room temp and chilled] for the average consumer, all at reasonable prices with knowledgeable staff dispensing spot-​on advice. And of course the best part is that you can try before you buy. Seriously, can you PLEASE come to Los Angeles?

Boutique wine shops are the best place for the average wine drinker to buy. They have a manageable selection, knowledgeable staff, and you’ll never go wrong with what you buy. This is more true of Winestore than most. They allow you to sample many of the wines before buying. Don’t worry, should you wine not be a sampling option, the staff will not steer you wrong. Boutique wine stores know everything about their product unlike bigger retailers. They have tried all their wines and talk about them like a Sommelier that just put down the glass.

definitely not my favorite wine shop in South Park. I agree that the idea of being able to try the wines before you buy them is a good one. My disappointment was in the selection. There just aren’t that many bottles to choose from– some people may like this, but i prefer more selection. Great location

The worst thing in the world is buying a bottle of wine and it just not being what you thought it would be. Well the Wine Store takes the guessing game out of it. The have several bottles you can sample for a small fee. Plus they are extremely knowledgable and always recommend a great bottle.

I don’t know how I haven’t reviewed this place yet. It’s been a favorite of mine for years. Don’t let the location fool you, go in and you will see you CAN afford the wine here. They have amazing bottles starting at about $ 6.99…but rest assured they drink like at $ 15 – 20 bottle easy. I am ALWAYS greeted with a smile when I walk in and love talkign to the owner, who is almost always present, and his knowledgeable staff. They are friendly, informative and super easy going. They aren’t standing over your shoulder but are right there if you need any descriptions, tips, what to pair with your food/​wine, etc. I always take my friends here for tastings when they come in town to visit before we head to dinner. This is my one stop wine shop and you will never find me going elsewhere!!!

I came in here for the first time tonight, and I’m totally in love with this place. What’s not to love about a place you can cheaply taste wine and then purchase said wines at reasonable prices?
So, to start off with, this place is well organized. They separate out the wines by color and them from light to full bodied. They also have displays of bottles for certain occasions (anniversary, date night, break-​up, make-​up, etc.). The staff is very friendly and helpful in finding you a great wine.
The best part of it all is that you can get a wine tasting card for $ 1, then add money to it to taste the wines they sell there. For $ 1 – 3, you can get a one-​ounce taste of at least most of the wines there. And the wines themselves are very reasonably priced; the guy working there stated that they guaranteed the lowest prices on those bottles of wine in the state. The average cost of the bottles there is about $ 10 – 15, but they do sell some cheaper and some nice bottles as well.
I will definitely stop in here again. I can see myself making regular trips here.

I was a bit reluctant to go into a place like this. You know the type — small, quiet, awkward. Usually I find myself trying to make uncomfortable conversation with whoever is behind the counter to make it less awkward that I’m the only person in there and they have to stand there and stare at me. But that was absolutely not the case here!
This store is modern, clean, bright, and casual. I went in with a group and we each found a bottle we loved because of the excellent labeling system. I’ve always known I love wine, but it wasn’t until I visited this store that I realized the exact qualities and flavors that I like best. The guy behind the counter was very helpful and kind and just the right amount of talkative.
They offer pricey bottles, of course, but the general selection is well-​priced and well-​varied. You can always pick up a bottle of wine at the grocery store, but you absolutely cannot always get this kind of knowledge and creativity with it. Bravo, Winestore. I adore you.

For a place I’ve been frequenting for over a year, I’m ashamed at myself for not writing a review of the best wine store in Charlotte.
Points of Interest
1. Clean, Sleek, Friendly, Informative, Easy Going/​Not Stuffy.
2. The way Winestore has their store set up it takes all the guess work out of buying wine. The store is split into Whites and Reds and then further divides it by light, medium, full. The placards that accompany the wine break it down to what you will find in the wine and what it pairs well with.
3. They have a tasting machine for whites and reds, so if you’re not sure what you want to buy go ahead and give it a try, however don’t try too many or you’ll walk out with more wine that you intended to buy. I know from personal experience.
4. One of the best things about his place is their email list. They send out weekly emails about wine they’re putting on their tasting machine, tastings their having in their store, and deals on wine they receive from their distributors. Some of these deals are so hot you can save $ 35 on a $ 70 bottle of wine, just to name one.

The winestore is a concept that I am sure plenty of people wish they would have thought of first. Its a wine store that sells moderately priced wines but what I love most about this place is the wine sampler. Yes, you can sample select wines! The sampler is what really made the winestore an «experience» in my book!
Let’s use your imagination… Picture yourself and someone special going to go pick up a bottle of wine for a quiet dinner at home You step into the winestore. You see the sampler. Let the fun begin.
The wine sampler is a wonderful machine that allows you to literally sample various wines for a nominal fee. To use the wine sampler you have to purchase a card (similar to a credit card in size) to slip in the slots of each wine you choose. The sample prices range from 50 cents to $ 2.50 and there are 16 red wines and 8 white wines to choose from. After sampling, you can pick up your bottle of wine, as originally planned (remember that quiet dinner at home?) and stroll back to the crib.
Here are a few of the winestore’s best sellers… who knows you may find one of these in the sampler.
Atteca Old Vines
Burgans Albarino
Château Smith
Conundrum
Evodia
Again, the wine sampler is a fabulous «pit stop» of sorts that makes wine shopping fun. Of course, if you have any wine questions (i.e. what is the best celebration wine, what wine should I pair with pasta, etc) just ask one of the informed folks behind the counter.

I have been to many wine stores to purchase and taste wines. The Winestore in South Park has become my Number One location for going in to tastes great wines. The concept for wine tasting is the best. I only wish I had thought of it first! The use of an in-​store pre-​paid debit cards to purchase a one ounce pour is too cool. The price of the pours are based on the price of the full bottle of wine and have ranged from a low of $.50 cents and higher.
Ian and Matt are great! Both are very knowledgeable about all the wines they offer at the store.
Last year, I searched all over for a particular wine that my wife and I had shared at our anniversary dinner at a local restaurant. I could not find it anywhere on the East coast. I asked Ian to search and their distributor was able to find the wine within 1 week. Amazing!
The store offers unique blind tastings and free tastings. I purchase nearly 100% of my wines from the Winestore! I highly recommend it to all my friends!!!

I always enjoy visiting the Winestore. Tastings are at your leisure and your selection. Most wines are in stock. Midway through a Saturday afternoon, they are most likely to run out of the popular brand being sampled that day. However, you can place an order with the staff. By the way, the staff are knowledgeable and available to answer your questions, or to make recommendations. Excellent establishment!

I like wine. I like witty placards describing the wine and what you should/​could pair it with. I like wine tasting. So, overall, I like Winestore.
Prices here are pretty reasonable, and there’s a taste profile and price range for just about anyone. The store lends itself to meandering about, taking in the wine and checking out the different vintages. I’m also a big fan of the free tastings that the Winestore offers… weekly? I’m not sure, but it seems fairly often. There’s also something to be said about buying a bottle of wine here and having the pleasure of taking into Yama Asian Fusion next door with no corkage fee! Hooray!
While the service here is fine, I wouldn’t mind a few more smiles and a bit more attention. The few times I’ve stopped in I haven’t felt incredibly welcomed… but hey… I’m happy to welcome myself… with an extra large tasting, please.

I already knew I was a bit of a food snob… little did I know I would soon become a bit of a wine snob thanks to the excellent suggestions Winestore co-​owner Matt Snyder has been stocking me with.
Though the store is very user-​friendly, what sold me was how easy it was to just let them do the work for me. By giving Matt a price range and a few details, he quickly has a case ready to go of fantastic options that you cannot get at your local Harris Teeter– not to mention it is much better wine for the same price.
Another pro is the revolutionary wine tasting machine. Just go try it– you’ll be hooked. Not to mention the wine tastings held on weekends…
I have not only learned a lot thanks to these owners, I have expanded greatly from my usual standbys.
Check out Winestore– located in Blakeney and Southpark.

I’ll go ahead and just lay it out there for you– I’ve become a wine snob. My back bedroom is a Hoarders episode getting started– only it’s nothing but bottles of wine. I’ve been to Napa/​Sonoma twice this year. I’m already scheduled to go out twice again next year. I ran the Napa to Sonoma half marathon in July this year. My friends ask I bring the wine to the party out of fear their selection wouldn’t pass muster.
So why me, a native son born and raised in the Deep South? It is, in large part, due to Winestore. You see, before Winestore I bought the occasional bottle of wine at the grocery store or wine superstore. I read the little shelf tags and looked for something that scored high on someone’s else point chart. That worked okay, but I never found a wine that I liked and stuck with for the simple reason that I only bought a single bottle at the time and when I went back to the store, I rarely remembered what I drank or thought to look whether it was still in stock. Basically, I was buying bottles on a hit-​or-​miss theory– maybe I liked it, maybe it sucked, it didn’t matter since I likely wasn’t coming back to it.
With its nifty tasting machines, WInestore changed all that. For just the cost of a 2 ounce tasting pour I could try a wine before I bought it. I could also compare that wine along with up to 11 others (12 reds total on that machine). This is where the transformation really began– I started to figure out what I liked and why I liked it. I could taste lots and began to understand what it was about a particular wine that appealed to me. No points tags on the bottles or shelves, no one to tell me why this wine was superior– it was just me and the vino.
I was figuring out my palette, at my speed, without having anyone dictate it to me. That kinda fits their tag line– «You’re the expert.» Makes sense to me– it’s your money, you may as well spend it on something you’d enjoy drinking.
Not only that, but I was able to «try before I buy.» No more skunky-​tasting bottles of wine that I took a chance on and lost. I knew walking out of the store that I bought something that I liked and that I would enjoy again. For the very first time, I was buying more than single bottles of wine. I quickly moved on to the half case and, when the moment (and the wine!) was right, I bought a whole case. My wife rolled her eyes the first time we walked out with the whole case, but she soon learned too. If only we knew then what a monster had been created!
Now it’s true– good wines come in limited quantities and each state only gets so much of an allotment to a distributor. So, when you find what you like– buy it– as smaller quantities tend to go away quicker. You can’t get away from that, but the guys at the store have always been cool enough to tell me how much they got and whether they can get more. That way, I again can gage my level of interest and choose my own quantity.
The wines stocked at Winestore are not the largest selection you will find anywhere. They don’t stock everything and, while they try to appeal to most palettes, they also have their favorites. That’s okay, though, as this is going to be a fact of any small shop that depends on quality and not quantity. I like the fact these guys taste before they buy, so they take some pride in what you’ll find here. You will, however, find a total range of light to full-​bodied reds and light and crisp to big and oaky whites. The store is very logically and cleanly laid out in that progression and the staff can always make a recommendation for those who need some help.
The best part of this store, though, is their e-​mail list. A weekly e-​mail always describes the theme or special tasting offering of the weekend. These guys put some real thought into this– blind tastings, find the $ 100 bottle, multiple wines from just one region, etc. This changes weekly, so whether you prefer pinot or cab, sparkling or still, Spain or California, there will be a week or two that will appeal to you. Stop in, load up your wine card for the tasting machine, and go to town– find something new or reaffirm why you like something different.
There’s also usually a free tasting on Thursday nights. Sometimes a distributor pours thru a portfolio, sometimes a winemaker is in town and pours thru his new vintages, and then sometimes they just put some random stuff out for fun.
I’ve gotten to know the owner and his staff over the last couple years and they are quality people who are serious about wine, but always stay focused on making it approachable for any level of wine drinker. Whether you need that one special occasion bottle, or are looking to stock a collection of cult cabs, these guys can speak your language. They also get some crazy closeout deals on wines from their distributors, so if you are starting a collection you don’t want to miss looking into what they have found. I can’t recommend them highly enough!

I’m obsessed with the Winestore. The staff knows me and everything is labeled with an extremely helpful description. I have a card that allows you to taste various reds and whites for $ 0.50 to $ 4; I usually end up buying 4 or 5 bottles of white because I’ve tasted it first. My only complaint about the store is that it’s a pretty limited selection of wines. Though they tend to carry popular varietals from popular regions, I wish there was more Pinot from Oregon as well as a better selection of French whites. Though if you’re more of a modern wine drinker, opting for more New World wines, this is definitely the place for you. I’d highly recommend it for anyone who isn’t exactly sure what he/​she is looking for.

I’ve visited this store on a couple different occasions. It is definitely in a prime location. Like others have mentioned the atmosphere is very modern and creative. For instance, they have suggestions for almost any occasion. I liked the section on what wine to buy for «breakups» or something like that. Funny.
The disappointing element was customer service. On the various times I have walked in, I was never greeted. Granted, there were other customers so I didn’t expect the employee to drop what he was doing. However, once he was finished helping others I did think a little acknowledgment was appropriate (i.e., eye-​contact, smile, nod). I also sent an email trying to find a particular wine for a gift and I never received a response.
Three strikes… this place is on my «out» list.