I live so close to Wine Authorities and drove by it so many times but never noticed them. It wasn't until Offline Premium introduced me to them! They have 2 locations- Raleigh and Durham. The entire store is filled with wines from all over the world. The best part? None of them are from big companies. Every single one of them are from local/ small businesses (You can see some of the business owners photos by the wines!). The owner/ founder of Wine Authorities has been working with a lot of the wineries for many years. They taste every new batch they purchase to ensure quality. Although they have many businesses they've been working with for a long time, they go to wine shows and events in Europe to discover new ones! I like my wine very sweet but there were so many choices that I was a bit overwhelmed. I asked the nice lady at the register to give me recommendations and I loved the wine she recommended. If you are a bit overwhelmed with all the choices, just ask for help. They are very informative and helpful! Aside from their amazing wine, they also have beer, cider, sake, hot sauce, honey, meats, and etc. You will find at least one thing you will love. On Saturdays, they have free wine tastings from 12-3pm! If you cannot make it there on time, you can always buy a bottle or two. They will give you glasses to drink in the back or outside if the weather is nice outside! You can also buy snacks or cheese to go with your wines. Also, if you are a little hungry, you can buy a bottle from Wine Authorities and head to Thai Cafe next door and they will let you drink there without extra charge! read more

Wonderful wine store and knowledgeable owners. I favor a good selection of French wines in general. Not only is their selection trialed and tested and very good-- but they also cover a broad price range. If you would enjoy buying 50 and 75+ $$ bottles you can find excellent selections but if your budget is more modest and you are looking for $15-25$ selections, you can buy with confidence as well. Have been buying from them for years.. highly recommend. Love this purveyor. read more

Great little wine store in Durham. But, it's more than just a store. They provide tastings in a separate bar area and provide plenty of information to educate customers on all things wine. You may notice the beautifully painted maps along the walls which show the various wine regions in the world. These hand painted maps were created by the owner's wife so you can see for yourself exactly where each region is located and where your wine originated. There is a decent variety of cheese here as well and you can always ask for pairing recommendations. If you forget what you bought last time, you can always look it up in the store. You don't usually find this kind of personalized service in a big box wine store. In addition to wine, they also have a nice selection of sake. Finally, they are dog friendly and they keep a jar of doggie treats on the counter for their furry customers. read more

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This was a real surprise. I've seen this place numerous times, but never stopped in. Immediately after walking in, I was welcomed and they helped me right away find some interesting wines. Thank you Chloe! She showed me the layout, the tasting area that will be coming back soon (possibly), and knew more about the wine then just what was on the table. The staff will help you find what you're looking for and seem to enjoy helping you find those wines you'll enjoy drinking. I say go in, talk to anyone on the staff (shoutout #2 for Chloe), and find a new experience sitting on the shelves. read more

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These folks seem to be very knowledgeable about wine and are always happy to recommend a bottle in your stated price range.

Wine Authorities is a great place to stop for a wine tasting, a glass with a friend or to pick up something to go. This location is much smaller than their space in Raleigh and lacks the amazing atmosphere and outdoor patio space, but they're making good with what they have. You'll find a plethora of wine, sorted by country rather than price, style or type, and you'll need a higher level of wine knowledge to make your way through the store, although each bottle does have a great description. You can cozy up to the bar in the back for a tasting or grab something from their wine bottle taps. They also have a variety of local cheese, meats, honeys, etc. for sale, your random wine store odds and ends (they also sell cocktail bitters here!) and a small but good selection of craft beer. Make sure to join their system so that you can keep tract of bottles of wine purchased. read more

Wine Authorities is a relatively new, locally owned and operated wine retailer. They have a great selection of wines with an interesting organizational system. Wines are broadly sorted by region, but they're also labeled with red, yellow, and green tags, representing monthly, weekly, or daily wines, respectively. These categories are great because I can just look for 'green' wines when I need something simple for the evening, or 'red' for a more special occasion. In the back of the store, they also have an Enomatic wine tasting system. Basically, you buy a debit card that you can add money to, then swipe it in the machine to sample any number of wines which range from about 80 cents to $3.60 per taste. It's a cool way of doing things, and while maybe less personal, it means you can have a wine tasting any time you want! In addition to wine, you can find a small selection of Italian meats, cheese, Counter Culture coffee and bread. Service is very friendly and informative, and they'll even price match anything in their inventory with other NC stores! read more

Wine Authorities - From the Wine Authorities Web site - inside the store. - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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This is a great wine store. The employees know their wines! They only buy wine from small vineyards which means you're guaranteed to get wine you may not have even heard about. They have really good deals, such as, their summer pack and their 6 for $60 packs that they ensemble offering a great way to try new wines. Each bottle comes with a description and a bit about the vineyard. Their newsletters are not only informative but also entertaining! We really appreciate this place. read more

The place is definitely a quality over quantity sort of place...packed in this small, locally-owned shop are bottles of wine organized by country, and touches that are just absolutely perfect for a wine shop. These touches include weekly wine tastings and interesting newsletter, a device in the back that dispenses a variety of wine for you for a low cost...a try before you buy type of deal, and a very personal and unpretentious atmosphere. Most of the wine is very affordable, but still good, with recommendations from people who work at the store. A weekly newsletter is also sent to those who subscribe, and checking out, they create an online account for you, where you can keep track of all your wine purchases and record tasting notes, etc. They also allow you to mix and match a case of wine, and there is always a discount when you buy several bottles. The aforementioned dispenser at the back of the store contains a regularly-changing menu of wines that you can try by purchasing a special card loaded with credits and using it to dispense small quantities of the wine available...pretty much, a way to try a select few wines, just out of curiosity or to decide if you want to take the leap and purchase a bottle. IMO, an awesome touch to a wine shop, where a problem can be making the difficult decision of shelling out ten or tens of dollars of buying a wine you've never tried before. When I went for the first time, I just purchased a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc to use in a recipe, but when I opened it at home and sampled some, I ended up just drinking it rather than using it for cooking, because the quality and taste was so good for the price ($12). I will definitely be back to purchase more bottles in the future! read more

Dear WA: Protocolo (tinto and blanco) which have been regulars on your 6 for 60 sell for $5.99 and $7.99 (respectively) at total wine. Feel free to look them up at their website or drive over and check it out: they are on the bottom shelf. When can I come get my 200% refund (I'd like cash, please)? btw since you seem so hurt i've raised your rating. cause i don't want to see you cry. *Note: I accidentally deleted the original post, but in summary I said I like the place and they have some rare wines but the 6 for $60 is not quite as good a deal as it seems because some of the wines are actually quite cheap (and not as good) as the very pretty flyers would indicate, and gave them 3/5 stars. You can read the owner's response below :) read more

Hands down the very best wine shop I've ever been to. It has nothing to do with the wine - though very good and from small estate producers - it's the staff that make this shop what it is. I always feel like I learned something every time I leave there. Free wine tastings on Saturdays complete with geography and wine making lessons, records of everything you ever purchased there (Umm, a white I bought a couple weeks ago that tastes of pears?) plus tasting notes are just some of the pluses. One of my favorite Saturday outings. read more

We stopped in while on vacation for some wine and cheese for dinner. :) Excellent selection, great range of prices, very easy and accessible labeling system that explains pricing, taste, and pairings. They do tastings and classes in the back, and the store is set up really well. One of the store associates helped us choose a few wines--one of which was hands down the best wine I've ever tasted and it cost less than $12. I still dream of it. They also have a great selection of local and/or grass fed cheeses (yes!) as well as local bread and coffee. A wine store where my $4-wine-buying ass can feel comfortable and welcome and have a great time. I wish them all the success in the world! read more

Wine Authorities is one of those quintessential local, independent shops that you just feel good about shopping at. The wine selection is good (realistically, I'm not enough of a connoisseur to have a problem with the selection anywhere). What makes this place though is their commitment to smaller wineries, a sincere understanding the products they carry, and a local focus. In addition to some of the great wines I've gotten advice on and purchased here, they also carry Guglhupf bread, Farmhand Foods sausage and Reliable Cheese Co. cheeses (among other local non-wine products). Additionally, their Saturday wine tastings blow other area tastings out of the water. The education you get at the tastings is phenomenal - you'll learn something interesting and new each time. And I swear by their 6 bottles for $60 monthly special - I can choose reds vs. whites, rather than having to settle for some red/some white. Always a good choice in my books . read more

After you start shopping for wine at Wine Authorities, you'll have trouble going back to randomly selecting wine from grocery stores. The staff is so friendly and helpful with recommendations from their extensive selection, even within a $10-15 price range. When you purchase a bottle, they will print the tasting notes for you, which is a really fun addition if you're bringing your wine to a dinner party. There are also wine tasting events, and a pay-by-the-ounce wine tasting dispenser on the wall in the back. You can also buy craft beers, and snacks to go with your wine, like cheese and chocolate. read more

Wine Authorities is my favorite wine shop because it's owned by a couple of cool dudes who just care about wine. It's awesome! I've visited a couple of times and each time either Seth or Craig have actually been in the store, a fact which I find just really, really cool. I love that this is not only locally owned, but also that the owners are often on-hand and ready to help. Plus it's in between Thai Cafe and Local Yogurt, so it's win-win, uh, win. I've always been a beer drinker and my esteem for wine is a relatively recent development, but continues to grow with each glass of Shiraz I drink. I sometimes feel embarrassed going into a wine store---reluctant to ask for help for fear of exposing myself as a charlatan---but no one at this store is in any way snobby or snooty, so I feel completely comfortable there. There always seem to be specials on certain bottles, and you can always walk out with a decent bottle of wine at a reasonable price. Another thing I find super-cool is not only that you can register for their newsletter to get updates on sales and tips and neat, quirky suggestions, but also that you can register for their website and, each time you make a purchase, your wines are tracked, so you can log in to their website to remind yourself what you've tried---and what you liked and didn't like---before you make your next trip in. There's also a rather excellent selection of fancy cheeses and chocolate for sale there as well, with plenty of suggestions on which wines with which to pair them. read more

Seth and Craig run this place. Wine Authorities is fast becoming a go to place for Durhamites for wines and wine know-how. The two very friendly owner/managers are always onsite and at hand to help out. They are not at all stuck-up. They hold weekly wine tastings by theme, region as well as cooking classes with well known chefs around the triangle. Definitely worth a visit. Say hello to Craig and Seth. I'm sure you'll make them your wine gurus soon. read more

Cool new locally-owned wine store next to Rockwood Park. Great selection and prices on small producer wines. Friendly guys, great location Smiles all around! read more

A great place to come and try new wines. The collection is not huge but it is diverse and all of the wines come from small wineries all over the globe, where the growers actually produce their own wines. I love that all of these wines are the types of wine you can drink everyday and are generally in the $10-$15 range. I believe the owner (Craig?) even travels around the world purposefully searching for these small wineries and selecting which wines to bring to the U.S. There are free wine tastings at the bar in the back, where you get to try about 4 different wines centered around a certain theme. The theme is continuously changing, making it more fun to keep coming back. Another useful feature is the online account you can create which remembers all of the wines that you have gotten in the past. You can even add your own notes to the particular wine if you wish. The store is small but clean and all of the wines are organized by country that the wine comes from. The staff are very knowledgeable about the wines and are very friendly. Wine Authorities really focuses on educating people and participate in many local events like the Museum of Life and Science After Hours Events. read more

These guys are awesome. Friendly, Savvy and Outgoing, they have all the qualities necessary to be Keepers of the Enomatic. Craig and Seth are some wine-selling sons of guns and this is a super well-administered business. They recommend wines based on your tastes and previous purchases and keep track of everything on the computer. You, too, can make tasting notes on your account to help keep everything straight. They also have an entertaining website and newsletter. These two are obviously really enjoying themselves. All that barely matters, though, because they had the incredible foresight to install... The Enomatic. Genius device. You fill your glass and if you like it you buy the whole bottle. If you don't like it, you drink something else, hang on the sofa, chat with your mates, make yourself at home. After a few glasses you are loopy and joyful and walking out with half a case. Where do I invest? read more

High prices, poor customer service and their website encourages you to purchase online, but will not let you add items to your cart. Save yourself some time, money and aggravation and go to Total Wine instead. Sorry, wanted to support a small/local business, but when you make it this difficult, it's not worth it. read more

I have to agree with all of the other 5-star reviews. This place is the best. I love working with the Frenchman that works here to figure out what wines I should try. He is so knowledgable, although everyone else seems to be as well! It is an absolutely enjoyable experience to come here. When we do, we leave with a case since that is discounted (I think it is 15% off?). We have even stumbled upon an awesome wine tasting before! All of the wines are from small producers. We do not buy wine from anywhere else! read more

Customer Service is not a priority. I was a great customer for years & was not treated well by a new employee several years ago & my complaints feel on deaf ears. Was told his customer service skills in fact were lacking but he is a good purchaser so deal with. Get him off the front desk. read more

Wine Authorities is a locally owned and run place that sells mostly wine but does also sell beer, cheese and bread from Guglhupf. They prefer to offer wines for sale from smaller wineries. It is a great time to be here during the Saturday afternoon wine tastings. A cool place with very reasonable prices. Staff A Decor B Location B Health Inspection Grade 99.5 read more

Best wine store in the universe. I haven't bought wine in a grocery store since this store opened.

Why go to a big box wine store when you can have a pleasant experience at a locally owned, boutique store with much more charm! Wine Authorities is tucked away in the Rockwood shopping center and has a fantastic selection of wine, cheese and other accoutrements for entertaining or just a nice night at home. Their service is stellar, the associates will help you as much or as little as you need. The service extends after the purchase, as they have an online tracking system with your wine purchases so that you can rate/review the wines you purchased and know which to buy in the future. Check them out the next time you need some great wine! read more

Wine Authorities is so clearly the best wine store in the Triangle that I almost feel bad for other wine stores. Why? First, the selection is amazing. You might think that shopping at a wine store would be more expensive than the grocery store, but there are a staggering number of options in the $10-$15 range that are much, much better than anything you'd get elsewhere. The staff hand select these wines on your behalf. Second, the staff are incredibly approachable and knowledgeable. If you want to know what wine to serve with something like asparagus soup (tricky!), they will be ready with recommendations. If you want to have a very technical conversation about biodynamic wine from the Loire Valley, they are ready. If you want to talk casually and don't know what you're talking about, they can roll with that, too. Third, the experience is educational. Each wine has a user-friendly description next to it, which demystifies the shopping experience. You can also request printed tasting notes so that you can learn about the wines while you drink at home. They have a funny newsletter that tells you about their specials and free tastings. They also have a machine that dispenses wine at the perfect temperature so that you can taste while you shop. If all this is not enough for you, they sell a variety of fancy snacks, many from here in the Triangle. Thank you, Wine Authorities! read more

Such a great store. So many reasons to come here, so I'll give some highlights. You should come here because there's an amazing selection of wines from around the world and because the guys who run the store are extremely knowledgeable about what they carry and will help you find wines based on your tastes. You can keep track of your purchases online, which is a great way to engage customers and keep them coming back. They have tastings and you can sample some wines before you purchase them. There's also a small but great selection of cheese, coffee and beer. read more

We really enjoyed the selection of reds and whites we tried as direct recommendations from a store rep. Unsure if it was an owner (Seth/Craig listed in previous reviews), but he steered our hostess toward wines that met our criteria for our menu, and offered to track her selections for future purchase if we decided we liked that particular vintage, including printing a list with descriptions of ingredients and flavors with a space to write our opinion of the wine next to each label. So much variety, with a knowledgeable, friendly gentleman to help choose. I tried 2 varieties of wine I'd never had before, consisting of multiple grapes mixed at different concentrations, both of which paired well with some of our menu options, so points to the rep who helped us. The organization and card descriptions were less haphazard and more unique than comparable wine stores, such as the Total Wines of the world. Accessible location on University, where Durham-CH Blvd ends @ a light, Q-shack across the street from the small strip with Wine Authorities, Little Gym, Thai Cafe, etc. Great value for the $$ also. Can't wait to explore more options here. read more

Great selection of wine, almost nothing there is terrible and the prices are fairly reasonable a great selection for $15 and under. So as good as it gets for durham read more

We love love love Wine Authorities. Seth, Craig and their staff are so helpful and have never steered us wrong. The enomatic is a perfect way to try wine or purchase a glass to enjoy there. We love that they support small wineries and that they care about the integrity of their product. We purchase almost all of our wine here and have bought cases for parties and have only received rave reviews. read more

Fantastic wine shop! Last weekend the wine tasting included gourmet chocolates! Yum yum yum!! It was a whole new taste experience exploring the various flights of wine amongst the different types of chocolate. Did I mention yum yet!? :) read more

Great place to buy wine. The wine is great and the tastings are fun. The system to track what you've bought is also an awesome idea however it never seemed that my wines actually showed up on my profile. We used to go every Saturday for the tasting and stock up on wine afterwards until one employee refused me since my license was one day expired (I'd had a birthday and a new one was coming in the mail-also 5+ years out from 21). He was fairly rude about it and it was ironic since I'd also just gotten the birthday coupon from wine authorities in my email. Now we go to the co-op and weaver street instead, but will probably return at some point. read more

We enjoyed this place - but in a different way than expected! We went thinking it was similar to the Raleigh one with cheese and meat boards and wine tastings for a mid week date. However this one does NOT have those boards! Oops!! However they did have a great selection of bottled wine and a small wine tasting section in the back. We had heard of this from Offline Durham and so had $25 at least to spend. We bought a bottle of wine, box of crackers and stick of salami...and promptly took it back to the couches after paying for it. The worker was awesome and went to the back to get a wine opener and cutting hard and knife for us to use...letting us know this had NOT happened before there It was such a fun and unexpected date. The workers were so helpful and kind. We enjoyed it and will definitely go back! They had wines from around the world and were reasonably priced. The workers also seemed knowledgeable about the different regions and we heard them explaining to many. read more

The Wine Authorities is an amazing place! The tastings are so much fun because Craig and Seth are able to teach everyone from novice wine-drinkers (like myself) to true oenophiles. My wife and I stop in a few times a month to stock up - the prices are really low, but the wine is still exceptional! Wine Authorities only carries wine made in small batches, not the random boring chardonnay you'd buy at Target. So far, we have not been disappointed with anything we've purchased there. And if you're looking for a little something extra, they've got delicious local cheeses, Loco Pops, and bacon for sale. We will not buy wine at any grocery store as long as we're in Durham, that's for sure. read more

As a wine novice, I went to Wine Authorities to find some wine for a casual dinner with neighbors. The staff was so friendly and helpful. They were extremely knowledgeable without being critical of my limited wine experience . There was a large selection of wines in a wide range of prices. They were able to recommend wines perfect for our occasion. I'll be back! read more

This whole tasting bar idea is new to me and I first saw it used with beer at Clouds Brewery in Raleigh. It got me thinking, they should do this with wine! Of course I am way behind and after doing a little research I found out Wine Authorities has just what I was looking for. They have two locations; one in Raleigh and the one I visited in Durham. The Durham location has 12 wines on tap. You purchase a card for $1 and you can add money to said card in increments of $5.The card is yours to own and can be used at your next visit. You can select the amount of wine you wish to purchase... Taste= 1 oz, 1/2 glass= 2.5 oz, and glass= 5 oz. Prices vary per wine. They change the wine out about once a week so it's good to know they keep a good rotation. On my visit they looked to have a nice mix of white and red with 2.5 ounces of wine priced between $1.20-$5.25. Other things to know about the shop: Per their website they feature no more than 500 selections, specializing in estate grown wines from small, up-and-coming, family- owned wineries from around the world. All wines cost less than $50 a bottle with a focus on high-quality. Even I felt comfortable with their prices with many of them in my wheelhouse of under $15. They offer free wine tastings Tuesday 5-7pm (2-3 types) and Saturday 12-3pm (3-4 types). You can look on their calendar to see what region/style they are featuring that day. They also have a nice selection of cheese and cured meats to choose from. If you are looking for a specific wine I would suggest Total Wine but if you are looking to try something new then look no further. The staff here is super friendly and very knowledgeable but not to the point you feel they are looking down their nose at you. They want to share their passion with you and it shows. read more

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Wine Authorities is the best place to buy wine, hands down. Do not even consider buying wine anywhere else if you live within driving distance of Wine Authorities! Seriously, no where else can compete with the quality of the product and helpfulness of the staff. Even if you know nothing about wine, they will pick out something that fits your occasion and budget perfectly. And while you're there you can sample something yummy, pick up some cheese and crackers, and get a bottle gift wrapped. What more could you ask for? read more

"The underground source for the greatest values in estate wine", and they live up to it... Celebrated the business' birthday with a great selection of wines with a free tasting. You won't leave with a bad wine bottle if you ask for suggestions. Cheese selection is great too, we got the fig honey chèvre with some crackers and it was a pretty ballin snack. read more

Wine Authorities - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Wine Authorities is a great place to get wine. They are focused on the small estate wineries vs on the large corporate bottling companies. The small estate wineries typically produce a better product and cost-wise can be very competitive with the big guys for the quality of the wine produced. I love the Enomatic that WA has and we often end up buying at least one of the bottles that we have sampled in the Enomatic. WA also has a great selection of cheeses that you cant get anywhere else! read more

"Cheers" for wine lovers. Craig & Seth & the crew are knowledgable, helpful, and unpretentious. I've learned a lot.