NC Triangle Dining Food Blog

The Best Restaurants and Bars in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill and the 919

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Photos: Vita Vite Midtown Prepares to Open in North Hills

The new Vita Vite Midtown wine bar is opening soon! Located in the newer section of North Hills across from the green, Vita Vite Midtown runs a fine line between lounge and modern art gallery with a refreshed take on the Vita Vite brand. Spread out across two floors and showcasing a more modern interior, I suspect it will become a relaxing destination for the North Hills crowd, quickly

 

Vita Vide Midtown
200 Park at North Hills Street, Suite 130
Raleigh, North Carolina 27609
(919) 322-0649

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First Take: Vita Vite Bringing Art and Wine Together in One Space

Brick front of Vita Vite in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Brick front of Vita Vite in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

While breweries and beer bottle shops have been opening left and right in the Triangle, it always seemed to me that wine seemed to be lagging. Thankfully we recently got a new entry in the Triangle wine scene with Vita Vite in downtown Raleigh! Part art gallery, part wine bar and part retail, Vita Vite is pretty ambitious for what it brings to the neighborhood.

Stuffed seating at Vita Vite in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Stuffed seating at Vita Vite in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Located on the edge of the Warehouse District on Hargett Street, Vita Vite offers up an interesting combination of art gallery, wine and lounge in one very upscale space. At the front is Vita Vite’s covered patio with stuffed couches for wine drinking. Inside Vita Vite, you’ll find a visually interesting mix of art pieces, large front bar and even a fireplace. And in back you’ll find a small retail area of Southern goods along with more art and seating areas. You can tell immediately that a lot of work and money was put into the interior and decor.

Bar area at Vita Vite in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Bar area at Vita Vite in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

At the bar, Vita Vite has a smallish list of wines by the glass, some beer and cider along with some fancy mimosas. We grab a couple of glasses and hang out in the front seating area on stuffed chairs. Looking around the space it’s an interesting mix of people. Mostly 30 – 50 year old folks which is about right for a wine bar. It’s definitely a more stylish and mature space that won’t appeal to everyone but in a good way. Apparently there’s also an event space in the back where I think they’ll need to do a good business since off the street traffic can be unreliable. The lovely enclosed patio up front means great lounging for when the weather is nice.

Entry area at Vita Vite in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Entry area at Vita Vite in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

But they are off to a good start at Vita Vite! It’s a great looking space with a lot of color and texture for wine drinking. The addition of some charcuterie and cheese plates to the menu means you also have something to nosh on now at Vita Vite.  Definitely certainly check it out next time you’re in the Warehouse District. Vita Vite means life and vine in Italiano and I imagine you could do just that here: slow down your life a bit with a good glass of vino, cheers!

 

Vita Vite

313 W Hargett Street

Raleigh, NC 27601

919.803.3156

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An Alternative to Hops and Barley, Raleigh Wine Shops!

Front of Raleigh Wine Shop, NC Triangle Dining
Front of Raleigh Wine Shop, NC Triangle Dining

Raleigh has seen a boom of beer shops and breweries over the past two years but guess what?  The same could be said for wine shops in the area which is a wonderful thing in my mind.  We’ve seen the addition of three wine shops inside the Beltline and pretty close to each other: the Raleigh Wine Shop, Wine Feed and Wine Authorities.  All of them deliver wonderful wine expertise and hand-selected bottles but in three very different settings and styles.  But you can’t go wrong with any of them, let’s take a quick look at these vino stores!

Inside of Raleigh Wine Shop, NC Triangle Dining
Inside of Raleigh Wine Shop, NC Triangle Dining

The Raleigh Wine Shop has only been around a bit over a year but is the oldest of the three.  Located on a quiet corner of S. Glenwood, you can’t miss it’s hanging sign out front, European style. Inside it’s a fantastic and well-designed space full of warm wood floors, high ceilings and neat overhead air vents.  Bottles are neatly displayed by geo’s and regions, up back they’ve got a small wine bar along with several Enomatic wine dispensers for wine by the glass. The owners are always present at the store and will share their passion for wine with you whenever possible!

Self-serve wine bar at Raleigh Wine Shop, NC Triangle Dining
Self-serve wine bar at Raleigh Wine Shop, NC Triangle Dining

What I like best about Raleigh Wine Shop is their full calendar of events and lively social media presence.  They are constantly hosting and supporting tastings, wine-dinners, food trucks and partnering up with local businesses to showcase their presence.  There’s always a nice flow of people in and out of the Raleigh Wine Shop and it feels like it’s been in the neighborhood a lot longer then a year.  They also do a monthly Sir Walter Raleigh Six-Pack where you get a discounted and diverse selection of bottles for the month.  Overall the shopping experience at the Raleigh Wine Shop is very comfortable for both novices and expert oenophiles alike!

Front of Wine Feed, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Front of Wine Feed, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Moving north on S. Glenwood you’ll find the brand new Wine Feed which just opened up over the holidays at the end of 2013.  Located at the base of the new Hampton Inn Hotel, the Wine Feed does its wine merchandising quite differently.  Modern graphite interior with a beautiful curved wine bar with granite top, the Wine Feed is slick and upscale.  But the guys who own and run the Wine Feed are equally down to earth and knowledgeable about their vino.

Inside of Wine Feed, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Inside of Wine Feed, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

With a nice display of bottles and gourmet foodstuffs, the Wine Feed is still growing into its space.  What they do do, very well are wine classes!  I had done one in their original location but recently attended a S. American wine class.  Covering six wine pours (2 white, 4 red) they took us through a virtual tour of the regions and wineries for the bottles.

Wine class at the Wine Feed, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Wine class at the Wine Feed, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

The set-up at the wine bar is great for a class and they add red leather seating around the periphery of the space for additional students.  At $20/class and a 10% discount on featured bottles, Wine Feed wine classes are a relaxing and fun way to spend the evening.  I like what they’ve started to do here, just expect a different feel compared to Raleigh Wine Shop which is a good thing.

Front of Wine Authorities, NC Triangle Dining
Front of Wine Authorities, NC Triangle Dining

A new entry to the Raleigh wine scene is Wine Authorities over in the Oakwood neighborhood.  A sister store to the original in Durham, they’ve got a nice open space with gourmet foodstuffs (cheese, nut butters, meats) along with some beers on tap at the tasting bar.  Right now, Wine Authorities is doing free tastings on Saturdays from 12 pm – 3 pm and I enjoyed my first go-around.

Tastign area at Wine Authorities, NC Triangle Dining
Tastign area at Wine Authorities, NC Triangle Dining

Wine Authorities is quite big, there’s a lot of bottles available at this shop and it definitely feels more like a large wine market compared to the Raleigh Wine Shop or Wine Feed.  With quite few bottles in the $10 – $30 range, I’m optimistic about the Wine Authorities future, especially given their reputation in Durham.

Bottle display at Wine Authorities, NC Triangle Dining
Bottle display at Wine Authorities, NC Triangle Dining

So while can not live by great beer alone, you’ve now got some great options for a great glass of vino.  And given how well it pairs with food and lower calories, I often find myself reaching for a glass of syrah or sauvignon blanc versus a porter or kolsch.  Don’t miss out on these three fine wine shops on S. Glenwood: Raleigh Wine Shop, Wine Feed and the Wine Authorities.  I guarantee you that they’ll find you a decent bottle at a decent price for your next dinner or party, ching!

 

Raleigh Wine Shop

126 Glenwood Avenue

Raleigh, NC 27603

919.803.5473

 

The Wine Feed

602 Glenwood Avenue

Raleigh, NC 27603

919.374.0036

 

Wine Authorities

211 E Franklin Street

Raleigh, NC 27604

919.489.2884

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