Erick’s Cheese & Wine Shop

Great selection of wine and knowledgeable staff to help you select a bottle. I was also impressed with their cheese selection, chocolate options and all their gluten-​free goodies (crackers, bread, cookies). It’ll definitely be one of my first stops on any weekend visits up here.
They also had a nice wine tasting on Saturday afternoon and you could pay for 1 extra wine in the tasting; all donations went to the Humane Society. They also mentioned that they host wine classes in the summer months.

I’m a fan is right. In this area it can be difficult to find anything of quality in terms of wine and beer and luckily Erick’s will always be there to offset the norm. Obviously they have plenty of decent wines to choose from and also do tastings in the adjoined space for those that might want to spend a little more time deciding. Like the name says they also have a plenty bountiful array of cheese to pick from and will let you sample any that you might have an interest in. I’m a pretty simple cheese lover so I always lean towards the norms, like sharp cheddars and such.
My favorite spot in the place is the beer cave. They stock some rare beers along with some of the typical craft beers that you see around.

Excellent wine and cheese selection and very friendly and knowledgeable staff.

I never thought I would be so impressed by cheese! A group of us had a causal weekend up by Linville Fall area. Our «guide» said something about cheese, and with 5 girls in the car we were immediately planning a cheese and wine night. The Eiffel Tower Brie was like butter… Fabulous. I had my eyes on the caramelized onion cheddar which was fantastic. The selection was insane. The poor lady was swamped but gladly gave us a taste of whatever our heart desired. Considering she was the only person working the cheese area the service was good. I never paid much attention to expensive cheese, but since then I have browsed at local grocery stores (the fancier ones like WF and HT in southpark) and I have to say Ericks is still in the lead with the varieties and choices. Most cheeses were $ 15 — 20 per pound, some where upper $ 20, which I would have considered expensive. However for a special night with great friends, it’s well worth the money. We came a long way from cheese whiz and boones farm!

These guys are great!
My family has been coming here for years and we REALLY love their cookies… they’re THE best cookies! I’ve had them sent to clients and family and they always do a great job shipping them.
–As mentioned by the others, they have a great wine and cheese selection; however they also have a good selection of craft beers that you don’t find at the local Lowes food Market.
The staff is always friendly and I’ll be sure to make a stop here next time I’m in town!

Great selection of wines and very knowledge staff to help you with suggestions. They also have a wonderful selection of gourmet cheeses. Tastings are almost every weekend and are usually free with a donation. I stop in here every time I’m in the High Country!

In my advancing age, I actually find that I drink a good deal less than I used to in my youth. Or at least, I remember drinking less than I used to — either way, I find that I generally do not buy as much alcohol.
When we stopped into this little shop in a strip mall (after first passing it because we did not expect it to be sitting next to the ABC store, and also not thinking we needed to pay much attention to the ABC store), we were fairly impressed. The front 80% or so is packed with wines of all sorts. But the back is actually a little kitchen, with a decent display of cheeses, that they are only too happy to slice up and provide samples of for your enjoyment.
As with most any other place that gives samples, it is only appropriate to buy something, and we ended up with a nice Irish Porter and some cracker, so I guess in the end it is almost like I was drinking after all. While there was not a completely overwhelming display of cheese here, it was not bad for being in Banner Elk, NC, and you can definitely make a solid picnic out of their selection.

This little shop on the side of a curvy road up in the mountains is one of the real hidden gems of Western North Carolina. They are easily the best cheese shop I have seen (not including shops that make their own), and they get a fresh supply in almost daily. I believe they carry close to 100 different cheeses at any given time, and several different variations of bleu, my favorite! Randall (the owner, who runs it with his wife) will gladly cut you off a taste of anything you’re interested in, and they really do seem to care about every customer that walks in the door.
The chocolate selection here is also top notch, featuring almost all the «big name» (and no that doesn’t mean the Godiva and Lindt crap) fancy chocolatiers from around the globe. They also have a very large selection of nuts, including the irresistible Scorned Woman brand that has a great kick!
You can even find some of the world’s best wines here, from Super Tuscans to big Aussie Shiraz and everything in between. On more than one occasion I’ve found some really stellar older vintage wines for little more than wholesale costs buried in the shelves here, it’s like treasure hunting! If you’re headed up to the mountains for skiing or just to relax at your summer home make sure you include Erick’s shop somewhere in your visit, you won’t regret it!