The Wine Merchant

The Wine Merchant has been a family owned business for decades. Their only location now is in Cary, near Preston Corners. Kurt now runs the business since the Raleigh store closed and invested all their time and energy in Cary. Everything is five star at The Wine Merchant, beginning with their inventory being as diverse as you’ll find anywhere. Their pricing is better than some of the big box stores close by, oftentimes by 15% on individual bottles. All of the employees are extremely knowledgable and friendly, willing to answer any questions, and happy to recommend what to drink with what you are eating! If you’d like, they will keep track of your purchases in their database, so you can go in two weeks later and say «you know Justin, that Albariño you recommended last time was outstanding but I can’t remember the name». You’re in luck because they have a record of it long after the empty has gone out with the recycling. They have free tastings every Saturday, and the wines they pour are not the typical ones you would find at free tastings. You occasionally get to meet the owners of the wineries or vineyards who are in store to help with the tastings. They have a great supply of wine accessories in the store as well. There is a fairly new wine tasting station so you can sample a few by the glass. Which leads me to the beer corner also. The store has two kegs on tap almost all the time, and a great selection of craft beers for sale. Go in, grab a salesperson, ask questions, and you’ll understand why The Wine Merchant has so many loyal customers.

You can not go wrong at the wine store. Great customer service every time. they really know their wine too.

Best wine store in North Carolina. Shop in the store and don’t forget to ask questions. They host tastings on Saturdays for free… and can help you pair wines to meet your palate or meals. They ship and can order wines for you. Have to check this store out.

Rarely do I give 5 stars, after all, non of us are perfect. But I will say The Wine Merchant of Cary is a 5 star store. Kirt, who runs this store, loves what he does and enjoys sharing his knowledge of wine with his clientele. Friendly, helpful, knows what they’re doing and really listens to what you want and is able to match you to your wine. What more could you ask for. As I type this, I’m drinking a glass of wine from his store! Excellent!

I ran across The Wine Merchant while doing some holiday shopping. I have a friend who likes wine as her beverage of choice and thought I would get some holiday stocking stuffers for her there. When you walk in, it is not a fancy elaborate setup, but a simple shop nicely spread out in the space they have. Most of the wines are in wood cabinets and racks in the middle of the floor, so they are easily accessable to peruse and look at.
They have a great selection of wines. I am not the guru of wine tasting but I do have some now and then, and I liked what I saw of their selection. Wines can be found by type as well as geographical location. If you are looking for a good bottle of wine, I’m sure it can be found with their selection.
The staff, very friendly, even a bit humorous. One noted I was looking very hard at every little item and accessory as well as the wines, and announced «this man is on a mission!» One, I liked they had a good sense of humor and two, it told me I was noticed. They are positive and helpful from my experience there.
Overall I’d say give them a try if you are in the mood for some wine to take home or wine accessories. By the way, my friend loved her gift items, so looks like it’s a winner.

On July 31, I headed over to Wine Merchant for a wine tasting hosted by Alex Gray. This was my fourth wine tasting by Alex Gray and my first venture out to Wine Merchants in Cary. This location really seems to be a well-​kept secret. I’d never been there before, but since I’ve been following Alex’s tastings I’ve been exploring other wine shops and loving these exposures. (Look him up as Alexander Gray on Facebook for those of you who want wine tasting connections. He’s great.)
On this particular occasion I enjoyed learning about French wines. Alex gave wonderful background on not only how each wine was made, but where their names came from. It wasn’t just an education, it was storytelling and I found myself smiling as I heard the stories. I don’t have a ton of exposure to French wines and they certainly aren’t easy on my palate since the ones we tried were dryer than my taste prefers, but I got some good ideas on what to pair with dinners. All wines that were part of the tasting were 10% off which was pretty neat!
After the tasting my friend and I wandered around Wine Merchant and enjoyed the variety. They had such a huge range of brands and kinds of wine. We laughed at the funny names «Bitch» and oohed and aahed at the really nicer quality ones. I recognized some and found myself fascinated by others. The staff were so helpful and friendly. I highly recommend this spot for my fellow wine-​os. Venture out to Cary and you won’t be disappointed!