Wine Authorities

What it is: Yes, that's right, I'm putting a wine store on a blog for places to go with kids.  Bear with me.  Wine Authorities is a great wine store, and they have also kept our kids in mind.  First, it's a great place to go to shop for wine.  They have lots of unique varieties and categorize the wine according to Daily Wine (the cheapest), Weekly Wine (more expensive), Monthly Wine (most expensive), very creative.  The owners are very friendly and knowledgeable and willing to point you in the right direction.  It's also in a great part of Durham for outings with kids.  It's in the same shopping center as Little Gym and Local Yogurt and just down the road from Q-Shack, Fish Shack, Guglhupf Bakery, Foster's, Rockwood Park, and Forest Hills Park.

What we liked: What really drew me in were rumors that this wine store had a lego table.  I didn't believe it, but sure enough, you head back to the back and there's a lego table and a few other kids toys as well as some crayons!  Genius.  That way, you can actually shop for a bottle of wine while your kids are entertained and not trying knock over displays and break bottles.  It gets better, there's also a tasting bar back there as well as a couple of couches for a nice lounge area.  They have free tastings every Saturday from 12pm-3pm.  There's even an electronic, ATM-type tasting bar on the wall.  You can enter your card, pay for the type of wine you want, and it will serve you up a glass at any time.  So, you can even relax and taste a little sip or a whole glass while your kids play.  They also sell a variety of tasty snacks to accompany your beverage. (Remember...I'm definitely not advocating drinking large amounts while you're caring for your kids.)

We went in, looked around at the wine, and then it was time to leave.  I thought, oh great, now we need to leave, how will I get my child away from the lego table.  But don't worry they've thought of everything.  There's a jar of lollipops at the front register for little ones.  On the way out, I noticed one more thing that completely sold me.  They have a freezer full of locopops, and not just any locopops, wine flavored locopops!  Oh, and there's even some in there for the kiddos without the wine.

It's so nice when a business takes the time to really think about how they could make their business easier and more friendly to families.  Thanks, Wine Authorities!


What we would change: We were the only ones in the back while we were there, but I can see how the little kids area would get crowded if there were a bunch of people there for a tasting.  Looks like I'll have to go back and see.

Website and other important information:

Website: http://www.wineauthorities.com/

Address: 2501 University Dr, Durham, NC 27707

Phone Number: (919) 489-2884

Hours: Monday-Thursday 10am-6:30pm, Friday and Saturday 10am-7:30pm, Closed Sunday

Photos: 

1. The kids' area

2. The electronic tasting bar