While Raleigh may be more known for its craft beer scene, the City of Oaks is no doubt a great place to enjoy some viticulture, what with its plethora of local and national wine bars, well-stocked shops, and top-notch curated wine lists. For palatable pours paired with full-bodied conversations, check out these top sip spots around town.
DRINK Support family-owned and small-production wines at this hidden Glenwood Avenue gem consistently offering new wines from vineyards that practice sustainable and minimal invasive winemaking. So you can relax and ~un-wine-d~ knowing you’re supporting a good cause.
Foxcroft Owned by former professional musician and wine connoisseur Conrad Hunter, Foxcroft only provides the best when it comes to both food and wine. The menu has been created with wine pairings in mind, so you’re guaranteed to have a well-rounded experience. Don’t sleep on the burger—it’s about as good (if not better) of a pairing than charcuterie.
The Hippo Wine Bar Since a revamp from the team behind Gussie’s, the intimate neighborhood wine haven specializes in low-intervention, sustainable and ethically produced bottles. Sip and stay away with snacks like cheese and crackers, or sign up for a creative pairing class, like how to pair wine with takeout food or pizza. You know, the necessities!
Pelagic Beer & Wine Tucked away in Historic Oakwood, Pelagic is a neighborhood fave for grabbing a glass before or after dinner at one of the many popular nearby restaurants—with its cozy patio and casual inside bar. Offering a thoughtfully curated selection of independent craft beer, wine and cider, it’s also a great spot for grabbing some bottles to take home for your next night in. Bonus: It’s dog-friendly!
Raleigh Wine Shop Pouring a double-dose of knowledge and samplings, RWS is known for its well-organized layout and helpful staff. A fave Downtown for seasoned wine enthusiasts and newbies alike, it boasts a varied selection of vinos from around the world, classes and a wine club—plus indoor/outdoor seating and snacks perf for settling in for a glass before snagging one (or two) to-go.
Ridgewood Wine & Beer Thoughtfully designed as a place where beer and wine lovers coexist, Ridgewood caters to all—with 1,500+ vinos on offer and 400 different bottled beers. While perusing, belly up to the bar for 12 wines by the glass and 16 beers on draft.
Seaboard Wine Raleigh’s longest-running independent wine store boasts an extensive selection of fine bottles from all over the world—in a variety of styles and varietals. Not sure what fits your fancy? Tastings happen on the reg, in addition to pairing classes.
State of Beer With its impressively good wine selection—and beer, natch—SOB is the perf spot for a two-glass-of-wine kinda lunch (no judgement). Visit the OG Downtown location or the new outpost next to The Bend to kick back inside or out on the patio over bottles and snacks or a signature sandwich.
Tasty Beverage Company This classic neighborhood hot spot boasts an ever-growing wine list offering endless ops for all—from bottled classics to modern cans, you’ll find something for everyone in your group. Draft and bottle lists of craft beers round out the offerings—and don’t miss Wiener Wednesdays, dishing a diff dog every week.
Vita Vite For good vibes and even better wine, look no further than Vita Vite’s DTR and North Hills locales. Part art gallery, part wine bar, the spaces allows you to take in beautiful pieces from local artists while you relax with a refreshing glass in any of the cozy corners—or on the sunny patios. Pro tip: The pimento cheese and crackers are a must pairing.
Wine Authorities “Life’s too short for grocery store wine.” So goes the MO for the local authority on vino, which offers an ideal outpost to belly up for a glass or pick up a couple of bottles for your next shindig. To boot, while you quench your thirst you’ll be supporting small farmers via estate-grown-only curated picks.
We’ve seen the world—so you don’t have to (but you should). From aisle seats to overhead bin brawls, our jet-setting team has racked up enough frequent flier miles—and flight delays—to know exactly which airports to avoid at all costs. Consider this your boarding pass to the terminals that test our patience, our data plans and sometimes our will to travel at all.
Charlotte Douglas —Laura Brummett, Contributing Writer
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta —Jared Clark, Senior Designer
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta —Elyse Waters, Editorial Intern
Introducing Tri Pointe Homes’ newest townhome community, Twinleaf Townes.
Meet your new dream home. Nestled in the Durham County section of Chapel Hill off I-40 and Farrington Road is Twinleaf Townes, a 102-townhome community by Tri Pointe Homes opened earlier this year.
With pricing starting in the $400Ks, the community offers six different floorplans spanning 2,098 to 2,317 square feet in three- and four-bedroom, and two- and three-bathroom layouts—plus two-bay garages. And unlike your standard townhome, each of Twinleaf Townes’ residences were designed by none other than design expert, Emmy-winning TV host and author, Bobby Berk.
Twinleaf Townes is the first Tri Pointe Homes community in the Triangle region to feature packages from Berk’s design library, BB Edit Collections. The duo’s relationship began with the Responsive Home in Las Vegas, a collaboration that set the groundwork for this national multiyear partnership featuring 10 unique interior designer collections from The BB Edit.
With Bobby Berk x Tri Pointe Homes, Berk has curated everything from faucets to flooring to furniture and put them into collections like Textural Neutral, Classic Mid-Century and Serene Scandinavian (see below), taking the guesswork out of which cabinet hardware goes with which backsplash—and allowing homebuyers to select from a wide variety of curated styles and finishes to personalize their dream space. It’s almost as if you could snap your fingers and move into a home with interiors Berk designed just for you.
Not only does Twinleaf Townes feature stunning interior details, it also features Tri Pointe Homes’ LivingSmart program, encompassing the latest in energy-saving features, materials and equipment to optimize your home’s indoor air quality, smart technology and systems to help conserve water and our natural resources. Each component is designed to enhance your home’s comfort and operating costs, your well-being and the Earth.
And of course, you can’t beat the setting—perfectly positioned near buzzing hubs of Chapel Hill, Durham, RTP and the Greater Triangle. The prime spot also puts you close to museums, shopping, dining and entertainment, plus top-tier institutions like Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State—and RDU International Airport.
The homebuyer demographic that follows Berk closely mirrors Tri Pointe Homes’ homebuyer demographic in the Chapel Hill area: Customers who are passionate about modern design and aesthetics, and who are seeking to enhance their well-being and to ultimately find joy in being in the ideal community and home for them. This year, all of the 15 metro areas Tri Pointe Homes serves are expected to give Tri Pointe’s customers access to The BB Edit designs.
For those residences who aren’t sure which BB Edit style suits them, Berk designed a Style Finder online quiz Berk exclusively for Tri Pointe Homes. Just answer a few questions to get a personalized recommendation, then learn about what goes into each of the design styles—plus get intel on Berk’s personal inspiration behind the collection. So, essentially, it’s a community where style, smarts and convenience collide—what more could you want?
“The BB Edit” Edit
Twinleaf Townes features the Textural Neutral, Classic Mid-Century and Serene Scandinavian BB Edit Collections featured in the Ryder, Holden and Piper models, respectively.
Mondays, amirite? To add a little magic to the most dreaded day of the week, we suggest a breakfast, lunch, dinner, drink (or even just a coffee and a sweet treat) out—because why do Fridays get all the fun Sure, navigating which eateries and drinkeries take a snooze on Monday can be a turnoff, so we did the hard work for you. Turns out there are a slew of spots open on Mondays in DTR, with usually more open rezys on hand. Here’s where to order up a not so manic Monday. Monday blues? We don’t know her.
Brian Herring joins Center Park Group as Division President.
Sponsored Content
After 25 years in residential construction and development—primarily focused on for-sale homebuilding in North Carolina—I’m excited to announce my move into the build-to-rent (BTR) space as Division President at Center Park Group. This shift is more than a personal pivot—it’s a strategic response to evolving housing demands in the Southeast and a chance to deliver a product tailored to today’s renters.
FROM SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES TO SCALABLE STRATEGY
Over the past two and a half decades, I’ve worn many hats—general contractor, homebuilder, developer, and entrepreneur. Through Herring Homes and other ventures, I’ve built hundreds of homes across Johnston, Wake, and surrounding counties. That experience taught me how to build efficiently and profitably, but more importantly, how to pivot as the market and buyer needs change.
I’ve always been focused on building homes where people actually want to live. Recently, though, I saw a shift: even strong buyers found it increasingly difficult to access homeownership due to rising costs, lifestyle changes, and interest rates. That’s when I began exploring where the industry was heading—and all signs pointed to BTR.
WHY BUILD-TO-RENT? WHY NOW?
Build-to-rent communities offer the space and privacy of a single-family home with the low- maintenance lifestyle of a managed rental. They’re ideal for young families, empty nesters, relocating professionals, or anyone not quite ready—or able—to buy.
From an investment standpoint, BTR is equally compelling. With strong fundamentals and growing interest from institutional capital, this model is filling a major gap in the housing market.
WHY CENTER PARK GROUP?
Center Park Group is more than just a builder— we’re community creators. I was drawn to CPG for its disciplined, integrated approach to development. From site selection to vertical construction and asset management, the company is built on a platform that’s efficient, scalable, and informed by deep experience.
As the Southeast’s premier residential general contractor, CPG sets the standard in craftsmanship and quality. But what truly sets us apart is the depth of our team. We take the time to understand each client’s goals and deliver tailored solutions backed by accurate data and market insight.
STRATEGIC FOCUS & FORWARD VISION
We identify sites within a 45-minute drive of major city centers, connected to existing infrastructure and zoned for residential development with no rental restrictions. Our target communities range from 50 to 300 units, located in areas with a 3-mile population of at least 30,000 and household incomes of $75,000 or more. Our product mix includes single-family detached homes, townhomes, and cottage-style units—designed to offer flexible floorplans, garages, and varying levels of finish.
With a growing footprint across the Southeast— including Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte, Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Atlanta, and Tampa— we’re positioned to scale quickly through our repeatable, data-driven processes. From day one, we’re able to deliver accurate unit pricing, construction schedules, and pro forma modeling.
LOOKING AHEAD
My focus now is on expanding CPG’s presence in Wake County and the surrounding region, bringing thoughtfully designed BTR communities to markets that need them most. With strong population growth, job creation, and affordability challenges, the demand for innovative housing solutions has never been greater.
At its core, this move isn’t just about transitioning from homebuilding—it’s about building smarter for the future and helping more people find a place they’re proud to call home. Center Park Group – Raleigh: 555 Fayetteville St., Ste. 300, Raleigh, NC 27601; centerparkgroup.com; 919-650-8224
