Weaver Street Market's seventh annual wine sale draws over 300

Local wine connoisseurs lined up behind seven tasting tables in Southern Village to sample wines from around the world.

Amid sounds of Latin music, more than 300 hundred people enjoyed wine and sunshine Saturday at the seventh annual Weaver Street Market wine sale.

A $5 admission fee enabled visitors to taste more than 30 different types of wine at the event.

Pete Schubert, an engineer from Durham, said he and his family try to come to the event every year.

“I haven’t had much wine yet,” Schubert said as he walked away from the first tasting table.

“But we brought an empty wine box with us, so we are not going to leave empty-handed.”

Schubert said the event gives people a great opportunity to sample a variety of wines they might not be able to otherwise.

As the wine buyer for Weaver Street Market, Peg Todloski has been responsible for choosing the variety since the event’s inception.

Todloski said price is a key component of the selected wines, all of which are discounted at least 20 percent from their regular prices. She predicted Saturday’s event would sell around 1,200 bottles.

“I’m looking for value,” Todloski said. “I tasted over 200 wines to sell, and finally, we got this down to over 30.”

Todloski said the sale provides customers with wines from places like Australia, Italy, France, South America and the United States.

“We want to make sure there is something for everyone,” Todloski said.

Dan Benthall, director of business development for Ararat Import Export Company, brought a French wine to this year’s tasting and said drinking wine is good for both health and humor.

“It helps your heart beat, helps you talk more and helps you laugh more,” Benthall said. “Everybody needs to laugh more.”

Eliza Dubosc, a long-time wine lover, said this year’s event offered exceptional wines, especially the reds.

Dubosc said coming to the event has been a tradition for her and her friends, and she said they have yet to miss a year’s tasting.

“The wine glasses can prove it,” said Dubosc, explaining that she keeps glasses from every wine show she attends.

Another Weaver Street Market wine show will be held in Hillsborough on Saturday, and the sale will last until Oct. 26.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.