Emerald Isle Wine Market

looking at the prices on the bottles, i thought i was reading a restaurant menu and not perusing the stock of a wine shop. sales clerk’s obvious dismay in response to our 10 – 20 price range query not too welcoming. note to self: select a few bottles from our wine cellar at home, pack well and bring along next time we vacation on emerald isle.

I’ve been in this gas-​station-​turned-​winery a few times for some botanical sodas, which they carry, many times before. This is the sole carrier of champagne in Carteret County to my understanding. However, be warned. They charge about 140% what Total Wine stores would and justify it by calling it «convenience», as an excuse to manipulate you to do so. This store boasts bottom end level service with no smile, sub-​par champagne selection displaying bottles they don’t even carry and exorbitant pricing.
My latest visit I arrived on a bike to browse champagne on my birthday and didn’t even make it through the door before the cranky, elderly owner of the business began talking down to me in front of other customers inside because a friend and I didn’t see the bike rack and parked beside the doors. She said things such as «do you know what that black bar is outside? do you know what goes in it?» A bit offended with how this business owner was ultimately useless as I came in as a once regular customer, I decided to take my business elsewhere, indefinitely. I don’t give people who bully me my chump change. Not to mention, their gas prices are always 20¢ more than the Hess across the road!
It is rare that I find a business, let alone a local establishment **so bad that I actually have to create a review website account just to warn shoppers in the area of how awful my experience was** This wine outlet is no more than the equivalent of a polished turd. I don’t deal with greedy trashy garbage businesses like this.

Super soked to find this hidden gem in Emerald Isle! If you are gluten-​free, this will be your haven. They seem to specalize in NC/​local foods, gluten-​free goods, and higher-​end wines. It’s the only place in the area to find New Grist and New Planet beers, sake, and great ciders (though Lowes Food does have Bold Rock cider). I found the most delicious and authentic corn chips and salsa, and I fell in love with the matcha dark chocolate bar. Staff is very friendly and helpful.
The only reason I’m giving this four stars instead of five is that it’s SUPER expensive. $ 2.50 per cider and $ 1.99 per gluten-​free beer is a bit much. Perhaps it costs more to import to the island? Seems just like an unnecessary upcharge to me.

I don’t know really how to rate a wine store since I don’t drink wine. I actually stopped in because I have never been in it. Nothing more.
The store is a specialty wine store that has a pretty good selection as far as I could tell. They also have a decent selection of specialty beers, coffee, cheeses, and other wine paraphernalia that I know nothing about. They also have a small bar that wasn’t serving at the moment. I am assuming this is for tasting and sampling.
I wondered to myself why a specialty wine store would be on the island, but then quickly remembered that after dark there isn’t much to do except for eat and drink. I can picture people sitting on their patios drinking wine while the waves are crashing or whatever. So I quickly reminded myself how this would appeal to wine drinkers who come to the island. I have no doubt that a lot of them are here.
Great place to stop in and for selection.

A cool little place to visit in Emerald Isle for the wine lovers!
It’s sort of a surprise since it is located in half of a convenient store… a true gem to be found! This little treasure is located in the outskirts of the Holiday Trav-​l park at Emerald Isle. We saw on an activities list that there was a beer tasting going on at the Emerald Isle Wine Market. When we walked in, we were taken back since in the corner of the little store was a bar and about 15 people waiting to taste the beer from the distributor that came to pour for the tasting.
We took part in the tasting of Coney Island Craft Lager (got a free beer glass-​yay!) and I ventured around looking at the hundreds of wines that the market had to offer. This was a fabulous, well-​stocked, wine market. They had wines from all over the world and a great NC wine section. The staff is knowledgeable and will help pair a bottle with any meal you are having.
Neat little place to stop in… not so much to hang out.