ON CLOUD WINE Rocks + Acid Wine Shop has become a community favorite in its first six months By B ro o ke S p ac h
aula de Pano is not your mother’s sommelier.
Upon leaving her role as Fearrington Village’s FAVORITE beverage and service director in early 2022, wine, beer she set out on her own. She wanted to push and/or spirits shop back against the idea that a quality, unique bottle of wine must come with a triple-digit price tag. Her long-awaited wine shop, Rocks + Acid Wine Shop, opened its doors in Southern Village last winter after many months in the works. “We didn’t open until December of last year, and the wait was excruciating,” Paula says. “Factor in the pandemic and the shortages of When you go into a everything, it felt like I was never going to open. But because of the regular wine shop, support of the community, we’ve progressed in just the short months you have stacks and that we’ve been open. It feels like we could be a mainstay over here.” stacks of boxes, and Paula saw the need for a quality wine retailer in the area after here, all of the bottles Southern Season closed in 2020. People could still buy wine at big-box are displayed. You get grocery stores, of course, but she wanted to offer a curated inventory to see that we don’t where each wine was carefully selected for its uniqueness. Paula prioritizes carry a lot of [each stocking bottles by female and LGBTQ+ winemakers and those made bottle] because there’s from uncommon grape varieties and winemaking styles. Best of all, she just not a lot of them in the world.” says about 60 percent of the wines cost less than $35 per bottle. Rocks + Acid’s evolution into a wine bar and hangout spot was “It’s not a giant selection wherein the bottles get lost,” she says. “All of unexpected, but the charming atmosphere deservedly entices many to the wines that we have over here, we’ve tasted, and we get to know them. stop in and sip for a spell. Paula and her staff look forward to welcoming … A lot of the wines that we source are natural, organic and sustainably in guests of all ages, even the four-legged variety, throughout the summer made. It’s very easy to grab something from the shelves and just know that with extended hours (now open Tuesdays and until 9 p.m. Thursday they’re carefully produced wines.” through Saturday) and a shady outdoor patio. The modern space was designed by Youn Choi and Doug Pierson of “We don’t want to make people feel that they have to drink pod architecture + design and features an open floor plan with large wine – we have beer, and we have nonalcoholic options over here as tables surrounded by custom shelves lining the walls. well,” Paula says. “Southern Village being a very family-dominated “I love that the wines are being highlighted in such a beautiful space,” demographic, we want to make sure that nondrinkers still have the Paula says. “The shelves are backlit, and it looks like a library of wines. option to enjoy the space.” 42
chapelhillmagazine.com
July/August 2023