Tucked inside the Research Triangle Park, or RTP as it is known near our home in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina, is a unique shopping and dining venue. It’s called Boxyard RTP, and is constructed of re-used shipping containers. All painted a deep blue, the containers are arranged in a two story rectangular structure, with metal staircases between levels and a bit of a post-apocalyptic vibe to it. It feels like a fortress. Inside are some
restaurants, bars and shopping venues. The middle is open, protected from the sun, and has a stage for live entertainment. It’s very different, and we spent a few hours there recently on a weekend. While strolling around we ran across what might be the smallest wine shop we’ve ever encountered. It’s also a wine bar, and you can grab a glass to take it with you while you enjoy the Boxyard, or sit down with some food. We dropped in to get a glass to enjoy, but were very surprised by what we found beyond the by-the-glass menu.
We were met by Kirstie Castellano, the Wine Manager at RTP Uncorked. Kirstie knows her wines, and we spent a few minutes browsing
with our wine in hand. This place is small. The entire store is maybe six feet wide and 30 feet deep. All of the space is devoted to wine though. Shelves along the right side of the front room (which is a generous description) hold wines 
from various regions. On the left is a little open space, and a small counter where you can order and pay for wine. A narrow opening leads into a back room which holds wine shelves. There’s a lot packed into this tiny room, and the breadth of the collection is surprising. You’ll find great examples of varietals from all over the world. Not a bunch of them perhaps, but all of the right ones to get a feel for the wine industry in, say, Greece or Chile, or more well known areas like Burgundy or Tuscany. You’ll find reds and whites, expensive and value wines. They have over 250 different bottles available here, 15 or more of which you can get by the glass. We were impressed.
What you probably don’t expect are the bottles of Gaja Barbaresco, or Grand Cru Burgundy. There’s some big time wines hidden around
the shop, along with many good values, and lots of names even a wine connoisseur will not recognize. That’s one of the fun things about wine, trying new varietals and producers in different vintages. The ever changing landscape of wine across the world is amazing, and you can celebrate that here, in this tiny space. It’s really very cool.
We brought home a six pack. Only one of the bottles represented a varietal and producer we had tried before. We’ll do reviews of those wines soon. I’m sure we’ll be back to the Boxyard for lunch sometime. We’ll definitely be back to Uncorked RTP, and another six pack or case will go home with us. You do get a discount on 6 or 12 bottles!
You can find out more about Boxyard RTP at https://boxyard.rtp.org/, and more about RTP Uncorked here: https://www.rtpuncorked.com/.
If you’re in the area we recommend stopping by RTP Uncorked. It’s a fun little space.
A votre santé!
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