Ridgewood Wine & Beer Co.

silver0rlead

North Carolina

3.96/5  rDev -15.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | $

This place is much more inviting than the old Wine Merchant that used to occupy the location. It's still a bit stuffy for my tastes, and I doubt i'd go here for a drink (they serve beer on tap and wine by the glass) unless my friends demanded it. They do have a nice selection of beers though (probably pretty comparable in size to the whole foods next door). The real draw for me is the prices, which are generally the cheapest you'll find outside of a pricing error at another store. The other cool thing about this store is the very nice glassware selection which has some snifters and tulips that are pretty hard to come by in these parts...I found a great lakes snifter for $2.99 and a sierra nevada hop tulip for $1.99 which were both great deals. The service has always been fine but one of the owners/managers is kind of a dick. Overall this is a decent beer store with some upside, but it isn't challenging Tasty Beverage Co or Bottle Revolution any time soon.

04-08-2012 22:45:28 | More by silver0rlead

beer2day

North Carolina

4.2/5  rDev -10.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

Located in Ridgewood shopping center around the corner from Whole Foods.

Beer is down the far left side wall. Most of the floor space is devoted to wine, but they have a decent selection of beer organized by style along that back left wall.

Nice bar area for the sip-and-shop experience. 16 taps running now with very nice selections on when I visited. They do a good job of mixing variety on the tap handles. The selection grade above reflects the tap handles more so than the bottle variety.

Bottle selection is not extensive, but the quality of selection was good. Nothing extraordinary, but a very nice selection nevertheless. Prices are extremely competitive.

Staff was eager to help, but not overbearing. Knowledgeable about the products they offer.

This would be an excellent stop while your SO is shopping at the WF around the corner, given the nice selection of tap handles.

02-20-2012 03:49:54 | More by beer2day

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev -3.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $

I really like the vibe of this place - a really clean and modern interior that about equally splits the space between wine and beer in addition to having a nice couch area to sit and some tables for enjoying drafts. Also, they have a nice collection of brewery glassware if you are looking for that.

The drafts were well poured and severed in proper glassware and at the correct temperature.

Staff was very knowledgeable and willing to share information on other places in NC that I should check out, including bars, breweries, and stores. Very friendly.

They had quite a good collection of local beer (including some of the harder to find locals), craft beers, and one-off/special release beers. Also, an impressive set of beers on tap.

I did not see any food offered but remember this is mostly a retail store.

The prices were really good here - the best I have seen since coming to NC for a visit, easily about $1 cheaper than anyplace else.

11-18-2012 01:27:47 | More by dbrauneis

phishbfm

North Carolina

4.69/5  rDev +0.2%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.25 | $$

-A GREAT selection of things you'll want to buy...maybe not the largest, but great selection.
-Incredible beers on tap always. Always surprises me when I see the things they have on tap. Beats out most bars in this respect.
-The staff is very knowledgable and will talk to you for however long you want to.
-Also, the best prices in town. Consistently lowest bottle price out of any of the Raleigh stores.

04-10-2013 14:23:04 | More by phishbfm

ewright

North Carolina

4.73/5  rDev +1.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $

This is, hands down, my favorite store in the area. No, they don't have the largest selection in the area. However, everything they have is top notch. They have 16 taps and, as of tonight, 15 of them are beers I enjoy or want to try. That's a pretty damn good ratio for anyone, much less a relatively small shop that is more than 50% dedicated to wine.

The prices are the lowest in the Triangle, often by a wide margin. I have a hard time just stopping by for a beer after work. I'm always tempted to take home some bottles ... and often times do. The vibe is really laid back, the owners are all really great guys (don't really get that "dick" comment from another review), always straight up if they have/don't have beers I want.

If every store was run the way Ridgewood was, I might not be as loyal a customer. But when you mix a decent selection of great beers, awesome prices, good, friendly management and more than a dozen taps of top notch beers, you're a winner in my book and will have my business as long as possible.

04-20-2012 22:49:10 | More by ewright

BeerXav

4.86/5  rDev +3.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Since its birth this February, this is my favorite craft beer joint in the triangle, probably in all of NC. The beers on tap are well priced and well poured. If the staff isn't slammed which happens on Fridays from time to time, they will gladly navigate you to a beer that arrouses your beer palate.

The atmosphere is a wood covered lounge with beers surrounding you on one side and a great wine selection on the other while listening to some chill tunes from artist like Nightmares on Wax. If you need some food as a base to your beer drinking adventure, stop at wholefoods(around the corner,next door) for a treat and enjoy the rest of that meal in ridgewood as you enjoy one of their 16 taps. Taps range from $3-8. Right now I'm enjoying olde hickory imperial stout for $5 with a 13 oz pour, their standard.

This is a great place to start the evening or finish your work day. They close at 7 most days but Friday is there special night were the stay open a little later. If your lucky and in good company you might experience some rare craft bottles that the RW staff has or some their loyal customers bring. That's the RW experience I've come to know and love, beer exploration with some education. Ridgewood is my jam! Come check this place out and have a bit of patience if you see they are busy. I'm sure they'll do their best to take care of you with a yummy beerski and help you find a tasty treat from their bottle selection. Thank you beer and RW!

12-07-2012 19:55:27 | More by BeerXav

ASUBeer

North Carolina

4.86/5  rDev +3.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $

Ridgewood Beer and Wine is a quiet, laid back, sophisticated beer and wine shop. They have hands down the best tap selection in the triangle. They are pouring between 10-15 unique, quality beers at any time.

The staff is very friendly and knowledgable on both beer and wine.

The selection of craft beer is top notch and fresh. If you're looking for the biggest selection in Raleigh this is not the place for you but they do have pretty much every high quality craft beer you can buy in NC so it's more of a quality vs quantity approach. Prices are the lowest in the triangle and the beer doesn't sit so it's always fresh.

I'd highly recommend this store. Have a couple great tap beers, meet the staff and leave with a nice couple bottles for later.

04-20-2012 18:07:42 | More by ASUBeer

JCam9981

North Carolina

4.86/5  rDev +3.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $

Ridgewood has quickly become my top choice for beer in the Triangle. A close look at their beer selection will show that they actually take time to think about what beer they want to carry. If you want to guarantee a quality beer purchase, this is the place. Also, their 16 rotating taps are always flowing with a variety of seasonals, rarities and quality standbys. On top of that, they have the best prices anywhere on the Triangle. Sometimes it's by 50 cents, sometimes it's by 4 bucks. Honestly though, the prices aren't what keeps me coming back - the customer service here is bar none. The staff takes the time to get to know what you like, and their recommendations have never steered me wrong. They get to know their customers, and if you're a regular, you're treated like a regular - with gratitude for coming in and who knows, maybe a bottle of something that is sold out, but saved for you. You get the feeling like its not all about getting the dollar out of your pocket, it's about having a good time and a shared love for great beer.

11-28-2012 21:51:41 | More by JCam9981

ncstateplaya

North Carolina

4.9/5  rDev +4.7%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75 | $

-First let me say, wine occupies probably 2/3 of the store, but don't let that fool you. This is a top tier bottle shop. Let's just say...16 selections on tap. There is always a beer available to appeal to your palate. One of the things most people tell me when I take them there for the first time is that they can't believe the draft selection, its comparable to the best beer bars in Raleigh.
-The atmosphere is very laid back and relaxed. You can pull a stool up to the bar or sit at a table...take your pick. I am a big fan of the couches and armchairs...so inviting and comfortable, it makes you feel right at home.
-The guys are awesome! Top notch and very knowledgeable. They are always willing to slow down and carry on a conversation or just ask you how your day has been. Its like being around a bunch of friends. And they value customer's input.
-Although their bottle selection is not the largest in the area, they offer a great variety of superb beers. Hard to find beers...check they've got'em. Local...Yep. Just being distributed to the area...Got those too.
-Of course everyone wants to know the bottom line...and they excel there as well. Ridgewood seems to always have the lowest prices around.

This is definitely my preferred bottle shop, these guys treat their customer's right and want you to enjoy your experience. Do yourself a favor and stop in...you will be glad you did.

05-08-2013 14:13:09 | More by ncstateplaya

Oakcitybrews

North Carolina

4.93/5  rDev +5.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75 | $

Ridgewood Wine and Beer Co. is one of my favorite beer places in the triangle. The owners are extremely helpful and knowledgeable, they really go out of their way to help anyone who walks through the door. I feel very relaxed and comfortable while shopping in the store. They often have beer tastings with a few in the works. Ballast Point was the most recent one.

They have 16 taps with a selection of drafts that rival a lot of other beer spots in the triangle not with quantity but quality. They have 6 or places to sit at the bar, along with plenty of tables, bar stools and couches to relax on while enjoying your beer. Its a very open and spacious store. There are 2 HDTV's in the seating area as well. You can order flights of beers or pints. The staff is ready and encourages you to try any beer you like before ordering.

Their prices are the best in town by far. They beat whole foods next door on everything they offer along with the total wines in the area. They don't have a massive selection but it is a well thought out selection of beers. I would love to see more sour/wild ales in the future but they are a new and growing store and the selection will continue to grow. They do have a few selections in the cooler and they would be happy to chill anything for you while you enjoy a small pour of a beer.

The owners are very humble and grateful, I would highly recommend stopping by Ridgewood Wine and Beer anytime you are in the Raleigh area. There are a lot of quality stores and beer locations in the Raleigh area and this place is definitely one of them. Cheers!

04-22-2012 14:27:59 | More by Oakcitybrews