Ribbon Cutting - Rocks + Acid

Description

Join Rocks + Acid for a ribbon cutting to celebrate its opening in Chapel Hill! Rocks + Acid, a mission-based wine shop and tasting room with a strong focus on wine education, is opening in Chapel Hill’s Southern Village. This is an exciting opportunity to welcome award-winning sommelier Paula de Pano and her team to Chapel Hill and learn about the 300-500 labels that will be available in Rocks + Acid. The wine shop has pledged 10% of opening day proceeds to support a mental health-focused nonprofit, so come ready to support!

About Rocks + Acid

Rocks + Acid Core Principles:

• We support wines made by real families, not board members;
• We amplify the voices of all the women, immigrants, people of color, and LGBTQ+ members of this industry;
• We turn our backs on enablers of injustices and publication scores; discourage the wine snobs and posers.;
• We invite everyone interested in wines, from the curious to the savvy;
• We don't care if you drink from a fancy glass, straight from the bottle, or in a Solo, sippy, or trophy cup; even from a box, a pouch, or a can will do;
• We want you to drink, not get drunk.

Originally from Manila, De Pano attended the Culinary Institute of America and holds the Advanced Sommelier title from The Court of Master Sommeliers Americas, the second-highest sommelier ranking, following Master Sommelier.

In addition to her nine years at Fearrington House Inn (2010-2014; 2016-2021), her experience includes two-years (2014-2016) as Senior Sommelier at Eleven Madison Park, New York City’s prestigious, three Michelin star restaurant and “Best Restaurant in the World,” during which time the restaurant received the “Outstanding Service” award from the James Beard Foundation.

De Pano’s wine shop Rocks + Acid will feature 350-500 labels -- from the far-flung regions of Argentina to the steep hillsides of Germany -- with an eye toward producers who make wines ethically and consider environmental sustainability a priority. 

As head of education, de Pano will lead the shop’s wine education curriculum with a weekly calendar offering a continuum of classes for all levels of wine knowledge -- from the novice discovering new varietals and regions to the advanced collector exploring vintages from single producers.

To complement, De Pano will offer a daily rotating selection of a dozen wines by glass to sip on-site and a curated selection of artisan cheeses, charcuterie, conservas, caviar and cakes -- available for takeaway or to enjoy in the shop at one of the various seating areas. Counter service will encourage a DIY, informal picnic approach to wine and food pairings at Rocks + Acid.