We were pretty excited when Cicchetti (pronouced chee KET tee) the Venetian style wine & cocktail bar opened Uptown, brought to us by the same folks who own Aria (and long loved & lost Sonoma Restaurant). The vibe is both cozy and sleekly upbeat, the tapas are varied and very tasty, and the wine list is long, filled with options we rarely see in Charlotte. Also, they have valet parking. Key for those of us who don’t work uptown, and who can never, ever figure out where to park, or find our car in the deck once we’ve parked.
Not long after the opening press party, we got an email re: tasting and buying wine from Brion Cephus, the retail manager at Cicchetti, which also stocks over 500 wine selections available for on-site consumption, carryout, curbside pickup, and delivery. Cicchetti is offering two monthly wine clubs to encourage exploration and new tastings at some very affordable pricing.
Like a case of wine for $120. That you go and pick up at the restaurant, where you’ll get a few free tastings of that month’s selections and can order a few tapas to make a dinner out of it. We signed up immediately (and yes, we pay for this ourselves).
About Cicchetti’s Wine Clubs:
The CSA (Cicchetti Sustainable Agriculture) Club:
- Monthly selections (varying from 2 to 6 bottles) highlighting farmer/family-owned producers and their wines
- Unique, high-quality wines with limited or exclusive availability in the market
- Option to purchase the month’s offering for $75
- Pick-up party for orders will be held the first Wednesday of every month with wine and food tastings
The Venetian Club:
- Monthly selection of 12 wines chosen from around the world and focusing on an upcoming season, holiday, or other theme
- Option to purchase the month’s offering for $120
- Pick-up party for orders will be held the third Wednesday of every month with wine and food tastings
Dry January Ends and the Sustainable Agriculture Club meets this week.
The CSA (Cicchetti Sustainable Agriculture) Club is holding its monthly pickup party on Wednesday, February 5, beginning at 5 PM. February features the wines of Halter Ranch Vineyard, an interesting producer in Paso Robles, CA. The winemaker’s mission includes not only producing gorgeous wines through sustainable practices, but also ending deforestation across the globe. Halter’s unique portfolio ranges from a sparkling Picpoul Blanc to its powerful Ancestor red blend. CSA members are invited to sample the wines while snacking on goodies provided by the Cicchetti culinary team, and non-members are also welcome to stop by the tasting table and sample the wines available for purchase.
The Venetian Club is focused on Valentines.
Cicchetti knows what’s on your mind, and they want to start off your romantic evening off with bubbles and some beautiful varietals from Greece, Italy and Spain. The wines selected for the February Venetian Club are passion projects of family producers, and are produced in countries heavily associated with romanticism. Along with some bubbly of course. Twelve different bottles, for $120.
How to join this club? Email Brion at Cicchetti and sign up for the February case. The deadline to commit is Wednesday, February 5th at 11pm. Once you’ve signed up for this one, you’re given the option to sign up by month, so you’re never charged for a case without expressly requesting it.
Give one or both a try, you won’t be sorry.
Cicchetti
100 N. Tryon Street (entrance E. Trade Street at N. College)
980-299-0039
Instagram: @cicchetticlt