The largest self-pour wine concept in North Carolina is right here, just off of South Boulevard in an unassuming section of Madison Corners shopping center. Closer inspection, though, reveals a cozy setting, charming patio, and hubbub of happenings each week. The Auto Pour, also known as T.A.P., quietly opened in Madison Park during the summer of 2020.

Owner-operators John and Jenny Lucas decided to embark on the self-pour concept as empty nesters. Hailing from Virginia, where there are more than 300 wineries, they became vineyard enthusiasts. “We enjoyed visiting wineries when our children got older,” Jenny Lucas says. “We grew to appreciate wine and the wine industry. We wanted to bring wineries together to one location as a tasting venue.”

The couple explored the idea further one day while visiting a self-pour establishment in Richmond. After learning more from the owner about self-pour technology, the couple decided it was an optimal route to take. They could source a wider variety of wines with less waste since the bottle-to-tap storage system keeps wine fresh for several weeks. Plus, the model is pandemic-friendly: customers can serve themselves and avoid crowding at a bar. They can see staff cleaning the machines and even sanitize again before and after contact.

Now two years in, regulars stop by T.A.P. weekly to enjoy trivia and live music. The venue also hosts private events, run clubs, yoga classes, comedy shows, and charity nights for a cause. The owners themselves are the ones greeting and guiding customers if they need assistance using the pour technology or finding something to enjoy. Upon entry, customers purchase a wine, beer, or wine and beer tasting card. Guests are then free to travel around to the beer section and four different wine machines. Each wine section is categorized by wine type, such as dry whites. Card insertion shows guests their options for pour amounts and pricing for each bottle (sixteen at each machine), as well as a running tab. Customers can prepay on a T.A.P. card upon check-in as an alternative. 

“Most self-pour venues have primarily beer and only kegged wines to choose from,” Lucas says. At T.A.P., individual wine bottles are connected to independent taps, vacuum-sealed for freshness, and available for purchase by the bottle. Bottle pricing ranges from $15 to $100, with a 10 percent discount on three or more. Guests can drink purchased wine onsite, without a corkage fee. The stations have a thorough description of each wine offered to help guide patrons. The more adventurous will enjoy seeing that they can venture beyond a chardonnay, rosé, and cab into a vouvray, sancerre, grenache, or Montepulciano. The couple even keeps a blackboard in the back where customers can add wines and beers they’d like to see added to the lineup.

Both wine and beer taps include a range of options from the traditional to the unexpected, with unique wine finds beyond the grocery store. There are eighteen beer taps on offer, both from local breweries and imported worldwide, including Lower Left Juicy McJuiceface, Suffolk Punch Blue Daisy Pilsner, Devil’s Logic Cliffs of Mahor Stout, and Ginger’s Revenge Hibiscus Lavender. 

Guests can purchase pre-packaged charcuterie trays and snacks like nuts and chocolates. The owners also  allow visitors to bring along carry-out food to enjoy and also offer weekly discounts from nearby vendors, including Toppers Pizza, Jasmine Mediterranean Grill, El Puro Cuban Restaurant, and Old Pineville Premium Pub. On occasion, they host food trucks, too.

The Auto Pour is open Tuesday through Saturday for summer at 5033 South Boulevard. The T.A.P. patio is fenced, well-lit, and inclusive of pets and children. It is not unusual to see dogs lapping up water or children engaged in a game of chess at one of the umbrella-topped tables.

“We enjoy interacting with our regular customers and love meeting new ones each day,” Lucas says.

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