Cabo Winery Don’t Just Taste Wine. Experience It!

Photo courtesy: Michael A. Anderson Photography

Photo courtesy: Michael A. Anderson Photography

Photo courtesy: Michael A. Anderson Photography

Photo courtesy: Michael A. Anderson Photography

Cabo Winery: Don’t Just Taste Wine. Experience It!

By: Jason Huddle

Winning Best Retail Experience in Cabarrus County speaks to Cabo Winery’s focus on their customers. Anyone in business will tell you it’s relatively easy to get a new customer to give your establishment a try. The hard part is getting them to return. Cabo Winery seems to be getting the hang of both.

Owned and operated by Danny Bost, along with his daughter, Caroline Bost Steele, Cabo Winery prides itself on being a place that offers a “fun and relaxed atmosphere”, where customers can come in without an intricate knowledge of wine without fear they will be condescended to as a result. Their philosophy is one should, “experience a wine before you buy it.” That is where their love and appreciation for their customers is evident. “Cabo Winery was founded because we saw the need for a winery that gives you a unique experience,” their website proudly states. “You could pick up wine at a grocery store, but choosing one based on a label is not a wise idea. You’re more likely to be disappointed in your purchase. We believe it’s better, and much more enjoyable, when you get to experience the wine before you buy it.”

Bernadette Sobkowiak is one of those customers who enjoys coming back frequently with her husband, Eric. “I love the wine selections. I can find a wine I like for whatever mood I’m in,” she explained. “I love their friendly service. They have game nights and trivia nights to keep the customers engaged. It’s definitely a fun and inviting atmosphere!”

Cabo makes 38 different wines, on premises, varying from the staple selections of Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio to Dessert Ports and their customer favorite, “Bless Your Heart”, a Sauvignon Blanc, sweetened with Coconut and Lime.

Cabo has also become a destination for the atmosphere it provides.

Sobkowiak also remarked she always knows what to expect from Cobo’s wines. She’s never concerned they won’t be the same as previous experiences. That is key, according to Bost Steele. “Consistency in selection and availability of customers favorite selections is probably the reason, more than anything else, we were voted Best Retail Experience by the readers of Cabarrus Magazine.” However, Cabo has also become a destination for the atmosphere it provides. “I use Cabo Winery as a regular date night location with my husband because we love the place and it’s convenient when we want to go to a downtown restaurant or have tickets to the theatre,” added Sobkowiak. “Plus, they’ll even recork a bottle you don’t finish so you can take it home. We love to go after our ballroom lessons!”

Other offerings of the winery, Sobkowiak said she appreciated, are the “frequent buyer” card and the value if the wines as well. “If you buy 12 bottles, you buy a 13th for free - any wine in the place,” she explained. “That’s a great value! And speaking of value, I like the value of the wines. They are inexpensive, but I enjoy all their wines.”

In addition to standard wine tastings, Cabo also offers “Paint and Sip” events one Sunday afternoon each month. Participants come to the winery and work on a predetermined painting, with an instructor, as they sample select wines. “It’s a way to make a boring weekend, fun and exciting,” exclaimed Bost Steele.

The need to accommodate customers at Cabo Winery has grown so much, they recently opened the Magnolia Room in the back of their current location on Union Street, in downtown Concord. The new addition acts as a second bar for overflow on a busy evening, or a rentable space where guests can host private parties. “I love how it’s

decorated,” Sobkowiak said of the new room. “It’s very rustic, with exposed brick and it kept the ambience of downtown Concord.”

Cabo Winery is also expanding the locations of where one can sample their wines. Currently, they are also available during Positively Ballroom dance parties, in the lobby of Old Courthouse Theatre, during performances, as well as at Doc Hopps Craft Beer & Grill restaurant.

In addition to wines, Cabo also offers gift options, such as T-shirts, bags designed to hold wine, decorative items, ornaments and unique sign decor for your home. “No matter who I’ve taken there, there’s always something they’ve enjoyed during their visit,” interjected Sobkowiak. “There’s something for everybody!”

As for what the future holds, Bost Steele says her winery will continue to, “strive to exceed expectations of our customers regardless if it is a first time visit or returning guest, so we want to continue providing an unwavering experience and to foster a gratifying relationship between business and customer relationships.”

Sobkowiak only has one request for improvement. “I would like them to have Ella’s Wings (a holiday Cranberry/ green apple Chardonnay) year around.” There is no comment yet from Bost Steele on whether the request will become reality.

Regardless, when customers vote a business “Best Retail Experience”, it is evident they can see the love Bost Steele and her father have put into Cabo Winery. “What began as a hobby grew into a family passion,” She stated. It’s that passion, and dedication to their customers, that will carry Cabo Winery for years to come.

Cabarrus Magazine Publisher, Jason Huddle (Left) poses with Carolina Bost Steel (center) and Danny Bost (right), owners of Cabo Winery, as they receive their award for Best Retail Experience

Photo courtesy: Michael A. Anderson Photography

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