The Gourmez

3 Cups is a wine, coffee, and tea shop that is very focused on bringing a new appreciation to those liquids we love so dearly.  There is a tasting menu for tea and coffee that ranks the beans and leaves by taste complexity and a wine tasting area for those inclined to try the grapes instead.  I’m not sure I was able to pick out the various flavor ascribed to my cup of La Golondrina, including dark cherry and caramel, but I definitely felt more inclined to linger over it than I usually would.  I also tried a white wine flight after I had finished my coffee.  A single glass sounded great, but a trio of smaller servings for the same price ($7) sounded even better.

French presses in small, medium, and large sizes seemed to be the primary vehicle they use for extracting great coffee but there was also a drip station.  The only espresso offering I noticed was an Americano, which fits as the beans are the star at 3 Cups, not frothy, steamed milk.

The store, which you walk through in order to reach the counter, has an array of wine bottles available, all with full tasting and winery notes, as well as lots of different coffee presses and beans.  There are pastries made by The Farmer’s Daughter and sandwiches from Sandwhich for your munching pleasure.  I opted for a pear and chestnut breakfast bar and it was fantastic.  Ground nuts make most things better with their great texture and popping flavor.  The pear did not have much presence but it imparted a simple sweetness to the bar.  Very flaky, crumbly, buttery, good.

The seating area is smaller than I expected.  There is one long wooden table that I imagine gets a lot of use during their events and about ten two-tops.  No free wireless but there was a pay service that popped up on my computer.

Back to my wine flight, all were whites from Corsica.  The first, Domaine de Granajolo Vermentino, was light and refreshing, with sweetness from the aftertaste of honeydew.  The Contini Vermentino de Sardegna was a bit more dense but still pretty light and dry with a thin honey lingering on the tongue.  The third, Chateau de Lascaux Blanc was acidic enough for a slight pucker with strong lime, which I always like.  It would need something to cut it, though; perhaps a creamy cheese.

3 Cups is less of a sit, surf, and work coffee shop than one which hopes to promote a conversation with your friends about the quality of your drinks.  I hope to be back for one of the many events soon, to do just that.

3 stars

Posted: Monday, April 13th, 2009 @ 3:31 pm
Categories: Coffee Shop.
Tags: 3 cups, chapel hill coffee wine, coffee tasting, the gourmez coffee shop review.
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