Raleigh Wine Shop's grand opening celebration

Just in time for summer, Raleigh Wine Shop is celebrating its relocation to a new, bigger space all weekend long with free events.

• It's complete with patio seating, a wine bar and private event space.

"Raleigh loves a patio," Seth Hoffman, one of the owners of the wine shop, told Axios.

• Fact check: True.

Celebration details:

• Friday: The party goes from 5-8 pm and will feature the Empire Eats Food Truck.
• Saturday: 12-4 pm, with a sandwich pop-up from Grandchamp Hospitality
• Sunday: 12-4 pm, with Local's Oyster Bar shucking oysters in the parking lot, plus a market with artists and makers.
• The store will still be open during its normal hours this weekend. But they are are changing to noon-8 pm Monday-Wednesday, noon-9pm Thursday-Saturday and noon-6pm on Sundays.

Flashback: The shop moved from Glenwood South to a building on South Bloodworth Street, near Transfer Food Hall. It soft-opened in March, in search of something that's conceptually different from anything they've seen downtown.

Why it matters: The now 11-year-old wine store is known for having some of the friendliest staff around, and its owners hope relocating to a space that's double in size will mean they can better engage with the community.

• "The future of retail is experiential," Hoffman said. "You have to give people a reason to come hang out with you."

Lucille's thought bubble: I lived a few steps from Raleigh Wine Shop's old location for a year and a half, and I quickly became a regular. The staff makes great recommendations and have patiently answered my many, many questions about wine.

• Plus, they stock some affordable selections, too (One of my favorite bottles of wine ever is sold there for $18!).
• Hoffman also told me that you can watch the sunset from their patio.