Looking for something different to do with your friends on a Friday evening? Lowell's Wine List could be a good alternative if you are 21 or older. The recently opened shop, located in Faucette House on Trollinger Avenue, offers weekly wine classes and tastings.

Owner Lowell Faucette has always been interested in opening a wine shop.

"I just have a passion for wine," Faucette said. "I love talking to people about wine and I'm also interested in education about wine."

Faucette became interested in wine education about 10 years ago when he took a series of classes on spirits education at Johnson and Wales University. He opened Lowell's Wine List Oct. 4 and has already offered classes and tastings. The class teaches what wine is, vocabulary, quality of wine and what a structured approach to tasting entails.

"It helps you pay attention to what you see, smell and taste," Faucette said. "You learn to appreciate it a little better."

The classes are offered Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and cost $30.  The tastings, which Faucette hopes to have every Friday evening, are often themed. So far, themes have included sparkling wines and wines from Tuscany.

"Ordinarily there will always be a theme, unless it's a blind tasting," Faucette said. "We always start with the light wines; we go white to red, light to heavy. The idea is to try to educate people and have fun."

Faucette hopes the tastings will do a good job representing the theme and will interest people in buying a bottle. The shop is organized by body of wine instead of region, which makes it easier for customers to find the exact type they are looking for.  Faucette tries to stay away from selling wines found in a grocery store and he currently carries about 100 labels.

"I try to have a good selection in both quality and price," Faucette said. "We have about the same number of white wines as we do reds."

There is also the Value Corner, where customers can purchase cheaper or discounted wines. Eventually, Faucette hopes to offer wines made by local North Carolina vineyards. He has already talked to Grove Vineyards in Gibsonville and Iron Gate Winery in Mebane.

"I want to support the local vineyards and see them be successful," Faucette said. "Scuppernong and muscadine wines are not something you can buy anywhere else and local folks might like that."

Another unique thing about the shop is that it sells wine by the glass. Customers can purchase a glass and sit outside on the porch to have a drink with friends. Faucette is hoping that locals, Elon faculty, staff and students of legal drinking age will see something different in his shop and participate in some of the events.

"What I'm trying to do is introduce folks to the fact there's more to know about wine than drinking a glass," Faucette said. "If you're interested, I'm the one to come to. I'm trying to provide a place people can come and learn"