All these years, and people have been saying it backwards almost the entire time. Perhaps that's the first thing to know, 25 years later, about the origin story: It was never a “wine and cheese” crowd to begin with.
Over time, that's what the phrase has morphed into, the original words transposed. Those three words have become engrained, undoubtedly despised by some who love North Carolina and beloved by those who like to despise UNC, or at least have some fun at its expense.
For a quarter-century now – right or wrong, fair or not – the crowds at the Smith Center have carried that “wine and cheese” reputation.