The other night I had an insanely disturbing dream. I woke up panicked in a pool of sweat. I dreamt that I was living during the height of Prohibition, and couldn’t get a drop to drink. Gasp!

Apparently not everyone suffered without a drink during Prohibition in the roaring ’20s.  In the remake of  the movie based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s great American novel, The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby  who is played by Leonardo DiCaprio, the booze is readily flowing. The boot-leggin adventures splash around the story, but the only cocktail called out by name in the book is the classic Gin Rickey.

Coincident with the opening of the movie, Tanqueray Gin brand ambassador, Angus Winchester, rolled into Austin to give a history lesson on the lovely spirit and pimp his version of “Dutch courage,” aka gin (gin is enjoying a resurgence in the past few years. Watch for my story on Texas gins on June 1.)

Mr. Winchester poured us tastes of Tanqueray London Dry, Tanqueray Ten and Tanqueray Rangpur, made from the Indian rangpur lime, as well as mixed a couple cocktails to show off the versatility of gin. The main botanical in gin, juniper, will jump in bed with any flavor. It snuggles up to sweet fruit juices, puckers with sharp citrus flavors and fondles bitter flavors like Campari.

So what does that have to do with The Great Gatsby? Bathtub gin was purportedly all the rage during Prohibition and it’s rumored that the well-heeled got their grubby mitts imported gins like Tanqueray by delivery of floatable cases.

If you are feeling a bit nostalgic after watching the flick, skip getting the pixie flapper haircut that Carey Mulligan is sporting and instead try a few of these classic Prohibition-era gin cocktails with recipes courtesy of our friends at Tangueray.

Gin Rickey

Cinco de Mayo is often confused with Mexico’s Independence Day, but the date actually marks the Mexican army’s improbable trouncing of the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Similar to St. Patrick’s Day, most people aren’t concerned with the reason why it’s celebrated, and see it as a great excuse to down alcoholic concoctions inspired by the country. And what’s more appropriate to drink than tequila?

With nearly 1,000 brands of tequila to choose from in the U.S. (not too long ago, not that many could be found), we’ve gathered a few stand-out tequilas and recipes that are bound to tilt your sombrero.

Drinking in the area code

Tequila 512 hit town last November and is quickly gaining notoriety. It picked up a gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in March and was recognized as “Best Blanco Tequila in Austin” by the Austin Tequila Society last fall. Not bad for a tequila created by one man, Scott Willis, who has boot-strapped the entire operation on his own.

Willis was inspired by the local distilling trail-blazer, Tito Beverage, and decided to follow his passion for the art of craft tequila. He has spent six years perfecting a specific recipe that has a prominent agave flavor, and is smooth enough to be accessible to the American palate. Tequila 512 is made with 24 hour filtration to mellow it out and an oxygenation process for a silky mouth feel.

While Willis named after Austin’s area code, it is made at the La Cofradia distillery in the town of Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico.

“I traveled to Mexico to find a distiller that would make my tequila. Most distilleries won’t do custom recipes,” said Willins. “I was also interested in finding a distillery that sourced its agave from a specific region. Where the agave is grown matters a lot to the flavor.”

Tequila 512 is starting on a small scale and Willis hopes to sell 1,000 cases in the first year. You can find it at retail shops for under $30 and at restaurants like Shady Grove.

Willis prefers to drink his tequila straight, but when he is in the mood for a cocktail he mixes a classic skinny margarita.

Organic 512 Skinny Margarita

• 2 ounces Tequila 512 Blanco
• 1.5 ounces orange juice
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• .5 ounce agave nectar (light)

Shake well and serve over ice in a brandy snifter.

Keep it in la Famila

The Camarena’s have been making Familia Camarena Tequila in the Los Altos Highlands of Jalisco Mexico for six generations and entered the U.S. market in 2010. The approachable, easy drinking tequila is made from 100 percent blue agave and is one of the better value tequila’s around for $20 or under. This tequila is a solid base for excellent cocktails. The website has a huge list of recipes and they sell a nice “Tipple Toolkit” with everything you need to make them at home. Here is a delicious drink from mixologist Joel Black, of Tinga in Los Angeles, CA.

Camarena Grand Slam

• 1.5 ounces Camarena Reposado Tequila
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• .75 ounce  agave nectar
• 1-2 slices fresh jalapeño
• 2 cubes fresh pineapple
• 1 pinch fresh cilantro

Muddle all ingredients, except tequila in a shaker tin. Add tequila and ice, shake nice & easy and strain over fresh ice in a double old fashioned glass. Garnish with a pineapple square, jalapeno slice and fresh cilantro.

See unicorns with Sparkle Donkey  

Legend has it that people have been drinking Sparkle Donkey Tequila in Mexico for more than 100 years, but it just found its way into the U.S. last fall.  Made in the Jalisco region, Sparkle Donkey Silver, which won a Gold Medal at the 2012 BTI International Spirits Competition and  the Reposado tequilas are available around Austin for just north of $20. Try this simple mix with a kick, but don’t have too many or you may be seeing unicorns.

The Mule Driver

• 1 part Sparkle Donkey Silver
• 3 parts orange juice

Combine in a shaker over ice, shake well, and strain into a rocks glass.

Spice it up

If you like a little zip in each sip, Tanteo Jalapeño Tequila is worth a try. This 100 percent Blue Weber Agave blanco tequila is infused with locally grown organic jalapeños. It will put a fire in your eye straight up, or you can try it in a tangy twist on the margarita.

Mexican Spiced Apples

• 1.5 ounce Tanteo  Jalapeño Tequila
• 2 ounces apple juice
• .5 ounce fresh lime jice
• .25 ounce agave nectar

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice Shake well and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with an apple slice.

Get out of the house

There are several bars in Austin restaurants celebrating Cinco de Mayo, with excellent tequila-based cocktails. The energetic matron of Drink.Well, Jessica Sanders, will convert the bar from Derby Day festivities to Cinco de Mayo overnight. In addition to their creative cocktails, their standard margarita will knock your socks off.

Drink.Well. House Margarita

• 1.5 ounce Siete Leguas Blanco Tequila
• .75 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• .5 ounce Paula’s Texas Orange

Add all ingredients to a cocktail tin with a scoop of ice. Shake well. Strain into a glass with ice. Garnish with Lime. *For those who like a little extra oomph, Jessica recommends adding four drops of Bittermens Hellfire Shrub, which makes the drink nice and smoky/spicy.

Here is what Jessica suggests for those who want to celebrate in a more “elegant” manner.

Agave Old Fashioned 

2 oz Siembra Azul Anejo Tequila
.5 oz Cacao-Chai Infused Agave Syrup (I use cacao-chai tea from ZHI tea)
2 dashes of orange bitters
2 orange peels

Add the infused agave syrup and bitters with ice to a double old-fashioned glass. Add the tequila and stir until chilled and properly diluted. Express an orange peel over the cocktail and garnish with the expressed peel.

Libationist Joyce Garrison at the W Austin is mixing up a few amazing specialty cocktails for Cinco de Mayo including a classic Paloma.

Paloma from Joyce Garrison at W Austin

• 1.5 ounces Don Julio Reposado
• 3 ounces grapefruit soda
• 1.5 ounce fresh grapefruit juice
• .5 ounces lime juice

Build in a tall glass and garnish with lime.

Whether you stay in or head out on the town to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, you won’t go wrong with these ideas.

Disclosure: Samples were provided by Tequila 512, Familia Camarena Tequila, Sparkle Donkey and Tanteo Jalapeño Tequila. 

This story was previously published on CultureMap.

What are you drinking?

Houston native and executive wine editor of FOOD & WINE, Ray Isle, took the stage for the day’s final wine session with a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he takes the stage to present Superstar Wines at the Austin Food & Wine Festival. He worked the audience with casual professorial grace and easy wit. The standing room only crowd eagerly drank up every drop of information he shared about the discovery of fantastic wines.

“There are about 230,000 wine brands available in the U.S. When you walk into a wine store and look at a wall of wine, it’s hard to know what to pick,” he said. “The people who work in dedicated wine shops are typically obsessive about wine. They didn’t go into this business to become a millionaire. It might cost a dollar more to buy wine at these shops, but it’s really worth it to buy wine from someone who cares enough to select really good wine.”

Buying guides, scores and wine shop smarties are great ways to get introduced to new wines. “Once you know what you like, drink what you like, and then branch out from there. There is no need to be a wine expert. Just have fun,” he said.

Each year the magazine publishes its pocket size Food & Wine 2013 Wine Guide buying guide, which profiles 500 top wineries around the world and their benchmark wines. The wines for this session were selected from that guide and had to meet two other criteria; they had to be readily available in Texas, and they had to be Isle’s favorites.

“These are cool wines and wineries. The tasting line up gives us an around the world view of different styles,” said Isle.

The first wine was a prototypical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Dog Point Vineyard 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough. It had strong grass, jalapeño juice and grapefruit citrus flavors with strident acidity that gives it lightning strike zip. The un-oaked, crisp white wine sells for about $20 and would be a great accompaniment to fried chicken.

Wineries in California have been making great wines with traditionally French blends. Qupe Marsanne 2011 Santa Barbara County is a classic northern Rhone white blend made with Marsanne and Roussanne grapes. It’s a richer wine than the previous one with scents of hay, honeysuckle and pears along with ripe pears, melon and lemon zest flavors. Grilled fish would find a friend in this $20 white wine.

Next up, Isle compared Pinot Noir from California and the Burgundy region of France. The Melville 2010 Pinot Noir, Estate, made in the Santa Rita Hills, jumped out of the grass with rich ripe fruit scents, soft tannins, and juicy strawberry jam flavors.  At $25, this is a solid value for food-friendly California Pinot Noir.

The birthplace of Pinot Noir wines, the Burgundy region of France, is the home to Bouchard Pere & Fils 2008 Beune du Chateau Premier Cru. In France the goals is to have the wine express the place where its grown rather than the hand of the winemaker, which results in wines that typically have more mineral flavors than U.S. wines. This Premier Cru didn’t disappoint with aromas of raspberry and dust with limestone, juicy raspberry and dried herb flavors. While a bit more expensive at $34 a bottle, this is still a relative value for Burgundy wine.

On to the northern region of Piedmont in Italy for the Vietti 2008 Barolo made from the Nebbiolo grape. Many burgundy drinkers love Nebbiolo as the thin skin grape also tends to express the area where it’s grown. This fresh crisp wine has big cherry flavors. Barolo is very high tannin giving it an astringency and structure that lets it pair wonderfully with fatty foods like alpine cheese and risotto. Typically you can’t touch most cru Barolo for under $70, but the Vietti is a good bargain at $55. It is available at Whole Foods Markets, Austin Wine Merchant as well as other shops around Austin.

Isle finished the session with a bold, juice La Jota Vineyard Co. Howell Mountain Estate 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa valley. The winery was started in 1890 on a Mexican land grant on top of Howell Mountain. It has a generous berry and vanilla flavors, solid tannin structure and rich, lush texture like a velvet robe on your tongue and bellowing alcohol. Unlike some big name California Cabs that sell for hundreds of dollars, this one is only $75.

At the end of the session, the crowd wasn’t eager to leave and dozens swarmed Isle to ask more questions. It was clear the appreciative audience couldn’t get enough of this year’s Austin Food & Wine Festival.

Disclosure: I was provided a press pass to cover the festival. 

What are you drinking? 

What do you get when you want to talk about craft beer at a wine festival? An audience salivating to hear about brewers’ inspiration and latest brews. Bill Norris, beverage director for the Alamo Drafthouse, hosted a panel of craft brewers. Adam DeBower, co-owner and brewer at Austin Beerworks; Brad Farbstein, owner of Real Ale Brewing Company; and Terry Nance, of Alaskan Brewing Company, discussed their beers and what got them into the industry.

Real Ale, one of Austin’s oldest craft breweries poured 4-Squared, a dry hopped version of its wildly popular Fireman’s Four released for 16th anniversary of the brewery, and Blonde Barleywine Ale, a dry-hopped American and English style ale that is part of the Brewers Cut series.

Norris acknowledge Real Ale’s role as one of the pioneers of the Austin craft beer industry, having started in 1996. He asked Farbstein how business has evolved since he joined the brewery in 1998.

“We have seen the level of interest in craft beer blossom in the last five to seven years and our customers’ knowledge has increased significantly. They know what they want,” said Farbstein. “Our beers were very aggressive for the market in 1996. We made beers for beer drinkers. We realized a few years ago that we were still making the same beers for 15 years and the market was moving on. We have released more than eight new beers in the last three years to provide our customers with new styles. We want to stay current, hence the 4-Squared and Brewers Cut series.”

Austin Beerworks, which is celebrating its second anniversary on May 4, poured its Pearl Snap Pilz, German style lager, cold fermented European hops and Fire Eagle IPA American IPA. “This was the most successful brewery launch I’ve ever seen. You started with four beers and overnight it was in every craft brew bar in town,” said Norris.

DeBower humbly acknowledged their fast success, “I give credit to everyone that came before us and created a lot of demand for craft beer. We have four partners and who each have extensive personal networks. We drink a lot, so we have a lot of relationships with bars and restaurants.”

He credits his love for beer as the reason he entered the business. “I like to work. I like to work hard, and I don’t like to get paid well. I know how to make things work on a shoe string. I used to work eight hours a day and then go to the bar and spend six hours drinking and talking about beer. I realized I didn’t want to do my day job. I just wanted to make beer,” said DeBower.

Alaskan Brewing makes its Texan brothers look downright young. The brewery, which opened in 1986 was just the 16th licensed craft brewery in the U.S. has only just ventured out of Alaska in the last 10 years. The well established northern beer outpost poured Alaskan Amber, its best selling German Alt style beer made with a gold rush recipe and Alaska Freeride APA, which brewed with Cascade, Citra and Centennial hops.

“Brewing in Alaska presents challenges. There are no roads in or out of Juneau,” said Nance. It’s also really damn cold, which can present challenges for brewing. “We generate steam to keep the brewery warm enough to ferment. We call it ‘beer powered beer.’ We use spent grain from the brewing process. We dry it and burn it in our boilers instead of fossil fuels.”

Norris turned the topic to the use of cans, which is beginning to be a more popular choice for craft brewers. Half of the beers served in the session were packaged in cans. Austin Beerworks hasn’t put any beer in glass. Real Ale just installed a canning line and packages with both bottles and cans.

DeBower thinks the stigma that cans are for lower quality beers is starting to fade. “Cans protect beer better,” he said. “Light is the second worse spoiler of beer after oxygen. We need to give our beer a fighting chance by protecting it.”

Farbstein likes the flexibility that cans provide. “We chose to use cans because there was a demand for our product in areas where you can’t take bottles, like the beach, the river or on a boat. It’s a keg that fits in a koozie.”

This story was originally posted in a different format on CultureMap.

Disclosure, I was provided a press pass to cover the festival.

What Are You Drinking? 

Flocks of men in Tommy Bahamas print shirts and women in breezy sun dresses swirled and sipped their way through Sunday at the Austin Food & Wine Festival. As wood smoke from the pits fuzzed the air, people gathered to learn the finer points about wine and beer from nationally recognized experts.

Dozens of eager wine lovers drug their hangovers into a tent the first thing Sunday morning to hear Anthony Giglio, wine correspondent for CBS News Radio, hold court in a session on lesser-known French wines. (Giglio himself was self-medicating his fragile state with a bloody Mary backstage after a night of rocking his taco.) He put on a brave face and welcomed the crowd with a hoisted wine glass, “Breakfast of champions,” he said. “Who is still drunk from last night?”

There may be no finer way to start a Sunday than with a selection of six French wines. The session featured wines chosen by Giglio that are either less familiar varieties or from less popular regions. His guiding principle for picking the wines was to find ones that are not only delicious and easy to find in Texas, but are also inexpensive.

“The ‘Great Divide’ between the Old World (Europe) and New World is that we name almost all of our wines by the grape, and in Europe they almost always name wines by the region from which they hail,” said Giglio. “I thought about all the wines I love from France that are off the beaten path; the wines I recommend to friends and they say, ‘Huh? Where’s that from?’ Some are usually right up front in wine shops, but others may be worth searching out. All it takes is asking questions at a wine shop or to a wine steward at a restaurant. They’re hiding in plain sight.”

Giglio instructed the crowd to taste wine in a process that he calls the “Five S’s of Tasting”

1. See: Hold your glass over white paper and assess the color and weight of the wine.
2. Swirl: Spin the wine in the glass to release its perfume.
3. Sniff: Take three little sniffs to evaluate the aromas, which make up a big part of the flavor.
4. Swish: Take a small sip and swish it around your mouth. The first sip never counts as it is just waking up the mouth.
5. Sip: Try the second sip to get the full flavors of the wine.

On to the good stuff. Giglio described each of the wines in the flight as the crowd hung on his words.

The first was Cameron Hughes Lot 353 Saint Péray Blanc, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadet, Semillon from the Northern Rhone Valley. Giglio quipped that Sauvignon Blanc often smells like cat pee. “Does it taste like cat pee? I don’t know.” This $24 wine was light and refreshing with green apple and grapefruit light flavors.

Next up, Chateau de la Chaize Brouilly Cru Beaujolais, a gorgeous Gamay from one of Beaujolais’ 10 cru villages. While Beaujolais is widely known for the unsophisticated and fruity Beaujolais Nuevo, the cru wines can be elegant and complex. This selection had bright cherry, raspberry and smoky strawberry flavors. It’s a sound value at $16 a bottle. “This will be your summer red. Trust me.”

The third wine was Jean-Luc Colombo Cotes du Rhones a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre from the Rhone Valley. The Colombo has scents of cherries, licorice, violets and tastes of raspberry and cherry. This wine, at $12, could be a summer staple at my house. “Grenache and Syrah are my favorite grapes on the planet. They make wines that are easily drinkable with or without food.”

Moving on to another Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre blend, this time from southern France, we tried Chateau Paul Mas Languedoc. The wine had lovely scents of cedar, dried fruit, plums and powerful blueberry, blackberry, pepper flavors. At $12 this one is my favorite of the flight. I’ll definitely seek this one out.

Next we tasted Chateau Greysac Bordeaux 2008 from the most renowned region for red wine. There are five grapes allowed in Bordeaux by law and Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape in the Medoc, where the Greysac is produced. It had lovely scents of eucalyptus, mint, brambly blackberry and tight, dry, black fruits flavors. “This is the best Bordeaux bargain on the planet at $14 and one of the easiest to find,” said Giglio.

The last wine, Clos la Coutale Cahors, was a Malbec, Merlot and Tannat blend from Southwest France. This crowd pleaser had fragrant chocolate covered cherries and raisin aromas and rustic black cherry and blackberry flavors.

By the end of the session, the color had returned to Giglio’s cheeks and he was clearly pleased to be in Austin. “With Austin it’s the music weaved into all of the events, whether in the background or right up front. This year we have Allen Stone, the Whiskey Shivers, Delta Spirit and DJ Mel spinning throughout,” he said. “I also love that most of the events are held outside in parks, either under tents or under the stars. You can’t do that everywhere, and that resonates with a city boy like me.”

This story was originally posted in a different format on CultureMap.

Disclosure, I was provided a press pass to cover the festival.

What Are You Drinking? 

Oh man the Austin Food & Wine Festival was a blast today. It was a great gathering of excellent culinary and beverage pros showing off their best for a happy crowd. I hunkered down at several sessions today including:

• Texas Wine: Ready for the Main Stage with Russ Kane
• Drink Like  Pro with Mark Oldman
• Spring Into Wine with Ray Isle
• What a Pair with Tony & Cathy Mantuano
• Around the World with Pinot Noir with Ray Isle

In between learning about various wines in these sessions, I wandered through the grilling area and the grand tasting tents to sample some of the fantastic nibbles and drinks.

This year the Festival moved across the street to Butler Park. It was a great move, with a more intimate setting and more lush grass (read less blowing dust than last year). The Grand tasting had a new configuration that dropped the claustrophobic crowding from last year.

It went by too quickly and I can’t wait to get back to the park for tomorrow’s sessions.

Just as a winemaker has to combine an artful flair with precise chemistry to make fine wine, a sommelier needs to combine a skillful touch with customer service and deep wine knowledge to master their craft. In the wine world, success is a case of “Right brain, meet left brain. You two play nicely.”

The dazzling emergence of a serious culinary scene in Austin in recent years has been accompanied by an equally stunning development of a fine wine culture fostered by a community of highly trained wine experts. Austin has a growing number of sommeliers who have dedicated long hours to studying all aspects of wine and proper service techniques to be able to provide a memorable experience at area restaurants and wine bars.

Nominees for the 2013 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards share their inspirations and their favorite wines for celebrations.

Bill Elsey, The Red Room Lounge

Advanced Sommelier Bill Elsey started in the wine industry at Duchman Family Winery right out of college. He rose through the ranks from part-time tasting room to bar manager at Trattoria Lisina, the Italian restaurant on the Duchman property. That is where he first discovered his passion for wine by tasting high-end Italian Barolo, Barbaresco as a wine buyer.

“I also fell in love with Champagne. I was introduced to Guy Larmandier Champagne Blanc de Blancs, and it was the first time I tasted small production, grower-producer champagne. My reaction was, ‘Wow! I love this stuff.’ It was a catalyst for getting into Champagne, and it’s still my favorite beverage.”

That passion turned into a focused pursuit of the coveted Master Sommelier certification, the fourth level in the Court of Master Sommeliers. He studies for hours each week on his own and in study groups with other dedicated sommeliers — including fellow Tastemaker nominees. The studying paid off and he won the Texas’ Best Sommelier 2011 title at TexSomm five years to the day after starting in the wine industry. Elsey recently added winner of the 2013 Cocktail Quick Mix Challenge at Somms Under Fire to his resume.

In October 2011, he joined Personal Wine as sommelier and later expanded his role to run the wine program at The Red Room Lounge. Elsey’s “awe, shucks” small town background (he grew up in Wimberley) and easy-going demeanor allow him to easily talk with a wide range of customers. He is adept at finding the right wine for the casual customer with little wine knowledge and able to impress the best informed wine aficionados who are eager to explore the depths of the Red Room’s deep cellar, no matter the cost.

“I love the interaction with the customer. Our place is small enough that I can talk to every customer that comes in. I like to find out what style of wine they are into, find how much they want to spend and present them a wine that over delivers for the price. The ultimate is to see their reaction to the wine. It’s instant gratification,” says Elsey.

While wine started Elsey on the sommelier journey, he has a deep interest in other drinks as well. “The job takes a lot of studying beyond wine. It is a pursuit of learning about all things you can drink. We put a lot of effort into things like spirits and beer. It’s not all just wine,” he says.

The job may not be all about wine, but when Elsey is ready for a big celebration, he reaches for Champagne. “My favorites are vintage-dated, small production, grower producers in the Special Club category from houses like Pierre Gimonnet or Marc Hébrart. I like to saber bottles of it and let it flow,” says Elsey.

Chris McFall, Paggi House

Certified Sommelier Chris McFall stumbled upon his love of wine while serving as an organizer for the International Student Foundation at Southwestern University. A friend in the club, who happened to be from the famed Bertani Italian wine family, introduced him to the world of fine wine by uncorking a well-aged Amarone.

“The bottle of 1968 Bertani Amarone swept me off my feet. My palate was youthful and inexperienced in the world of fine wine at the time, but it blew my mind and I could not stop smelling it and all of its nuance. It changed the way I lived my life from that moment on,” McFall says.

From frat to front of the house, after college McFall entered the wine industry and worked at restaurants like Monica’s in Georgetown, Lamberts and Sullivan’s before joining Paggi House as a wine buyer. He has recently chosen to pursue another project, which has yet to be disclosed. He honed his skills with experience and study, and is currently preparing for the Advanced Sommelier exam through the Court of Master Sommeliers.

“I love the discovery. I love being wowed by wine, people, food and travel. I think when you realize how vast a subject wine, spirits and cuisine is, you realize no matter how much you know, you will always be a student. That’s the true joy for me,” he says.

That hunger for continued improvement and his skill in the dining room earned an impressive national accolade as a nominee for the Best New Sommeliers of 2012 by Wine & Spirits.

While the life of the sommelier may sound glamorous, McFall confides there is actual work to be done.

“The most misunderstood part of what we do is perception of the job. People assume we sit around and drink wine all day. Although we get to do that sometimes, it’s not the focal point of the gig. There are spreadsheets, pricing, training and research just as in any other field. Ours just happens to pair nicely with cuisine and taste delightful.”

McFall would gladly give up the spreadsheets for a day of merriment. “If I was to drink a wine for a celebration, it would have to be Champagne, of course. But, if I had to pick the desert island wine for that celebration, 2002 Etienne Sauzet Montrachet. All day long!”

Scott Ota, the Driskill Hotel and the Driskill Grill

Certified Sommelier Scott Ota was recently chosen by a panel of expert judges as the champion of 2013 Somms Under Fire for his outstanding performance in food and wine pairing, service and knowledge. At the fresh-faced age of 30, this service-driven wine professional has quickly risen in prominence in the community. He also credits his growth to a deep-seated interest in the culinary experience and the help of friends.

“I love to eat, drink and travel. I owe much of my success to my study group, family and lovely girlfriend,” says Ota.

He got his start in the wine industry as a server at Restaurant Jezebel, where he had an opportunity to taste 2004 Bodegas El Nido, Monastrell from Jumilla, Spain. That introduction to fine wine set Ota on a course of exploration and study. He is now the wine captain and sommelier at the Driskill Grill, where Ota prides himself on providing top-notch wine service to enhance the dining experience.

“I strive to deliver the most complete service experience in a fun and personal way. There is no need to show off how much I know about wine. It’s about presenting all the information in a sincere and succinct manner that makes it unforgettable to each guest. What counts is delivering a unique experience that is memorable and enjoyable,” he says.

Improving the wine knowledge in the community seems to be a common trait among sommeliers, and it’s an important part of Ota’s approach. “I love being able to share my passion for beverages and service with others. It is my favorite part of the job. However, teaching our staff about wine and service — and watching them blossom on the floor — is the most rewarding.”

Ota’s go-to wine for celebrating is Special Club Champagne. “Pierre Gimonnet is a favorite of mine, but I could drink it just to celebrate a Tuesday. There is no need to wait for a special occasion to enjoy a great bottle. You can’t have a bad day when you’re drinking Champagne!”

Nathan Prater, the Driskill Hotel and the Driskill Grill

Advanced Sommelier Nathan Prater is a native Austinite. He began his career in wine in Greensboro, North Carolina in 2005 as a wine manager for a retail wine outlet before stepping into the role of wine director and sommelier at Bistro Sofia, an intimate, independently owned neighborhood restaurant. Prater quickly gained a reputation at both locations for providing a phenomenal wine selection, excellent customer service and consumer wine education.

Fortunately for Austin, he returned home in 2010, and worked for Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods and Good2Go at the Grove Wine Bar. He is currently the grill manager and sommelier at the Driskill Grill and the wine director for the Driskill Hotel.

Like with many sommeliers, it was a bottle of exquisite juice that lured Prater to the profession.

“A bottle of 1983 Château Lynch-Bages sparked my interest for wine, while a 1978 Bodegas Muga Prado Enea inspired the drive to become a sommelier. I began my journey with the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2007. After five years of dedicated study and practice, I hope to sit for the Masters Exam in 2013,” Prater says.

Prater is known among the Austin sommelier community for his keen understanding and appreciation of classic cocktails, his dedication to top-notch service and his hard-nose study habits. He writes wickedly difficult practice quizzes for his sommelier study group. He sums up his role nicely: “I am first a service professional, second an educator and mentor, and lastly, a sommelier.”

When he isn’t working, he likes to spend time with his wife Kathryn and their dog Picasso, or teaching and mentoring other wine professionals. Prater has a passion for “dry rosé, and perfecting the craft of the Gin Martini.”

Mark Sayre, Trio Restaurant Austin

Houston native and Master Sommelier Candidate Mark Sayre presides over an impressive list of 260 wines and 35 wines by the glass at Trio in the Four Seasons Hotel. The barrel-chested Sayre may look like a bouncer for a bar on Dirty Sixth, but he has the demeanor of a priest taking confession as he holds court from table to table.

His exquisite palate, attention to detail in customer service and deep knowledge of the industry have put him on course to become the the third Master Sommelier in Austin. Sayre’s remarkable wine acumen has won him praise in Wine & Spirits‘ “7 Best New Sommeliers in 2010” and the title of Texas’ Best Sommelier 2007.

Sayre caught the wine bug while working his first restaurant job. “The first wine I fell in love with was a 1995 Traviglini Gattinara. It’s the first wine I had a personal connection with, and the first wine I realized I could hand sell.”

Sayre sees his role as integral to restaurant operations. “Sommeliers should be vital to the flow of the restaurant. That means bussing tables, serving, clearing, etc. when not providing wine service and sales,” he says.

As a winemaker who introduced his own private-label Syrah in 2009, he also feels a deep connection with wine and the people in the industry. “I love the soul that goes into the job. I love the people that make and sell wine, their stories, their passions and their experience. I love the wines themselves and their stories. Stories about where they come from, the weather and what they experienced that year,” he says.

“I love the communal enjoyment of wine, whether studied upon or enjoyed with friends and family. I love giving my heartfelt advice and experience to guests wanting something special. All of these things have that soul which developed into a life-long relationship with me.”

—-

 Winners of the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards will be announced live at the Driskill Hotel on April 11, 2013.  

This story was originally published on CultureMap. Photos by Jessica Pages, Bill Sallans and Hayden Spears.

Disclosure: I am a CultureMap Tastemaker Award Judge.

What are you drinking?

Craft beer is on fire in the U.S. and passion for local brews is stoked by a growing number of breweries in town. Austin now boasts 14 craft breweries —10 of which are new since 2010 — and with more in the planning stages. Not only do we have more choice, but local beers are winning awards on a national stage.

On Thursday, April 11, the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards will honor five of the top local breweries which were selected by a panel of culinary and beverage experts. Here is a look at the award-worthy nominees and the beers that inspired them to create their current brews.

Austin Beerworks

Austin Beerworks poured onto the Austin scene in April 2011 with its first batch of golden magic sealed in distinctive cans emblazoned with an iconic “A.” Comrades, founders and brewers Michael Graham, Will Golden, Adam DeBower and Mike McGovern are cranking out more than 100 cases an hour trying to meet demand for its highly drinkable brews. (Speaking of demand, sales rose 400 percent in 2012 over the previous year.)

“My dad used to give me sips of Heineken when I was a kid. I hated it. I remember it tasting like I imagined pee would taste. The first beer I really enjoyed was an Oatmeal Stout by Alaskan Brewing Co. The Oatmeal Stout was so different from any beer I’d ever tried — dark, roasty, full-bodied and silky smooth. It really opened my eyes to what a diverse beverage beer can be,” says Graham.

Austin Beerworks makes four year–round brews including the Black Thunder German-style Schwarzbier, Fire Eagle American IPA, Peacemaker Extra Pale Ale and Pearl-Snap German-style Pils. The Peacemaker has not only built a following among Austin beer lovers, but it also wowed the expert palates at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival, winning a silver medal just four months after its introduction.

“Our beer is currently only available in Austin. People are drinking it faster than we can make it,” Graham states. Austin Beerworks is available in about 175 locations in Austin only: on tap at local bars and restaurants and in cans in local stores.

Hops and Grain Brewing Co.

Hops and Grain Brewing Co. opened its doors at the terminus of East Sixth Street in October 2011, and demand for its beer has already necessitated an expansion of the facilities. The brewery tripled the capacity to about 4,000 barrels and added an automated canning line making it possible to move from all kegs to packaging 95 percent in cans.

Running enthusiast turned brewer Josh Hare currently makes three year-round beers, ALT-eration, a Dusseldorf style Altbier; Pale Dog, an American pale ale; and The One They Call Zoe, a pale Vienna lager with a pilsner finish named for Hare’s Papillion dog.

“Our ALT-eration won a gold medal at the World Beer Cup in 2012 and we are incredibly proud of that,” Hare says. “We are also very proud of our third year-round beer that will be released the first week of April, The One They Call Zoe. I don’t take myself very seriously but I take very seriously the art-form that I’ve chosen as a career and we look for consumers that share the same inspiration.”

“The first craft beer that I fell in love with was Dale’s Pale Ale,” Hare continues. “When I lived in Boulder, I had a group of friends that I would rock climb with and, at the time, that was the only quality canned beer we could find. Since the parks and open spaces prohibited glass we had to go for cans, or not take beer with us, which wasn’t really an option! Our Pale Dog resembles Dale’s in that it’s a pale ale and it’s packaged in a can, but the flavors are very different.”

On any given Friday or Saturday, the tap room is packed and the brewery’s events are always crammed with enthusiastic craft beer aficionados and casual drinkers alike. The brews’ success has led to the addition of several new beers. Last year Hops & Grain opened a barrel room to make six beers in French wine and bourbon barrels called the Volumes of Oak series and a sour beer line called Volumes of Funk.

Hops & Grain brews about three different beers every week on its Greenhouse system, which is a three barrel pilot brewery that allows the brewery to continually experiment with new and innovative recipes. Hops & Grain available at 175 Austin bars, restaurants and retail stores like Whole Foods and HEB.

Jester King Craft Brewery

Jester King Craft Brewery started turning heads when it released highly acclaimed barrel-aged brews near Dripping Springs in late 2010. It has continued to capture attention as it tinkers with its year-round brews — Le Petite Prince, Nobel King, Wytchmaker Rye IPA, Black Metal Imperial Stout, Mad Meg and Commercial Suicide — as well as for its ever-changing lineup of limited production beers.

“The first beer I fell in love with was Dogfish Head Raison d’etre. It was the first beer I had with great depth of flavor,” says co-founder Jeff Stuffings. “The beers we brew at Jester King don’t actually resemble a beer like Raison d’etre, however. Our flavors and aromas tend to be less driven by malt and adjunct ingredients and more so by fermentation with a diverse array of organisms that include brewer’s yeast, native wild yeast, brettanomyces and souring bacteria.”

Jester King brews with farmhouse yeast, wild and native yeasts to achieve unique flavors and aromas, and naturally cask-conditions its beers for two to three months for complexity and the authentic farmhouse style. The brewers are currently making 22 small batch beers (and counting), including sour barrel aged beers like Funk Metal, which is a sour Black Metal blended with pure brettanomyces yeast.

“Our motto is to brew what we like, drink what we want, offer the rest to those who want it. Why would we want to make beers that everyone else is making,” says brewer Ron Extract.

“I think what sets us apart is our use of wild yeasts from the Texas Hill Country that give our beer a unique sense of place. The two beers I’m most proud of are our Funk Metal Barrel-Aged Sour Imperial Stout and RU-55 Barrel-Aged Sour Red Ale. These beers have interesting flavors and aromas and are well balanced and very drinkable in my opinion,” Stuffings remarks.

The Jester King tasting room is open Saturdays from 1-4 p.m., with tours at 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Its beers are mostly packaged in 750ml bottles and sold at local retailers, but it is also available on tap at some Austin restaurants and bars.

Real Ale Brewing Co.

Real Ale is well known beyond the Austin city limits because of the phenomenal success of its flagship ale, Firemans #4. One of the oldest breweries in the area, founded in Blanco by Philip and Diane Conner in 1996, it is one of the largest with a capacity of 72,000 barrels (almost a million cases) a year.

“There wasn’t one moment or beer that led to an epiphany. It was kind of a cumulative effect of inspiration,” says Erik Ogershok, brewmaster and woodmaster general. “Back in the mid-’80s, the beers would have been Spaten Oktoberfest, Paulaner Salvator, Duvel, Chimay, Hoegarden, Young’s, Fuller’s, Sam Smith’s, Anchor Liberty and Steam, and Sierra Nevada if you were lucky enough to find any of them. The memories of these early experiences live on in the beers we brew.”

The homework of tasting many excellent beers for inspiration has paid off with a lineup of inventive and award-winning beers. Real Ale brews at least 10 beers at any time; eight of them are year-round brews including the Full Moon Pale Rye Ale, Lost Gold IPA, Brewhouse Brown Ale and ESB. Firemans #4 and Hans’ Pils both brought home Silver medals from the 2012 Great American Beer Festival.

It also brews two seasonals each quarter such as Phoenixx Double ESB and Devil’s Backbone Tripel. The experimental barrel-aged Mysterium Verum series is where the brewers show their creative flair. Recent brews include WT3F?!, a tripelwort fermented exclusively with brettanomyces bruxellensis yeast; and The Kraken, a Sisyphus barleywine aged for 11 months in American and French oak.

“If forced to pick a favorite beer, from our regular line up I’ll pick 15th Anniversary Russian Imperial Stout and Hans’ Pils. They were game changers for us. From Mysterium Verum, I’ll pick Imperium and Scots Gone Wild. They were beers that took years to come to fruition and the final product didn’t disappoint. I also like the fact that we were able to incorporate native yeasts in the beer to bring focus to the Hill Country terrior,” says Ogershok.

Real Ale is widely available around Austin: on tap at locations such as Easy Tiger, Draughthouse, Hopfields, Barley Swine and by the bottle in stores such as Whole Foods, HEB, Central Market, Spec’s and Twin Liquors.

Thirsty Planet Brewing Co.

Thirsty Planet introduced its first keg in June 2010. Its beers quickly gained popularity, and it has been brewing at full-tilt with the expectations of doubling the production this year. That increase in capacity isn’t keeping up with demand in thirsty Austin, so the Planet is having four fermentation tanks made.

Owner and head brewer Brian Smittle had been brewing beer for almost 20 years in Colorado and Oklahoma before he chose to move to Austin. He fell in love with beer while studying politics in the U.K. “There was a pub in the basement and naturally I did a lot of ‘studying’ down there. To this day British style beers are my favorites,” says Smittle.

Thirsty Planet makes three year-round brews — Buckethead IPA, Yellow Armadillo Wheat and Thirsty Goat Amber — that are highly drinkable in the Texas heat.

“Our best selling beer, Thirsty Goat Amber, is a medium body beer with a beautiful reddish hue, a malty profile and a light spicy hop finish. This is my favorite beer because it goes great with lots of different food, and it’s a great session beer,” says Smittle.

“Buckethead IPA is a big, aggressive IPA. The beer is 8.75 percent and 82 IBU. We use Magnum, Columbus, Summit and Cascade hops to brew it. Our Yellow Armadillo has a yellow straw color, a crisp tangy wheat taste, and a citrus finish.”

Thirsty Planet also offers special and seasonal beers like the Silverback Pale Ale, Jittery Monk and Franklin Smoked Porter. Its beers are available on draft in 250 bars and restaurants in the Austin area. In addition, Thirsty Planet recently purchased a pre-owned Italian bottling machine with plans to sell 12-ounce six packs of all three year-round beers and 22-ounce bottles of specialty beers in local stores.

If you want to check out the facilities, tours are offered each Saturday starting in the spacious tasting room.

—

The 2013 Tastemaker Awards takes place Thursday, April 11 at The Driskill. Tickets are available now. 

This story was originally published on CultureMap. All photos by Bill Sallans.

Disclosure: I am a CultureMap Tastemaker Award Judge.

What are you drinking?

The good folks at Deep Eddy Vodka blitzed SXSW parties with their new concoctions, Deep Eddy Ruby Red Vodka. It was raising rosy cheeks and cheerful grins all over Austin with its fresh kick. Their latest flavored vodka was all the buzz.

Lucky for me, I came home after a night of sipping Ruby Red at South By parties to find two liter bottles of the glorious elixir had been dropped off at my house by a sweet Deep Eddy employee (no, not one of their hot  Bettys). Perfect timing! Beautiful Wife and I were headed out of town for a little spring break getaway on a quite Texas lake. We couldn’t ask for a better companion to take along.

Deep Eddy Ruby Red is made with the same vodka distilled 10 times in a state of the art column still in north Austin. They then blend in real grapefruit juice to give it a tart zip, a slight sweetness, a thick, silky texture and an alluring pink color. It smells just like a freshly cut grapefruit. Well, a grapefruit that’s been drinkin’. The juice drops the alcohol down to 70 proof, but it still warms you up goin’ down if you sip it straight.

One look at the label, and its clear how this bottle needs to be treated. That sassy pin-up girl dipping her toe in the water with the phrase “Dive in” floating over her head says it all for me. Beautiful Wife and I hauled the bottle to the dock on the lake to do as we were told.

If you are a purist, you can make your own version of a Vodka Greyhound just by pouring Deep Eddy Rub Red on ice. We went for an adaptation of the classic cocktail, Lace Panties, by pouring half a glass of Ruby Red over a few hunks of ice and topping it with a quarter measure of Topo Chico Agua Mineral. We forgot to bring a lime with us, so we garnished it with a gentle Texas breeze and a satisfied smile.

If you are the cocktail type, try Ruby Red in a Grapefruit Gimlet.

• 1/4 cup Deep Eddy Ruby Red Vodka
• 1/4 cup Deep Eddy straight vodka
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons Simple Syrup
• Ice cubes
• 2 lime slices

Place first four  ingredients in cocktail shaker; fill with ice. Cover and shake the hell out of it for a bit. Strain into two Martini glasses and garnish with lime slices.

Deep Eddy Ruby Red Vodka will hit store shelves on April 1, 2013. You can find it in any of the fine restaurants, bars and stores that sell the other Deep Eddy products.

What are you waiting for? Dive in!

What are you drinking?

Deep Eddy Vodka provided samples of this product at no cost with no expectation for a story. 

There are tons of places in Austin to get a great glass of wine. The city is bursting with excellent wine lists at restaurants and bars, and we are fortunate to have many bars focused primarily on wine. Here are some of the top wine bars in Austin.

Downtown

Coal Vines, 314 West 2nd Street

After a hard day of shopping in the Second Street District, Coal Vines is an excellent place to cool your heels. What could be better than people watching on the chill outdoor patio with a glass of vino or three? Coal Vines offers 20 wines by the glass and an unpretentious selection of bottles from big Californian and Australian producers.  It is open for brunch and has delightful pizzas to recharge your engines for more shopping.

Cork & Company , 308 Congress Ave

This long, narrow wine bar has a classic, cozy warm feel with a broad selection of wine. Cork & Company carries the usual suspects like California and France, but also a good mix of wines from South America, Italy, Spain and New Zealand. The menu offers 40 different wines that we serve by the glass: 13 red, 17 white, six sparkling and four dessert wines. If you can’t find your perfect wine by the glass, they offer more than 300 wines by the bottle.

In addition to wine Cork & Company has a solid list of Texas craft beers and an assortment of delightful snacks. They offer cheese, charcuterie and antipasto plates, paninis and carry Austin Cakeballs.

“Our focus at Cork is to be a neighborhood wine bar with a friendly atmosphere where we know our patrons and where anybody can come in and find a wine they love, whether they are drinking wine for the first time or have the best cellar in Austin,” says Carlo Bligh.

Crú,  238 W. 2nd St.

Cru Wine Bar has a couple locations in Austin; one downtown and one in the Domain shopping center. It offers 300 wines from around the world with a focus on American, Italian, Spanish and France. Cru servces 13 flights of three wines grouped by varietal, style or region, including five white wine flights, one sparkling/Champagne flight and seven red wine flights. It also has 39 wines by the glass and an additional 10 to 15 dessert wines also available as well as a small selection beers.

Cru offers a menu of what they call on “Wine Country” fare with an emphasis on appetizers and small plates, but also seafood, cheese plates, larger entrees and desserts.

Max’s Wine Dive,  207 San Jacinto

$$$ American, Wine Bar

Max’s is the kind of place where the wait staff wears t-shirts that read, “Fried Chicken and Champagne? Why the Hell not?” Max’s is the kind of place that serves down-home food like Gator Beignets and Shrimp & Grits.  Max’s is the kind of place that doesn’t serve flights of wine, because who really just wants a small taste of wine when you can have a whole glass?

This Houston-based chain has a respectable selection of wine with three sparkling wines, two rosé, about a dozen reds and a dozen whites available by the glass. They carry anywhere from 140 to 170 wines by the bottle at prices ranging from $12 to $500. All wines are available to take home at retail prices. If you’re not a wine drinker, they also carry about a dozen kinds of beer.

The service is prompt and attentive. I like Max’s willingness to open any bottle to pour a glass as long as the table is willing to order at least two glasses from the bottle.  Good wine, good service, casual attitude.

Mulberry,  360 Nueces St

The sidewalk café in front of Mulberry is always packed with smiles and laughs. The sleek bar seems to burst at the seams spilling people into the fresh air. Mulberry has a nice mix of new world and old world selections with more than 20 red, white, rose and sparkling wines by the glass. They also carry more than 100 wines by the bottle. What keeps my grin beaming is the lineup of desert wines including a Port, Sherry and Sauternes. Yum!

The bistro menu is kick-ass with meat and cheese plates, sandwiches and hearty entrees. Mulberry is a delightful urban oasis.

Red Room Wine Lounge, 301 E. 3rd St Suite A

If you don’t know what you are looking for, you might miss it. The Red Room Lounge is unobtrusively tucked to a quiet spot below street level, just down the block from the Convention Center and two doors west of the Vince Young Steakhouse. It doesn’t have a sign out front, so you better know the address.

Despite its anonymity, the Red Room is typically packed on any given night and the city’s best sommeliers treat it like their personal living room. One reason the wine crowd is drawn to The Red Room Lounge is because its owner, Alex Andrawes, has created a chill, speakeasy-like atmosphere for people to enjoy a few glasses of great wine. The red velvet draped entrance gives it an elegant, hushed feel. There are nicely arranged conversation areas and dark nooks for lovers to steal a kiss or two.

Another reason is this is a place where both wine experts and novices can learn something new. Not only is Andrawes  a wine expert, but Texas’ Best Sommelier 2011 and Advanced Sommelier, Bill Elsey, is behind the bar bringing incredible wine knowledge and a deft touch for sharing that insight without making people feel stupid.

The Red Room Lounge has some pretty amazing wine in the cellar with a stock of 2,000-2,500 bottles spread over 400-450 private labels and boutique wines. Rare and collectable wine like Screaming Eagle, 1982 Chateau Haut Brion, 1955 Taylor’s Vintage Port and 1989 magnums of Petrus share the spotlight with lesser known and hard to find wines from Bordeaux and California. “I am always happy to discuss the higher end cellar wines with our clientele and help them find that rare gem to enjoy for the night,” says Elsey.

There is something to meet every wine lover’s desire with bottle prices ranging from $35-$5000. The Red Room offers 10-12 wines by the glass and selection changes every 3-5 weeks, so people can try new and exciting wines regularly.

While the wine selection is large, that’s all you can expect. They don’t serve beer, cocktails or anything else. They don’t prepare food on premise, but have service agreements with restaurants within a two block radius that will bring you cheese plates, hors d’oeuvres and light eats. The Red Room hosts private parties and arranges for catering.

Uncorked Wine Bar,  900 E 7th St

Just off the beaten path perched on a hill overlooking I35, Uncorked feels like a world away from downtown Austin. The renovated old house has comfy rooms in which to lounge about and a gracious back deck to enjoy the breeze and live music. Uncorked has a seasonally rotating menu of wines from around the world. The list is dominated by French, Italian and Spanish wines, but also has wines from lesser-known wine countries like Lebanon and Uruguay.

The knowledgeable staff, lead by owner and Certified Wine Professional, Ron Wright, is quick with astute recommendations and pairing suggestions for just the right wine to go with your delicious dinner. Whether you choose a flight of wine, wine by the glass or by the bottle, the well selected list has a broad enough range to satisfy almost any palate.

Wink, 1014 North Lamar, Ste. E

Hidden behind the venerable restaurant and accessible through a separate entrance, Wink has a lovely little wine bar. The extensive wine list features more than 45 wines by the glass and even more by the bottle. The sommeliers put together a stellar line up of predominantly old world wines with great choices from France, Italy, Spain and Germany and many wines from the U.S. as well.

Wink Wine Bar has its own delightful bar menu with mac & cheese with black truffles and steamed mussels to curb your appetite. You can also order from the full restaurant menu and nosh on it in the casual wine den. Love it.

North Austin

Apothecary Cafe & Wine Bar,  4800 Burnet Rd Ste 450

This Allandale  café is a lovely place for a cup of coffee and desert or for a glass of wine. It features a long list of European and U.S. wines by the glass or by the bottle.

Vino Vino,  4119 Guadalupe St

This Hyde Park mainstay draws wine lovers and foodies with its fantastic and ever changing menu. Owner, Jeff Courington, stacks the wine list with gems from Oregon, Argentina and the left-field old world wines from places like Greece and Lebanon. The meat of the wine program is made up of exquisite French, Italian and Spanish wines. Vino Vino pours around 20 to 25 wines by the glass on any given day, a handful of sparklers and an even few sweet wines. The bottle selection is always changing with 100 to 150 labels elegantly displayed on the walls. The staff knows their stuff. Not only do they have two Certified Sommeliers on the team, but the whole crew is dedicated to helping customers pick the perfect wine for the evening.

Vino Vino also has an excellent cocktail menu with a full bar and seasonal specialty cocktails. If you are adventurous, ask the bartender for something unique and they will take you on a whole journey to find your perfect cocktail. Let them treat your senses by rubbing various bitters in their palms to smell all the intricacies, tasting each ingredient of a cocktail individually before they come up with the perfect blend. Vino Vino also has four local craft beers on tap.

It offers full dinner menu and late-night snacks with tasty dishes like steak and frites made with wagyu beef from Strube Ranch and slider and fries.  Vino Vino also has salads, several cheese plates and desserts. If you don’t want to mess around with so-so wines and passable food, head to Vino Vino where everything is top notch.

South Austin

Aviary, 2110 South Lamar

This is one hell of a unique place. It’s a home furnishings shop with  a lovely little wine lounge tucked in for good measure. Aviary has a small lineup of carefully chosen Italian red and white wines, sparkling wines and beer. It also has charcuterie plates to nosh on.

Henri’s Cheese and Wine , 2026 S Lamar Blvd

What is a cheese shop doing masquerading as a wine bar? How can you go wrong with opening a bottle of delicious French wine with an expertly chosen artisanal cheese? Henri’s is open for lunch and dinner and sells wine by the bottle and glass. It also sells wine and cheese at retail all day. It’s a fantastic south Austin spot.

House Wine , 408 Josephine St

House Wine is in a little house tucked away just south of Lady Bird Lake a block west of S. Lamar on Josephine St. They are definitely going for the South Austin vibe – casual, cozy and a little sloppy. The space is intimate (small) and eclectic (mismatched décor).  It has a lovely front porch and outdoor lounge. Love.

Table service isn’t a priority here, so belly up to the bar to look through the menu of about 25 whites and 30 reds by the glass and by the bottle. The prices are pretty damn reasonable ranging from $7 to $11 and bottles in the $20s and $30s. They also offer flights for three half-glasses for $15. A bargain.  If you go at happy hour, you’ll be rewarded with a discount of two bucks a glass.

House Wine offers a decent selection of nibbles like cheese plates and Mediterranean plates with smoked salmon served in a gorgeous wooden bowl.  You can also satisfy your sweet tooth with a selection of deserts.

If you are looking for a very relaxed, inexpensive wine bar with a decent selection, try House Wine. If you want knowledgeable wine guidance and service in an elegant setting, you may be disappointed here.

Opa! Coffee & Wine Bar  

This south Austin Greek restaurant and wine bar has ample seating outdoors under the spread of ancient oak trees and casual couches and chairs inside the rooms of the renovated house. Live music sets the mood for easy conversations. Opa has a full bar, several beers and dozens of wines by the glass in the $7 to $10 range. The wine list has a wide variety of unassuming old and new world wines

Water2Wine, 4036 South Lamar Boulevard

Water 2 Wine is an actual operating winery that offers wine by the glass, by the bottle, or by the batch (approximately 28-30 bottles per batch).  All of its wines are fermented on premises from the grape juice of about 90 different wines from 13 different countries. Water 2 wine has red, white and dessert wines, but no sparkling wines. There are three different locations for Water 2 Wine with the other two at 3300 W. Anderson Lane and 2000 S. I-H 35 in Round Rock.

West Austin

360 Uno Trattoria & Wine Bar,  3801 N Capital Of Texas Hwy

This West Lake Hills eatery has award winning wine list of 375 different wines from around the world with a focus on Italian and us wines. 360 Uno serves 50 wines by the glass to go with a full Italian menu.

Eleven Plates & Wine,  Bar 3801 N Capital Of Texas Hwy Ste C200

Also in West Lake Hills, Eleven Plates has an outstanding wine list. Owner Mike Swartz and partner Randy Laboy, both Certified Sommeliers, have selected 50 diverse wines – including some from Texas – to serve by the glass. It also has an extensive list of wines by the bottle with both affordable and high end options. Eleven Plates has a full menu for lunch and dinner.

The Grove,  6317 Bee Caves Rd

Some of my sommelier study buddies frequent The Grove for its solid list of excellent wines and knowledgeable staff. It serves wines three sparkling, 16 whites, 25 reds, and five dessert wines by the glass an additional 150 by the bottle from all over the world. The Grove has an extensive menu of pizzas, pastas and entrees.

Riviera Bistro , 12801 Shops Parkway, Suite 200 (in The Shops at the Galleria)

The wine bar in Riviera Bistro offers 17 wines by the glass in a continually evolving menu. It is primarily focused on Italian wines, but has a nice selection of French wines as well.

No matter what part of Austin you are in, you are never too far from a wine bar.

What are you drinking?