If you’re visiting Houston for Super Bowl LI (or any other time for that matter) you’re bound to be on the lookout for chill wine spots. Even Houstonians will get caught up in all the Super Bowl excitement and find themselves venturing out to take in the festivities. Houston has a fantastic wine scene and caters to a wide range of palates and chill modes. Whether you’re in the mood for just sitting back and having a glass or two with a date or a group of friends or want to pair some food with your wine, H-Town has you covered. Here are a few can’t miss spots.
Camerata at Paulie’s
This industrial chic Montrose spot is the perfect for meeting up with friends for light bites and wine.
What sets Camerata apart is it’s somewhat cerebral wine list. You won’t see plain ole California Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon here. What you will find is a global list of wines you may not have heard of or tried. All good because we all need to step outside of our comfort zone and you need only tell the quite knowledgeable staff the style of wine you’re after and they will do the rest. And the atmosphere definitely sets you up for a long evening of fun with #WineFriends.
Sonoma Wine Bar
RWith two locations in The Heights and the Upper Kirby area, you don’t have to go far to check out Sonoma’s fabulous selection of wine which has been awarded the Wine Spectator List of Excellence for ten years straight. And with the crazy Houston weather, you are covered whether you need to warm up by the cozy fireplace or enjoy the (often) unseasonably warm Houston “winter” weather on one of the multiple patios.
Whether you’re in the mood for a flight or a bottle of one of their excellent grower champagnes, you will find something to suitable for your palate.
And if you find yourself hungry, you can’t go wrong with the charcuterie or one of their crispy thin crust pizzas.
Ibiza Food and Wine Bar
While Ibiza is one of the city’s best restaurants, it’s their wine that keeps folks going back for more. The extensive selection is available at near retail prices so you don’t have to worry about ridiculous markups here. In fact all of the Clark Cooper establishments offer fantastic pricing on wine. And it’s always a treat sipping a nice glass of wine next the beautiful wine wall.
13 Celsius
This very unassuming wine bar has one of the most varied wine selections in the city. Just be careful as you could drive right by it.
So named as it’s the temperature at which it stores its wine (as it should be) 13 Celsius is the ultimate spot in wine chill and offers an amazing selection of wine, many of which can be had in 3 and 6 ounce pours as well as by the bottle. As evidenced by their cellar, the wine selection is as extensive and varied as they come. Swiss wine? No problem here.
They also tout a selection of wines available to be poured from the Coravin system. How often do you want a glass of a fantastic, upper end wine only to find its not available by the glass? The Coravin system provides access to some of these previously unavailable wines.
The best thing about the extensive global wine list is that the selections constantly rotate. There’s always something new to discover.
Helen Greek Food and Wine
Touting one of the country’s largest selections of Greek wines, Helen Greek is the ultimate in city wine adventure.
Don’t worry that you’ve never heard of any of the wines let alone even get close to pronouncing them. The fantastic staff is there to help you every step of the way. A big fan of Pinot Noir? There’s a Greek wine for you. Like Viognier? There’s a Greek wine for you. Whatever style of wine you prefer, the staff will happily help you select a Greek wine equivalent. Just don’t forget to pair that newly discovered Greek wine with some of the delicious, authentic Greek cuisine. The hummus trio is crazy good!
Cru Food and Wine Bar
With a couple of locations in Houston, the West Ave location in River Oaks puts you in the middle of fabulous shopping in one of the city’s most prominent areas.
One of the highlights of Cru is it’s extensive selection of flights. It’s the prefect place to truly discover a new wine or for when you’re feeling particularly indecisive.
And if you need some food to pair with your wine, they have a full menu of perfect pairing partners. Do yourself a favor and try the goat cheese beignets.
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