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440 West 2nd St.
(512) 236-8020
Website: Malaga Wine & Tapas Bar
Hours: Monday to Friday (Lunch) 11:30am-1:30pm; Saturday to Sunday (Lunch) 11:30am-2:30pm; Sunday to Wednesday (Dinner) 5pm-10pm; Thursday (Dinner) 5pm-11pm; Friday to Saturday (Dinner) 5pm-12am
Happy hour: 5-7pm

Our rating:

Malaga Wine and Tapas Bar is one of Austin’s original wine bars. Located near the Warehouse District, Malaga has been serving up wine and Spanish appetizers for almost a decade. We stopped by Malaga for their happy hour, which was hopping and fun.

According to their web site, for happy hour they offer a limited selection of white and red wines for $4.00 and some tapas for an additional $3.50. When we got our menus, the happy hour actually features a choice of two white wines, three reds and one rosé for $4.50, not $4. The tapas were still available for an additional $3.50 each. Not that $.50 is any big deal, but if you look at Austin City Guide the wine is listed as costing $3.00. It’s time to clean up some stale data.

We ordered a couple of glasses of 2007 Crios de Susana Balboa Rosé de Malbec, and our friend ordered a Don Miguel Gascón 2007 Malbec. The red wine was a great pour. The rosés had less wine in the glass and could have been a little colder, but we still enjoyed them a lot. To pair with our wines, we ordered Pincho Moruno (marinated grilled pork bites), Gambas al Ajillo (garlic shrimp), and Almogrote de Alcachofas (artichoke and spinach dip). The pork and the shrimp were great, and the dip was okay, but nothing special.

Our second round of reds included two glasses of old, oxidized wine. When we told our server, the glasses were removed immediately and replaced.

We appreciated the prompt replacement of the old wine, but we really wish all wine bars would check their wines with a quick-and-easy sniff test before service. We are starting to suspect that many wine bars don’t bother, because people either don’t notice or people don’t say anything and just think that they don’t like that particular wine. In our opinion it doesn’t matter — serving wine that is corked, old, or spoiled in any way just isn’t cool.

In addition to their happy hour wines by the glass, Malaga is currently offering 10 whites, 15 reds, and 4 sparklers by the glass. Malaga also has an excellent selection of wines by the bottle. In fact, they’ve received an Award of Excellence from the Wine Spectator on three occasions. In addition to having plenty of wines to select from, Malaga’s 2x retail mark-up will let your wallet off a little easier than some other wine bars in town.

I like Malaga. The atmosphere is pleasing, and I think that their happy hour wine and tapas combination is one of the best deals in town. I suggest you stop by and check it out.

900 East 7th Street
(512) 479-8117
Website: Uncorked Tasting Room & Wine Bar
Hours: Monday thru Saturday, 11am-12am
Happy hour: Not yet

Our rating:

Uncorked Tasting Room and Wine Bar is the newest wine bar in Austin. Located at 900 East 7th Street, it is the second wine bar to open east of IH 35 as the entertainment district continues to expand in downtown Austin. We stopped by after work on a Tuesday night to see how things are coming along.

Uncorked is a remodeled house (formerly Angie’s) giving it some cozy rooms for friends to gather and drink wine. When it is cooler, Uncorked also offers a nice outdoor seating area. Inside, the décor is rather sparse, but I am sure that the owners will be adding details as they settle into their new spot. [click to continue…]

308 Congress Ave
(512) 474-2675
Website: Cork & Co.
Hours: M-F, 3pm-midnight; Sat., noon-midnight; Sun., 5pm-midnight
Happy Hour: Everyday, 3 to 7pm

Our rating:

The other day, we visited Cork & Co. (or Cork and Company… I’ve seen them use both spellings), one of the last wine bars in downtown Austin that we needed to review.

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606 Rio Grande
(512) 479-8117
Website: Aquarelle Restaurant Français
Hours: Tuesday thru Saturday, 5pm to close
Happy Hour: 5 to 7 pm, ½ price bar food

Our rating:

At a recent wine tasting, one of my fellow tasters mentioned a wine bar at Aquarelle Restaurant Français. He was quite enthusiastic about the place and the wines they were pouring. I have had several fine meals at Aquarelle, and I decided to give their wine bar a try.

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313 East 2nd St.
(512) 469-7988
Website: Tierra del Fuego
Hours: Monday thru Saturday, 4pm-1am
Happy Hour: 4-7pm, half-price bruschetta

Our rating:

One of the newest wine bars in Austin is Tierra del Fuego, located near the convention center on east 2nd. Fuego opened for business about 6 weeks ago, but they are still preparing for their official grand opening. We stopped by on a Monday evening to see how things are shaping up.

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1000 East 11th Street, Ste. 150
(512) 236-0088
Website: Primizie Osteria
Hours: Monday thru Friday, 11am-10pm; Saturday, 5-10pm; Sunday 5-9pm
Happy Hour: 4-7pm, discount appetizers

Our rating:

As we are making rounds of the wine bars in Austin, we found ourselves on East 11th Street, at Primizie Osteria Italian Café Wine & Bar, which is located next door to Ms. B’s Authentic Creole Restaurant. Word around town is that the food is good and reasonably priced.

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6317 Bee Caves
(512) 327-8822
Website: The Grove Wine Bar & Kitchen
Hours: Sunday thru Thursday 11am to 10pm; Friday thru Saturday, 11am to 11pm
No Happy Hour

Our rating:

Reed Clemons (of the restaurants Granite Café, Mezzaluna, Reed’s Jazz, and Supper Club, etc.) has opened a new wine bar and restaurant, The Grove Wine Bar and Kitchen. The Grove is located on Bee Caves Rd. just north of 360, making it a great place to stop on your way home from work if you live in that area.

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238 W 2nd St
(512) 472-9463
Website: Cru Locations
Hours: Sun-M, 4-11pm; Th-Sat, 4pm-mid
Happy Hour: 4-6pm, 1/2 price app. & pizzas; Wednesday 1/2 price Champagne

Our rating:

The other night we made it to Crú, A Wine Bar, an established wine bar on 2nd street. It was a nice night, so we decided to take a table next to an open door. Crú offers more than 40 wines by the glass and 14 different flights: seven red, six white and one sparkling wine. The flights are served using a fancy wine glass carrying device so our server could bring 12 glasses at one time to our table.

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202 W Cesar Chavez
(512) 478-2283
Website: Taste Select Wines
Hours: Monday thru Thursday, 10am-12midnight; Friday and Saturday, 10am-1am; Sunday, 12noon-9pm
No Happy Hour

Our rating:

I have rewritten this review at least three times. I really wanted a clever way to sneak-up on the idea that I just love Taste Select Wines. I know it is bad form to say I love you on the first date, but when it strikes, you just have to go with it.

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1014 North Lamar, Ste. E
(512) 482-8868
Website: Wink Restaurant
Hours: Monday thru Saturday, 5pm-12midnight
Happy Hour 5pm to 7pm - ½ priced bar food

Our rating:

Wink, the restaurant, has been one of the best places to eat in Austin for years. About three years ago, they opened a wine bar a couple of doors down from their restaurant. And boy, are we glad they did.

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