Creaky old houses can make you do some crazy things, like butcher your entire family, or, worse, butcher Harry Belafonte. Now an old house is making you swig sweet, sweet vino: East End Wines
Taking over a restored 1890s Victorian that once housed Austin's first African-American pharmacist, East End's a completely unpretentious fermented-grape boutique conceived and run by a 31-year-old former Central Market buyer who started out a decade ago as a wine delivery man -- who says you can't drink your way to the top
He'll guide you through his carefully curated selection by region, starting with Spaniards like an '07 Mustiguillo Mestizaje, a dense full-bodied alternative to Cabernet from the Valencian bobal grape, and a shockingly under-priced '06 Naveran Cava Brut, which is essentially André for Big Bois.
France weighs in with a sub-$10 Famaey Cahors Malbec, from the region where the popular Argentinean variety originated, Australia represents with the wildly popular, light-bodied Black Ridge Pinot Noir, up-and-coming Oregon vineyard Anne Amie shows up with a crisp '08 Muller Thurgau, and for a full-bodied twist on a Cabernet franc there's a number from Italy's Casa Zuliani, known for producing Republican mayors who are really, really, ridiculously good looking
Although quietly open right now, East End's celebrating in grand fashion this Saturday by uncorking 18 bottles of their finest for your tasting pleasure, enough for you to keep drinking all day-o, day-ay-ay-o, until your seemingly possessed antics start to drive everybody Zag-nuts.
Taking over a restored 1890s Victorian that once housed Austin's first African-American pharmacist, East End's a completely unpretentious fermented-grape boutique conceived and run by a 33-year-old former Central Market buyer who started out a decade ago as a wine delivery man -- who says you can't drink your way to the top?