The Best Wine Bars in Houston

Find edgy natural wine specialists, haunted haunts, and perfect patios to pop some bubbly.

It’s wine o’clock somewhere, as Workin' Moms may say, which means it’s time to uncork Houston’s finest wine-centric experiences. We’re a city—and state—that loves its wine, so we have all types of establishments at which to enjoy it. From dimly lit haunts with quiet backdrops and bespoke lists from small producers to easygoing patios where you can pop bottles and snack on charcuterie with your crew, these 12 fantastic wine bars are awaiting your arrival.

East End
Over in the historic Second Ward lies a funky neighborhood wine bar that zeros in on smaller producers and houses a Chefs-in-Residency program. Pop in to sip your way through Willamette Valley pinot, Napa petite syrah, and New Zealand chardonnay paired with bar snacks like anchovy toasts, sesame crusted cocktail nuts, and a daily selection of charcuterie and cheese.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating.

Montrose
Things are au naturel at this sleek neighborhood wine shop and bar, where the talented staff is known to pull a few favorites for pop-in tastings. Go hang with the crew to sip through a multitude of natural wines and make use of their knowledge to pick up some bottles to-go.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating or order cases/bottles online.

Montrose Cheese & Wine
Montrose Cheese & Wine

Montrose
If you like the finer things in life, this cheese and wine shop from Goodnight Hospitality (Rosie Cannonball, March) is an absolute must visit. The super educated staff hand selects small producers for its rotating library of a dozen or so cheeses and 125 wines. Linger at the bar or out on its adorable patio to indulge in Truffle Gouda, Caviar, and June's Brut Rosé (from GH partner and Wine Enthusiast’s "Sommelier of the Year 2018," June Rodil); join the monthly wine club; and watch out for its après-ski style raclette parties once the weather cools off.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating or order takeout via Toast.

Heights
Bright, clean, posh, and boozy. That’s the aesthetic you’re getting at this California wine country-inspired tasting room. The experts here cherry pick distinctive, hard-to-score wines you wouldn’t typically find in the Texas market, and pours them by the flight, glass, and bottle accompanied by seriously good shareables and plates such as Grilled Spanish Octopus, Handmade Herb Cavatelli Pasta, and Chamomile & Honey Crème Brulée. The cellar room and patio also hosts fun things like Paella Sunday, seasonal dinner series and tastings, and pup-friendly Yappy Hour.
How to book: Reserve via Resy.

Postino WineCafe
Postino WineCafe

Multiple venues
When you want to keep things easy with a group of friends, this Phoenix-based wine bar (which now rocks five and counting locations across the city) is where you want to be. The short but smart selection of wines are $6 a glass and $24 a bottle during its seven-day-a-week happy hour, and tacking on a bruschetta board or two is just about the easiest decision you’ll make all week.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating or order takeout via Toast.

EaDo
Sometimes, being self-serving can be a good thing. Take this self-serve wine concept and patio bar, for example, which offers half-a-hundo wines poured directly from automated dispensing machines in one-, three,- and five-ounce samplings. Just show up, put your card in the slot, score yourself some sweet pours, and swirl, sip, repeat alongside dishes like melon with chevre, Wagyu beef tartare, and the Birds and Bubbles Wednesday special.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating or reserve a spot for parties of eight or more on Tock.

Trez Bistro & Wine Bar
Trez Bistro & Wine Bar

Montrose
Art. Live Music. Wine. Trez is a whole vibe. Score a table to get cultured via local art and jams, tasty bites, craft cocktails, and most obviously, fine wines from the globe’s top producing regions—South Africa, Argentina, Italy, France, you name it. Weekly specials include Wine Flight Wednesdays, weekend brunch, and the TREZ Supper Club on Saturday evenings.
How to book: Reserve seating online (there is a 15 minute grace period on all reservations and a two-hour seating limit on peak days) or contact info@trezartandwinebar.com for parties of five or more.

Rice Village
You’ll find a thoughtful list of small-scale and family owned wine producers at this bespoke bottle shop and wine bar, from the minds behind wine-fueled Italian eatery Divino (a Montrose neighborhood fixture that has since closed with plans to relocate). The crew channeled a Euro-style enoteca, offering wine seminars and focused tastings, wine dinners and private events in the tasting room, and curated weekly wine flights at the bar.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating or call 832-849-1687 to reserve a table.

Wine bar with green chairs at 13 Celsius
VJ Arizpe

Midtown
If you're looking for a European-style enoteca with eclectic, global selections housed in a super sexy ‘20s-era building, this is very specifically it. With an extensive 450+ library curated and cared for by sommelier and GM Adele Corrigan, the spot prides itself in selecting bottles with unique character and storing them at a temperature that you would never, ever guess by the name of the place. Damn fine charcuterie and bar snacks pair perfectly with the wines, from the aromatized and fortified to the sparkling and seasonal and are offered by the bottle, glass, half-glass, and taste.
How to book:Stop by for first come, first served seating.

Trendy wine bar counter in Houston at Camerata at Paulie's
Kirsten Gilliam 

Montrose
This coolly unpretentious wine chamber comes from Paulie’s Paul Petronella, who was inspired to create a low-key neighborhood wine bar nine year’s back. The bar’s wine list is user-friendly as it gets, broken down by flavor instead of origin, making it easier for complete neophytes to find the perfect glass or bottle (of course, the staff is also well-equipped to assist). Work through that or choose from a selection of beers, cyders, cicchetti, salumis, and cheeses; or test your palate on Somm Sundays, when the wine team will lead you through a blind tasting.
How to book:Stop by for first come, first served seating.

Exterior of La Carafe wine bar in Houston
Flickr/Sean Davis

Downtown
You can’t visit Market Square without popping into this creaky time warp to the 1800s, housed in one of downtown’s oldest buildings. The slightly spooky cash-only bar boasts an extensive wine list plus features like a sexy playlist of jukebox selections from Louis Armstrong, Peggy Lee, and Bob Marley; candelabras, antiques, and exposed brick; and quite possibly, ghosts.
How to book:Stop by for first come, first served seating.

Upper Kirby (& Katy)
This Houston-born, Cali-inspired wine bar focuses on small lot selections from a particular region. Can you guess which? Make the most of your money with truly awesome seven-ounce pours and versatile wine flights and bottles, or score happy hour and daily specials like $6 Patio Spritzers and Black Truffle Deviled Eggs, half-priced Wine Flight Wednesdays, and half-off Pizza Thursdays.
How to book:Make a reservation online or order takeout.

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Brooke Viggiano is a Houston writer who must think it’s always “wine o’clock” because she clearly has no idea what time you’re reading this. Follow her and her wine mouth @BrookeViggiano.