I bought the Groupon for this place and took my boyfriend here this past Sunday.
The Groupon gets you a platter of 5 cheese, grapes, apples, a berry jam, olive/cheese spread, candied pecans, 3 types of crackers, 4 dark chocolates, and your choice of either a cherry tart a la mode or smores that you make at your own table (since the Groupon isn't real clear about what all you get). It does not include wine, as it's illegal to discount alcohol on a deal like this.
Honestly, the cheese platter is really underwhelming. The cheese was basically tasteless. They got more flavor as they got warmer (it was in the 90s that day), but unfortunately, that also makes them oily. My boyfriend really liked the olive/goat and feta cheese spread, the berry jam from Fredericksburg was actually really good and the rosemary crackers were good. The other crackers were fairly standard, the pear slices were standard and the so-called "muscat red grapes" were just plain red grapes.... The candied pecans were good and the chocolates were also tasty. The smores making is definitely an experience as you get to do it at your table, but just involved hersheys chocolate, regular graham crackers, marshmallows, nothing special.
Even with the discount, I feel like I paid too much for all of it, I definitely would never pay full price.
That being said, we specifically went on a Sunday as that's the only day we both have off work, AND because that whole day they do half price glasses on wines that they opened the previous day. Scooooore. We tried to get there fairly early, because I was afraid they'd be selling out of those fast. We got there about 4 pm and went to the counter to order. I was super surprised to see how long the list was of discounted wines, and then it was pointed out to me that that was just the reds list, there was *another* big long line list of discounted whites, AND they both continued onto the backs of the papers!
Tempranillo is my favorite varietal and they had both the radio boca and the volver discounted. I've had the radio boca and it's not my favorite, so I decided to try the volver, which is a house favorite apparently. Unfortunately, there was only half a glass left, but he said the price for it would reflect that. It was delicious!!! The normal price for a glass was $10, which is a bit more than I would want to spend, but it was so delicious. My boyfriend wanted something light as we would be sitting outside, but not super sweet. The chenin blanc was recommended to him and it was super tasty, crisp and tart like apples. Yum.
We also ordered a carafe of sangria since he really likes sangria and there were several Yelp reviews recommending it. We had a choice of peach mango basil sangria made with white wine or cranberry raspberry citrus sangria made with red wine. We got the peach mango basil and holy crap it was amazing. I have to agree with everyone else that this sangria is made with quality wine and it was so good, we quickly sucked it down. It says serves 3, but we got 2 very full glasses for each of us, which was fine by me. It's also served in a giant beaker, which is geektastic. The sangria was $25, which was a great price! That's only $6.25 for four VERY full tasty glasses.
The outside was very cute and comfy. They have fans and misters, which helps the heat, but it would still probably be better for a little cooler weather. They have indoor seating as well, in several separate rooms, but it felt a bit claustrophobic inside and I love being able to be outdoors. They also had some live music, but we couldn't hear it as we were around the corner. Thurs-Sun nights they have live music.
I would skip on the cheese platters, but the wine here is delicious. Since it seemed like a lot was just a *bit* too pricey for me, I'll definitely be back on another Sunday for more half price glasses.
Oh, where to begin.
I lived right by this place for years and never thought to try it. Â Then when I move out of the neighborhood, I finally do and loved it. Â That's my luck though.
We went on a Sunday evening for half price glasses of wine. Â What they do is have a list of everything they opened on Saturday night, serve it half price until the bottle is empty, and then cross it off the list. Â When we got there around 6:00pm, there were quite a few bottles on the list, so a lot to chose from. Â It was great. Â
We also ordered the Henri's Artisan Cheese Plate (the sans meat one), and everything on it went so well with the wine. Â It was delicious. Â Once that settled and we had finished our first glasses, we ordered the Mediterranean Plate and another round off the half price list. Â The Baba ghanoush was awesome. Â
All in all, a great Sunday evening in a comfortable little house. Â You can pick from bar-height tables and chairs or living room furniture inside. Â The outside areas looked nice too.
I'll be back soon!
I purchased a Groupon for a cheese, fruit, and dessert plate. Â The rules said to call and reserve. Â I did. Â The person who answered did not know what I was talking about. Â
Not handicap accessible at all.
A friend and I went. Â We came in from the parking lot. First thing we see, a whole room of comfy places reserved.
No one greeted us. Â We picked a table on the patio and sat, and sat, etc.... Finally, my friend went in. Â No one came to explain how it works.
It was not clear what goupon provided. Â We had to start a tab. There was no service. Â Due to stairs, my friend had to go get everything.
I asked for a refill of water. Â They said it is inside. I explained about the stairs. Â he shrugged shoulders like too bad.
No one checked if food ok.
Could hear pterry loudspeaker on the patio.
Good- fig preserves, sweet pecans, cheese/olive spread
Bad - rest of it, cheap, basic, flavorless cheeses, reg crackers, grapes and cheap sliced apples.
Maybe if I were 21, I could like this place. Â Knowing better, not at all.
Boyfriend bought a Groupon for a fruit, cheese and dessert tasting here. We got there a bit early (250pm) place opens at 3pm, but they guy that works there was kind and told us that they'd be open shortly.
OMG, I was blown away with the cheese and dessert. I wish I could add photos to show the plate that was brought out along with the s'mores dessert!
Totally recommend trying this place out :)
Excellent place, great service, reasonable selection and prices. Â Best of all the nightly music makes this a truly special place to visit with friends or simply relax... Â Jay does a great job in bringing in the talent. Â Dog friendly, too! Â So watch for Riley sightings at House Wine!
Review Source:One of our favorite hangouts. The owners and employees are all genuinely nice people, and very knowledgeable about wines and beer. House Wine has an outstanding selection of wines, and the staff is always happy to help us figure out our ideal wine for the evening. If we are in the mood to just quietly chat among ourselves, it's perfect; and if we're in the mood to meet new, interesting friends, House Wine is great for that as well. From long-time friends, to business associates to our parents, we always enjoy introducing new people to House Wine.
Review Source:Seriously, this is one of Austin's little treasures. Â The staff is great and friendly every time I go there (over 4 years??), and you can't beat their cheese plates! Â I know you're thinking, "It's just cheese woman, calm down!" but they really have a gift for paring the perfect cheese and wine for extremely reasonable prices. Â They also sometimes have live music that is VERY subtle and never overwhelming. Â This place is great for date night, girl's night or a nice place to sit and chat with my parents when they come to visit.
Review Source:Wine? Yes please. Groupon? Why sure.
I purchased a Groupon for $16 for a cheese plate and a dessert tasting and boy, was it ever worth it! I'm not sure what the discount was, but it didn't even matter. I had great company with me and it turned out to be a fantastic night!
The weather was awesome and we got a table right out front. My girlfriends and I sat and chatted for a while and then our cheese plate came out. It was fantastic - lots of varieties of cheeses and to compliment it, there were grapes and pears, honey-jam and roasted walnuts. There were also 3 different types of crackers. It was fantastic! It was supposed to be only for 2 but it's a good thing there were 3 of us otherwise we wouldn't have been able to finish it!
We started off with their happy hour white wine (which I cannot remember what kind it was...), but it was crisp, clean and refreshing. It really paired well with the cheese plate, so I was happy.
After the cheese plate, my girlfriend got us a carafe of sangria. It was delicious! We each got about 2 glasses a piece which turned out to be a great deal. While we were finishing our sangria, a woman came up to us and said we were in luck because they select a couple random days out of each month where they do amateur comedy hour. The comics, for being amateurs, were actually pretty good. I mean come on. They were amateurs...give em' a break!
They were really busy, so it took quite a while for our dessert to come out. I had to go up to the side window to ask about, which was no big deal because we weren't in a rush or anything.
The dessert finally came out. We ordered the cherry tarts. There were 2 in the shape of 2 hearts and 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream. The tarts tasted unbelievable! They were steaming hot and the crust tasted homemade. The filling was just the right amount of filling and jelly and cherries.
The bathrooms and the inside of the place were extremely clean, which is just something about my surroundings I noticed.
It was a great night, great place, great atmosphere. They could have used more staff is my only critique!
My girlfriends and I have deemed this "wine down Sunday." We go here each Sunday as soon as the doors open and sit for hours. We don't really have a schedule, we just show up. Others come and go, but each Sunday, we are here.
The house is adorable, the service is top notch, and the wine....well, it's wine. What is there to complain about? Bottles opened Sat night are 1/2 price glasses on Sunday. I feel it is my responsibility to help them clear these devil bottles out. I mean, who wants to be stuck with a 1/2 bottle of wine? Â Not me!
We also snack on the cheese plates, crackers, and cholcate. Although a bit pricey, I think it's well worth the ambiance, time with pals, and the memories.
As long as House Wine needs my assistance, I will continue to lend a helping hand.
Back again,
This is another prime example of a place I am embarrassed I have not reviewed sooner. When I moved to Austin a date took me to House Wine and I thought "Wow, I think I am going to like this city." Â
I have been back many times since to show friends that live here, or are visiting. My biggest selling point being that it doesn't fit into a box. You can take someone that likes beer, or wine and you don't feel pressured to drink, or the other. They have amazing cheese boards and finger foods.
One of the owners are almost always there and the staff is competent, polite, and non-invasive. You can sit out front, on their porch and patio area, or pleasantly inside in the living room or back room.
An important side note: I was recently hired to host and coordinate an event for the Austin Animal Pet Shelters. I needed a classy, but relaxed venue that would set an applicable atmosphere, but not overshadow and I thought House Wine would be perfect. They agreed, and this Saturday April the 20th, we had a very successful event there. You owe it to yourself to come out and see this private gem tucked away off Lamar on Josephine St. I guarantee it will be worth your time.
I'm in love with House Wine. Â I've only been once, and maybe it's too soon to be proclaiming such declarations of love, but I can just tell. Â House Wine is "the one".
To start, House Wine is beautiful. I mean, really beautiful. Â Lovely outdoor area with cute tables, pretty greenery, intimate feel. Â Additionally, House Wine has a lot to offer. Â All kinds of wines, cocktails, beer. Â She keeps things interesting with live music. Â And she also has a very comfortable, homey, private atmosphere. Â What more could I ask for?
Came here on a beautiful spring night. Perfect temperature for enjoying the beautiful outdoor patio, even at 8:30 pm. We used the Groupon for the cheese/fruit/dessert plate. I ordered a glass of red wine (Chilean cab). Â It was great and the plate was decadent!!! Â Pear slices, chocolate, candied nuts, brie cheese, several different kinds of cheese cubes, three different kinds of crackers (one GF), etc. Â For the dessert portion, we chose the s'mores and got to roast our own marshmallows at the table :) The live band was amazing and really added to the vibe of the venue. I don't think I could have been any happier, honestly.
Oh, House Wine...how I wish I lived down the street from you and your fun neighbors (what up, Peter Pan Put Put?) This is one of my favorite spots. It's great on weekdays when you want a chill place to hang out with your friends. And the weekends? How do you feel about wine and live music?
I can vouch for all their little snackies, too--the Bre is amazing! Artisan Plate is delicious! And they expanded their (pet-friendly) outdoor patio so it's cozier than ever.
What better place to meet with associates from the wine industry than at a wine bar! Â Brilliant! Â Charming outdoor seating areas (pet friendly) or go indoors to feel like you're sharing a drink at grandma's house, just without the doilies. Â Check out their website for daily specials. Â Sunday - half off glasses from bottles opened the night before. Thursday - free apps after 7pm. Delish cheese and nut plates. Â A little gem hidden blocks from DT.
Review Source:I've decided I really love House Wine. Thank you Keri B. for introducing me to sooooo many things.
Cheese and honey? what? WHAT? HOW IS THIS SO GOOD? Apparently it's "European," Little did I know.
Anyway, the two times I've been have been on Sunday (They offer a list of their red and white wines that have been opened and are half priced.) The first time with yelpers was so much fun. We snacked on the Brie plate (thanks Melissa A.) Smores (thanks Errol M.) and the Artisan plate (ohmygosh thanks Keri B.). Can you see I mooch a little? Anyway, House Wine is a fantastic place to kick back, enjoy half priced wine, and absolutely-to-die-for cheese plates and other sweet sensations.
The second time I went with the boyfriend, to show him the magical-ness. We ordered the Artisan cheese plate (if you're a yelper you get $2 off!) and sipped on lovely wine.
Ahhhhh, House Wine... I love thee
LOVED this place. Tried a variety of wine and all were very good, especially at the happy hour price. Their cheese plates are fantastic and what a great outdoor patio! It was so nice to sit in the sunshine and listen to live acoustic guitar while sipping wine and noshing on cheese. One of the best wine bars in Austin.
Review Source:Three of the following four were overheard on a Sunday afternoon at House Wine:
1) Â "Nah, I never went out with him again. Â His beard smelled like [edited for content]"
2) Â "Oh, even though we cut his balls off, he's still horny all the time."
3) Â "This tattoo? Â It's a line from a Modest Mouse song."
4) Â "Pretty much my favorite restaurant of all time is [edited... cause I'm sure she didn't REALLY say Red Lobster].
1) Â Sunday at House Wine is where the beautiful people of austin hang out to break down their dating life, good or bad. Â And it's much easier to commiserate with a friend when you're both sipping on 1/2 price wine by the glass on bottles opened the night before. Â At the bar, look for two handwritten lists: Â one white, one red. Â When a bottle gets finished, it gets crossed off the list. Â Easy peasy.
2) Â Sunday at House Wine is a dog-friendly place to hang out in the front yard "outdoor lounge". Â There's also wi-fi for your Macbooks or iThings. Â There are heaters in the winter and misters in the summer.
4) Â Sunday at House Wine is a place where an international foodie can satiate her fondness for cheese (imported European, or local artisan), smoked salmon, or hummus. Â Who knew that cheese was served with honey? Â (don't forget the $2 yelp check-in offer on cheese plates) Â Also, the s'mores are fun, but don't wait too long or your personal table gel-fire will run out.
House wine is a great place for a couple or twelve yelpers to hang out in a relaxed environment, chat, or people watch. Â Or one person can sit alone and read one of those paper things they made before Al Gore invented Kindles. Â Parking may be slim to none, but there is plenty on the street. Â Just go inside, walk up to the helpful staff at the bar, start your tab, and relax.
*NOTE: Â Credit to Robert B. for the tattoo story. Â It's a really good one, but was unfortunately said elsewhere.
I was really blown away by the place. I met a few Yelpers here, and we sat on the pattio drinking wine, cracking wise, and eating brie plates and s'mores. My dog Bocce had a great time, too! Dog-friendly, cozy, fun... The whole afternoon was a winner! I had two half-price glasses of Merlot, and the most fun, relaxing time in a good while. I will definitely be back, and I look forward to summer afternoons here with good wine, great food, andf good people (and dogs!)
Review Source:I think some places are easier to give five stars than others, and those are the places on which the quality of your experience majorly hinges on yourself.
House wine is a very sweet little house... of wine. Located perfectly (for me) for a post-work, traffic waitout spot to sit, enjoy an adorable little patio, or a number of lounging options in one of three indoor seating areas. Service is at the bar, food trays are delivered to you. I have a great coupon for a cheese platter I'll be going back to try.
They have a wonderful wine selection, intimate seating, quietly located off Lamar, behind P Terry's. It's just over all a pretty quaint, well set up, well executed concept with no fuss, no pretense, good wine, cheese and some pretty impressive art on the walls. I can see myself becoming a regular here, sipping a Chenin Blanc, doing a crossword by myself in the corner and being incredibly content.
I enjoyed this place because they have a large variety of wines to pick from. It has an Austin vibe and is of those houses that has been converted in to commercial space. When I visited they had live music, it wasn't a style I prefer but I can see how it adds to this place's charm.
The only thing this place needs is a proper wait staff. I personally hate to walk to the counter to order more wine.
Oh this is just a lovely little place. Â Reasonable prices and a large selection of wines to try. Â The cheese tray is genius and the whole place is a very relaxing, pleasant place to start the evening or end it. Â Or while the afternoon away. Â Try their sangria. Â
I prefer when they don't have a live band, but that's just me. Â Lots of little nooks to hide in, sipping wine and talking treason.
This review is for the "wine tasting class", not general service. Â
It was hosted by a salesman basically, and not a wine educator even though he indicated he had that distinction/certificate. Â For about $20 each, we were given tiny pours, a cheese plate to share with the table, not between ourselves as was advertised. Â The host droned on with a full glass, and rather than reviewing the wines themselves, he asked us what we tasted. Â That's the wine version of "And how did that make you feel?" Â If I am the one leading the class, what am I paying YOU for? Â The theme was Mediterranean wines, which I was actually interested to learn about. Â Too bad I didn't pick up much.
Looks like a cute place, don't know that I'll be back after this experience though.
My friend and I are on a wine bar tour of Austin currently and House Wine was our third stop.
I really liked the atmosphere- outdoor tables in the front, lounge area on the side and interior looked great too. Â The wine list wasn't as extensive as some others, but since it wasn't terribly overwhelming that was nice. Â I don't know if it was because we went on a Sunday night but our bartenders seemed like they could care less if they were there. Â We asked for recommendations based on other wines we like and were simply told that they had a great selection. Â I'm not a wine expert so it bummed me out that they couldn't offer more explanations or go more in depth about what to drink. Â I almost resorted to a Stone IPA but ended up trying something that was just decent.
Not my favorite of our stops so far but I wouldn't detest going back if I had someone who knew a lot about wine with me.
Wine, atmosphere, service. I love those three things about this place. Their daily happy hour options are awesome, especially on Sundays when open bottles from the night before are half off the glass. You can get some serious deals! I love the patio seating and as it's secluded you don't have the constant traffic that you would have if House Wine were located right on Lamar. The service is bare minimum and super laid back but it's all I want from this place. I just want to walk in, get a glass of wine and relax. They are really great about working with you on recommendations and giving you tastings - that's one BIG thing I appreciate (when wine bars do it).
Their cheese plates, to me, are very over priced for what you get. Cheese plates at other wine bars around town are a better value. I'll go elsewhere for food but House Wine is my go to place for a glass of wine!
Quaint little house-now-wine bar just off Barton Springs. They run great specials for by the glass and bottle, and it has a great atmosphere and selection.
The staff could be a bit more attentive when you're actually standing at the counter to order, rather than glance over you and go back to cleaning glasses.
I spent several hours here recently on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and I just can't praise the place enough!
I arrived around 3pm, when they opened, and was shown a list of approximately 50+ wines, available by the glass, all for 1/2 price because the bottles had been opened the previous night. Apparently every Sunday from open to close they offer 1/2 for wine by the glass if you are selecting from open bottles. And, they are good wines! No holding back for these guys, they put the good stuff out there!
Then I ordered their Antonelli's cheese plate. If you check in on Yelp, you get $2 off the price. Yay! More savings!
The cheese plate brought slices of two different cheeses, with some dark chocolate nibs, candied nuts, various crackers, jam and sweet pear slices. Plenty for us to nibble on. Especially when we added the hummus plate to our order. Goodies abound here!
My total bar tab with tip, for the two plates of food and two good glasses of wine was under $25. You can't complain about that.
But the best part was sitting in there newly opened side patio. It is wonderfully shaded and private feeling, with these deep, comfy couches and pillows. Just the place to lazy away a Sunday afternoon.
Austin is blessed to have several amazing wine places (Aviary, Opa, Simplicity and Apothecary come to mind quickly but there are many more) and I would put House Wine near the top of the list.
House wine is tucked far enough from Lamar that you don't get the noise of traffic (save for the traffic in and around P. Terry's across the way). Â It is located in of course an old house (hence "house" wine). Â In recent years House Wine has built a really lovely patio so on a nice day you can chill outside with your wine and enjoy a good book. Â If would rather tap away on your laptop they have free wifi. Â Speaking of book there is a book club I go to that meets here. Â Great location for meeting people if you need that.
On Sundays all day they offer 1/2 price on their glasses of wine. Â On Mondays they have a variety of wine bottles for $20. Â On Thursdays from 7-9PM they have free appetizers and live music. Â If you are hungry they have a variety of cheese plates and desserts. Â The cheese on the cheese plates from the locally famous Antonellie's Cheese Shop.
There is nothing I would change about House Wine. Â It is perfect just the way it is.
Literally the only place I could find with a wine special on a Monday night. I mean, who doesn't want to get sauced up on a Monday? Very surprising.
I got here a bit earlier than the friend I was meeting and the lovely girl behind the counter let me taste a few Rosé wines. I'm really trying to like them but they have such a bad rep. She did recommend one that was fabulous though. LOVED her.
Then she presents their special for the night. $20 bottles of wine? Umm. done. Can we have 3? Yeah, we did. On a Monday. We also ended up making friends with our neighbors and have the best time in the back room. It is definitely perfect for chatting and has a great selection of wine.
I highly recommend the mozarella melting thing (like smores but with mozarella!!) We didn't try it but we definitely coveted it from our table.
House Wine, I LOVE You Man!
Where else with $5 sparklings by the glass for yelp drink weeks (or $20 for the whole bottle on 10 for $20 bottle Monday) can you find a dozen or more of some of my favorite yelpers, the coolest patio for drinking on a perfect Austin spring evening and leave feeling like a rock star?
While most people are not partakers of the bubbles on a regular basis, the prices were something to celebrate and I converted most of them to the enchanting little bubbles. Not sure how many bottles the table consumed, but I was whipping out $20 bills faster than you could say g-string at a strip club, only they were going to bail out my precious bottles of Louis Perdrier Sparkling Rose so they could find their forever home in our laughter that magically filled the air.
Sure they had other yelp specials like $3 Sangria and $2 Fireman's 4. But even the guy who didn't drink, bought a bottle of the bubbles to gift to the crowd, because he knew of the magic it contained.
There were laps sat on, tongues touched, and talks of bra fittings with men and women. Inappropriate? Perhaps. But for one glorious evening, no one cared, laughter ruled, "I love you mans" were spoken, and there was even talk of leaving spouses for this magical crowd. All was great in the land of House Wine.
I've been to a few wine bars, and so far this is my favorite in Austin. What I love about House Wine besides the selection of wine and that it is well, a house, is the decor, including the art (paintings, photographs) from local artists, rotated on a regular basis..
I like the interior, but make sure to sit on the patio before it gets too hot (Oh, wait, that's now. Never mind).
The cheese plates are great too if you need a little snacky snack (the $24.95 three cheese plate with crackers and smoked salmon was plenty for three of us) -- I especially loved the Tuscan olive three cheese spread included with each plate. I didn't quite understand the tortilla chips with the cheese, but this is Texas.
If cheese and crackers won't satisfy your hunger, you can always walk over to nearby P. Terry's for a burger to go.
What a cool little place! Last night, I met up with some friends for a little wine happy hour. I remember going to a wine bar Downtown recently, and that place sucked ass. Soo, not being from 'round these parts, I was a bit skeptical about another wine bar offering. Lucky for me, this ain't a wine bar at all. This is wine raddness! (Not sure if that's a real word--probably not).
I can't say I've ever been to a cooler place to sip vino. As the name of the "bar" states, it's quite literally a house... that serves wine. A comfy house, at that! I could probably post up and drink smashed grapes for hours on end... which could be a good thing, or a bad thing for the owners, as it's not a very large space.
Of course, continuing with the theme of this wonderland known as Austin, Texas, there was a duo busting out folk songs on the front porch. I can't even explain to you how cool that is. I'm from San Diego, and constant live music like this just doesn't exist.
Getting back to the wine--I didn't pay for my own, but I did notice some pretty damn inexpensive bottles behind the counter. A few were priced at $18. Not sure if that's a common occurrence, but I'm all for a tasty, but cheap bottle of red anytime.
I imagine this would be a perfect place to begin a night of debauchery. Start classy, then end up drinking swill from some dude's empty can of Lone Star come 2:00 AM.
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