my son has decided on SMU this fall for undergrad. I’m excited for him and I am looking forward to learning more about Dallas–what are the best wine stores in and near Dallas?
alan
Alan,
In the completely not helpful category since this isn’t in Dallas but if you are going to Dallas anyway Austin is only about three hours (which is like 10 minutes in a car in Texas time) away. Austin Wine Merchants is one of the better shops I have seen. Texas has its Specs stores which can be huge and full of stuff but they don’t necessarily do it for every one.
In attempt to be helpful I would suggest Charlie Palmer’s Restaurant at the Joule Hotel in downtown. Anyone can recommend the Mansion at Turtle Creek for its food and wine list but CP’s has very good food, a pretty decent wine list and it won’t completely break the bank (that’s your son’s job now isn’t it?). Good luck with Texas. Man, does it get hot there.
Congrats. I went to grad school there and actually met my wife there. Needless to sayI think he will have a good time and it is a good school with a good alumni network. As for wine stores. The three big guys are Goody Goody, Sigels, and Centennial. They have a bit of everything. You rally cannot go wrong with any of those and all have shops within a few miles of SMU.
For older Bordeaux and Burgs you have La Cave and Graileys (which is actually a Private Club) is usually where I go. Good luck and I would love to have a glass with you when in town. I am only a few miles on the other side of the highway from SMU.
Well, it’s rather sparse IMHO. Sorry for the toes I just stepped on, but it’s true. When I think of what we had here 20 years ago even, it doesn’t compare. Ok, as to what there is now…there are some local chains that are good in their areas of interest (Goody Goody, Centennial). Goody Goody is noteworthy because they direct import some stuff the other locals don’t get who depend on the distributors’ wisdom and inventory. There are no small independents I’d recommend anymore. They either have pedestrian wines, exorbitant prices, or don’t pay their taxes…and often it’s all 3.
Depends on what you like. No great sources for Burgundy. Hit and miss across several retailers. Pogo’s at Lover’s Lane and Inwood has a decent selection. Sigel’s has an OK selection, but it’s spread out over a bunch of stores. But if there is something in particular you are looking for, Jasper Russo is the go to guy to get it (jrusso at sigels dot com). They can have it delivered to any store. As to their stores, probably the best near SMU is the one on Fitzhugh. The Centennial on Preston just south of Northwest Highway also has some decent bottles.
One nice thing about these three stores from your stand point is that they are all within a ten minute drive or less of SMU. That’s probably because that’s the neighborhood I know best. (My Dallas condo is about a mile south of campus.)
The most unique shop, IMHO, is La Cave. It’s very private and heavy on Bordeaux, old and new. It’s run by a Bordeaulaise, Francois Chandou, and has no storefront. The inventory is kept in cellar temp conditions in a warehouse and you can find out what is in stock via computers and their web site (lacavewarehouse.com) I don’t know enough about Bordeaux to say much about the prices, but the selection is unrivaled in Dallas and storage conditions are impeccable. It’s where I have my off site storage and I’ve been very pleased. They’re no as close to SMU, but not really that far in the grand scheme of things.
PM if you have more specific questions about wine stores, SMU, or Dallas. I’m an alum and one of my daughters looked briefly at attending as an undergrad. The other wants to go to law school there (but is doing everything she can to her GPA to avoid being admitted:(. )
Full disclosure: I previously worked at La Cave Warehouse, but am no longer affiliated.
First, remember you are in Texas - nothing will be price friendly.
I can go into more detail here as I’m more familiar: La Cave Warehouse has by far the most unique business model - as noted, there is no storefront - but also the broadest and deepest selection of Bordeaux in the Dallas area. The provenance is perfect, all having been purchased on futures and stored in the temperature controlled warehouse since that time. That said, the prices are on the high end. There is also a decent selection of other wine regions (Burgundy in laymans terms, older Cali Cabs - most of the French school, some Loire sweet wines, Italians, Rhones, etc) Here is a direct link to the inventory, as I believe some have had difficulty accessing it in the past (click the picture):
I have limited experience with others, but would mention these two as well:
Pogo’s is sporadic with Burgs and prices are also high. Better selection of new world here with a touch and go selection of mature bordeaux.
Sigels has a lot of things as well. They also control a lot of smaller production wines in the state - purchasing the entire allocation before they are offered to the rest of the market. I’ve had good experiences with mature wines here, but I am unsure of how they are stored.
Congrats to your son and good luck!