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A D V E R T I S E M E N T
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T
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Stomping On Fun
For a bunch of joints in town, wine sales get a little sluggish during the summer — when the air is as thick, sloppy, and oppressive as Anna Nicole Smith trying to tongue-kiss a 90-year-old billionaire, folks would rather not pull from a room-temperature beverage when they can order up either an ice-cold beer or cool, crisp cocktail.
So for some hang-outs whose raison d’etre is wine, a little creativity is called for.
Last Call’s talking specifically about the appropriately named Ridglea & Vine Wine Room. One heckuva cool, swanky yet inviting establishment, on the second floor of a building across the street from Ridglea Theater, the year-old Wine Room isn’t exactly located in the hottest party district in town and thus isn’t crowded every night. The summertime weather doesn’t really help.
“This time of year, it really slows down,” said co-owner Dan Hellberg, the desperation in his voice as palpable as a citrusy cherry finish in an early-oughties Woollaston Nelson Rose. “People aren’t drinking wine as much, typically. They’re having margaritas at places with patios, stuff like that.
So if the Wine Room tried to swing a few specials to keep the cash register a-ringing between May and September, you could probably empathize. For one particular planned special, however, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission didn’t.
Before the Wine Room could even begin promoting a potentially fantastic weekly special — all you can drink house wine for $25 — The Man found out and put the kibosh on the whole endeavor. Apparently, according to a TABC official, what the Wine Room was planning on offering was a “buy-in,” an illegal activity in these here parts.
In the meantime, if you haven’t already, check out the Wine Room, even during what stands to be the hottest North Texas summer on record. A glass of an everyday label costs about $6 on average, and there’s probably no other Clubland locale as simultaneously chic and non-pretentious that offers a vino selection that includes Salmon Harbor Chardonnay, Excelsior Cabernet, Thirsty Lizard Shiraz, and several other brands whose names Last Call can’t pronounce.
Yes, the place is air-conditioned.
You can reach Last Call
at lastcall@fwweekly.com
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