I stopped in looking to purchase a tequila that I had never tried before, and I was also hoping to find a special bottle for my birthday. I was helped right away, which made the experience easy and welcoming from the start. The staff introduced me to a few new options and took the time to explain them, which helped me feel confident about my purchases. I am still on the hunt for a rare bottle of tequila that is not overly expensive, and while I have not found it yet, I did join the mailing list so I can stay updated. I appreciated the selection and the overall experience, and I will definitely be back if they bring in any new or interesting bottles. read more

Houston Wine Merchant - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Houston, Texas

Remembered passing by this store a few weeks ago, and kept them pinned on my browser to see what they offer. As I'm celebrating this weekend, I checked out their website for the selection champagnes they offered, and found one I'd wanted to try. The crazy construction getting to the parking lot is off-putting, but as I have no idea when I'll be back in this area, I didn't let it deter me. This is probably prettiest wine store I've been in. I don't know what it was but it was an inviting atmosphere. The service was awesome; the staff is very attentive & knowledgeable. And although our salesperson told my Hubby & I how to pronounce the champagne we purchased, I have completely forgotten. LOL! I'll definitely return to try something new. read more

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Awesome service and a great selection of wines from around the world. Sadly, they don't deliver outside the Houston area.

Great store, diverse selection etc , had a conversation with a very nice lady working there who really took the time to answer my questions ( sorry forgot her name ). Also saved a couple dollars off the bottle of Cabernet than other places id seen. Overall pretty great place ! read more

Usually, I have a great experience when I go here. I always enjoyed the wine that was suggested. Last time I felt that one of the sales people (a certain man with a salt and pepper beard) was very condescending. Like we were stupid. He seemed irritated with us. Everyone else is always very nice to deal with. Sales people should be helpful and try to get an idea of what their clients are trying to explain to them. Sadly, I'm not sure that we will return, especially if we walk in and he greets us. read more

I wanted a change from the large wine and liquor franchises where I was constantly disappointed with the wine recommendations. Drove passed this place a few times and decided to give it a try. Great customer service and wine selections. I'm no wine expert, but the gentleman who assisted me was able to make some outstanding recommendations. Price points seemed to be on par with what I saw online so no crazy mark-ups you may expect from a wine boutique. I'll definitely be back! read more

Don't let the construction on Shepherd scare you away from this place! It's well worth it. Knowledgeable and friendly experts inside the shop and had a lot of fun perusing their extensive wine selection. My favorites are Rieslings, and we found one for about $60 price point and it was totally worth it! A bit on the fruitier side, as I'm usually not so used to a Riesling tasting like candy, but it was sooooo good! A good "any time" wine that tastes light, and the quality is definitely more elevated than your average Riesling. I'd highly recommend this place to grab your wine, especially for parties! For the red lovers, they have a pretty great selection of red blends too! read more

The staff is knowledgeable and the merchandise is world class. I had a great time discussing my dinner menu and wine recommendations and they were spot on. Thank you!!! read more

Alot of great wine selections, mostly more on the $$ side. Definitely recommend for wine & the interior is cool.

Is it the best Wine Store in Houston? Probably. Lets be fair about this. Do they have as many labels as any Specs? No. But they also do not have to carry Liberty School, Messina Hoff, or whatever else the Big 2 distributors need help unloading. They stock products they believe in. Sure you may not know the lables in the German section. But lets be honest you do not know German wines if you do not know any of the wines they carry. Looking for a handle of Crown? Probably not the location for you. What they do have is a couple of shelves that will satisfy your curiosity for weird things you have not put in your mouth before. So go in, talk to the friendly staff about what your interests are and they can find things to put in your liquor cabinet, shelves, or fridge. read more

I cannot say enough about this fantastic shop. The customer service is un paralleled! They have a wonderful selection and prices to match. Antonio was especially helpful putting together a gift basket that was just beautiful! This shop provides old school customer service and I am so happy I found them! read more

Houston Wine Merchant's got it going on. They offer a quality selection of wines, a range of price points, the employees are knowledgeable, eager to help AND friendly. It's clean, and they carry a small spirit selection just in case you need a handle of Jack or Espolon Tequila. I've only dropped in twice, but they can certainly count on me dropping in a bit more often (than I should!). Before my first visit, I was at the nearby Randall's looking at their poor selection of Prosecco. I used my Yelp app and chatted with a fella at HWM. He gave me a few options to go with some desserts I had in mind, and I was there within minutes. This past visit - same thing: I wanted to pair some summery wines with beef sliders. Bingo. Bango. They hooked a sista up, and after a few minutes waiting for my selections to chill, I walked out with a Albariño and a dry rosé. (Yes, a red would have paired better with those beefy sliders, but I had just finished a 5pm run, and I specifically requested something cold and refreshing. So there ya have it.) Sign up for their email list and get their entertaining and informative newsletters that invite you to weekend wine tastings - and they're very seasonal and affordable. (Ex: Wines that pair well with BBQ; Spanish wines) There's odd parking in the front, but there's even better parking in the side AND in the back - something I just noticed during my last visit. Here's the link to their wine tastings: http://www.houstonwines.com/Store/Events.htm ¡Salud! read more

Amazing ambience & the staff is so incredibly intelligible & knowledgable w the wines & spirit they sold. Super friendly super inviting atmosphere. i won't be buying alcohol anywhere else! read more

I don't drink wine at all, but I had gotten some recommendations from various friends of mine who experts on wine and headed on down to Houston Wine Merchant. The store has a very lovely design and architecture to it that makes you feel like you're in a wine cellar. They have an enormous selection with prices clearly visible for easy shopping. Since I wasn't much of a wine drinker, I needed a bit of assistance with helping pick out a bottle of wine, specifically a Bourdeaux. I only knew what years that were recommended to me by my friends and what price point I was willing to spend. The owner/manager on duty was incredibly helpful with showing me where they were and asking me a variety of questions despite me lack of understanding of wine terms with helping to pick out a bottle that would serve well as a gift. While I do not understand wine, I do understand someone who knows their stuff and has a passion for it. I had a tremendous experience here with wonderful customer service. My friend was absolutely astounded by the taste of the wine I had gifted her. read more

Gorgeous place with tons of options. They are close to my work so I can just walk over there. The sales guys are experienced and always give good suggestions. They guided me, for example to nice Lebanese wine. Massaya, 2011. Amazing vintage wine and reasonably priced at about $90. They seem to always be on the expensive side but their selection is worth a visit. If they would come down a touch in price I would definitely give them a 5. read more

Huge selection of wine? CHECK Friendly & Knowledgable staff? CHECK Heavily discounted overstock? CHECK David becoming a wino? ...Let's hold off on that one. read more

Outstanding customer service and they had in stock what I was looking for! Devon was super helpful. I'll be going back to this store for sure!!!! read more

If there's a better wine store in Houston, I'd love to see it. Awesome selection, and expert staff. Although I shop for wines at Costco, Trader Joe's, and downtown Spec's, this is the place to go to buy wine with good advice. Their prices seem 20% higher but you're paying for their expertise. Check out the monthly case selection...one priced at $10 per bottle, the other for $20 each...for a good selection of two affordable price ranges. I can't wait till they resume tastings (post-Covid). read more

I come to Houston Wine Merchant solely for the help of their staff. If I wanted to roam around racks of wine desperately looking for assistance I'd go to any ol' grocery store for that. Every bottle I've bought from here have been a hit with friends at dinner parties or as gifts. I've been tempted to take credit for "my" great taste in wine but it'd be a huge lie. One reason I keep on returning to the store is how easy and stress free the experience is. The staff are not afraid to suggest discounted wines and are never pushy with the sales pitch. Plus for easy reference they can keep a record of past purchases. Just in case you forgot the brand or type of wine you bought to that dinner thing a month ago. read more

This review is for the level of service only. Over Christmas, my friend was telling me of this sparkling wine that he loved but he couldn't find anywhere and he wasn't sure where or how he came across it. Thankfully, he remembered the name of it and mentioned he really would like to have it again. As a good friend that I am, I decided to help him out and find the wine. I used to be in the beverage industry, so I knew I could reach out to the distributor and have them tell me where I could find the wine I was looking for. The distributor eventually told me that he didn't have any locations in Houston that carried this product, but put me in touch with Everett at Houston Wine Merchant. A few weeks later I got in touch with HWM and placed an order for my friend's wine. I eventually forgot I placed the order so when i got the call I went to go pick it up (it had been a week or two...this process could have moved along a little faster). After I picked up the wine at the store, I then realized that they ordered the Rose instead of the regular sparkling that I requested. Fortunately, the case of 12 was packed in two 6-packs, so I asked if it would be possible to exchange one of the 6-packs of Rose to the regular sparkling. Everett emailed me back in a timely manner and was working with the distributor to see if they could do something with this situation. The next day, I received another email letting me know I could bring the case in to exchange later that week. I will definitely look into HWM again in the near future for all of my beverage needs. read more

Stopped by today for a specific bottle of bubbly. Great experience. They had what I was looking for and the man who helped me was delightful. I'll be back. read more

I want to love this shop. My husband and I are wine lovers and we've temporarily relocated to Houston. We even shipped some of our collection here. So we're serious about our wine, (read, we really enjoy it.). The shop hits most notes that a good local wine shop should. We prefer shopping at a local establishment, wherever we are. It just doesn't feel comfortable. A good wine store is like a good pair shoes. You know when it's right. This one looks like it should be right, but it doesn't quite fit. The selection is adequate. Some regions even spectacular, but it isn't comfortable. It's a great shop if your not sure about your wines and need hand holding. Otherwise, for my taste it's a little crowded with employees to customers. Maybe they do a lot of business via phone or something I don't know about. I just don't feel comfortable in here. I've been twice. Made purchase both times. Most shops I frequent I get a discount. Here when I asked about a discount I was told only if I buy twelve bottles at a time. Last week when my husband was in there there was some wine festival promotion. I think there was probably a wine festival going on and a different discount was being offered to other people. We were invited to a tasting at an acquaintances home and they mentioned that they got a different discount. However, when I inquired the answer was, "We've been doing it this way for thirty years." Great. Then please be consistent or explain exceptions to new people like me. Wine collectors that attend functions together have big mouths. read more

Ordered a last minute gift for my father on Christmas Eve morning after finding out his other gift wouldn't get there until the 26th. Houston Wine Merchant's killed it! Perfectly curated bottles of wine for a guy who really loves wine. Thank you so much! read more

I am a spoiled b*tch. I expect to have it all. Good wine, good prices, good customer service. I want it all, now! Houston Wine Merchant delivers (mostly). Their selection size does not equal the scale of the Evil Empire's* stock, but Houston Wine Merchant goes for quality wines instead, from good producers that I know and love. They have solid Rhone, (white) Burgundy, and more...basically a good selection from around the world. I can quickly find a bottle here that I'd rather have more than anything the competition is carrying. Customer service. Customer service. I feel like I can build a relationship with this place. They keep me on top of what's going with a newsletter and I've never felt like they were trying to push stuff just to make a sale. Is it me or does Houston add a hidden surcharge to wine? I find Houston Wine Merchant to be competitive on prices locally, but when I look at some of the prices on my favorite producers (that I can get shipped), my lip curls a little. And that's the difference between 4 and 5 stars. *I prefer to not mention names of other businesses in my reviews, but you all know who the Evil Empire is. read more

Houston Wine Merchant has the friendliest, helpful and patient employees! I came in to purchase a bottle of wine for our room while staying in Houston. I was greeted by two smiling faces. One of the employees asked if this was my first visit and she gave me a quick tour and asked if I would like help finding anything. I chose to peruse their awesome end of year wine sale. Later I inquired if they carried a particular wine which they did not so she pointed me in the direction of similar Italian wines. After all that I decided I wanted to purchase a malbec. She gave me her opinion on a few and I snagged a bottle of the Wine Spectators #19 pick. The layout is real easy and appropriately sectioned by region. The selection is everything from $10 table wines to $400+ bottles. If you are in search for a special bottle or just something simple to pair with your dinner Houston Wine Merchant is your spot. read more

I just moved to Houston after having lived in the San Francisco Bay region for almost a decade. I am pretty familiar with West Coast wines/vinyards and pretty dang knowledgable about Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino wines. And no, I'm not particularly advanced in the knowledge of German, French, Spanish or Italian wines but I know my regions and what I have found that I like. I once knew a thing or three about French sparklings and champagnes, but that's another story. For starters, the "owner" seemed agreeable enough -- minus the way he nervously looked at my oversized lunch bag that he asked to hold at the counter. There was another sales "assistant" who seemed to be only good at flirting with the owner and or giving me wayward sideglances while I perused the selection. Then, while traversing the extremely narrow isles of precariously placed bottles, a third "assistant" snootily asked me to remove my computer bag/purse as the aisles were so narrow I almost knocked over a bottle on sale. So, yeah, Mellow-Harsher Extrordinaires. Ambiance = 1 for general snootiness and awful bull-in-a-chinashop layout. Secondly, the selection! Everything from California was a cliche as was their sparkling/champagne section. They seemed to specialize in Cali's mass-produced agro-business Gallo-esque schwill. They had a couple of surprises from some of my favorite independent vinyards -- but had their mediocre wines. I guessed that their French selection was where it was at and they seemed to have some good things from Spain and Italy, but alas, it's not my forte and I'm sure someone else could do a better assessment than me. They had a little love for South Africa and NZ, and I picked up my favorite white-maker, D'Aremberg. Selection = 4 with a benefit of the doubt that their European/World selection made up for its craptastic domestic one. Third, price. I've been tasting in California for ten years. I've tasted enough wines from different vinyards to know what I like, but to also know that sometimes winemakers jack up their prices based on the number of barrels made despite the fact that sometimes, the wine is not as good as some $20 blend from Navarro or a pinot from Husch. It happens. Their wine mostly hovered in the $30-$50 range, with little catering to the blue collar crowd. Price = 3. I'm totally willing to go back and would like to check out their tastings, provided they don't act like d-bags to me again. And maybe get another star. Disappointed and mildly disgruntled, I am. read more

I stopped in Houston Wine Merchant last Friday because I had read and heard great things about this place. Also because I was too lazy to drive three miles to my standard wine shop, so I used it as an opportunity to check this place out. I was really impressed. I thought everything would be completely overpriced. While they are a bit pricey, I didn't feel gouged. They of course buy in smaller amounts than the low-priced, bulk warehouse-buying Specs. Also, they don't carry many of the wines many other places do, so there are always new wines to try. Each month they have a list of "wines of the month." On their website and in their store, you can learn a little about each of these wines along with the winery and region. I got a bottle of Perrin Reserve Cotes du Rhone Blanc ($13). It has Grenache blanc and Viognier among other grapes. A little sweet, but cut with just a little tart. As I mentioned, I stopped by on a Friday. The wine tasting had begun and was hopping. Expecting mediocre wine, I wasn't going to join in. But then I found out the featured winery was King's Estate. They have an excellent Pinot Noir ($27...um, slightly cheaper at Spec's $24), and I was curious to taste their other wines. They were just okay; not a fan of Pinot Grigio. If you like wine, and you have not stopped by this place, you should do so. The staff is very knowledgeable and super friendly. Like Lisa A mentions, you can easily get a good bottle of wine for around $10. read more

Possibly the easiest wine-buying experience I've had! I can sympathize with Kelly M. about feeling overwhelmed by the smallness of the shop, but the girl who waited on me was so friendly and unpretentious that I didn't mind. She asked a few questions about what flavors we liked and almost immediately led us to a bottle of Barbaresco that she highly recommended. I feared the worst when it came to price, but it was $20! Excellent all around. I haven't yet been to one of their weekly tastings but I'm very much looking forward to trying it out. read more

I'm really great at drinking wine. Seriously, I'll probably drink whatever gets put in front of me. But when it comes to choosing wine, that's where I'm not so great. This place is every wine (and spirit) enthusiasts dream! The staff is crazy knowledgeable and willing to share their easy-to-understand advice. Last year my husband bought me a wine fridge for Christmas and we've since been in the habit of just drinking each bottle as we buy it, without ever really stocking up. Houston Wine Merchant offered the perfect solution: pre-selected crates with 12 bottles at discounted prices. We bought the less expensive of the 2 options and the bottles averaged at about $10 each. Not bad! We were also impressed with their selection of spirits. These people really know their stuff. I'll for sure come back. read more

A very high class wine shop in one of the coolest parts of Houston. I was here visiting for the Thanksgiving Holiday and wanted to see if one of the specialty wine shops in Houston would have things I can't normally buy in Austin. I ended up spending about 30 minutes chatting with David (one of the buyers) about everything from Oregon Pinot to German Riesling and a little bit about California Zin. He and I had what appeared to be rather similar taste and he was able to suggest a nice bottle for my meal. In general, I found this store to have a higher "average bottle" price than some of the shops I frequent in Austin, but they also had some very low-production wines that can justify such a cost increase. Next time I'm in Houston I'll definitely be back here with more free time to chat it up with the folks here and buy another bottle. read more

I went to a free wine tasting here and truly enjoyed the experience, after tasting the wines that were showcased, I bought a nice bottle to take home...the people who worked there were very nice, attentive, and knowledgabe...I will be making this a regular place to visit...along with SPECS of course.... Hey, I luv my wine.....and sushi!! read more

Fantastic, personable wine shop conveniently located right off of Shepherd Drive. The shop itself is pretty small but don't let that fool you. They have an outstanding selection of wines from around the world. This is one case where size doesn't matter. :) Another huge plus, they have wine tastings every Friday. The day I visited they were featuring an Italian wine producer and, much to my surprise, a cheese tasting by the Houston Dairy Maids. Score! This wine shop is all about shopping for that perfect bottle. Unlike so many of the other wine "shops" in town it does not feature a cafe/restaurant so don't come in expecting to order the osso buco or anything like that. What you will get is knowledgeable advice, a fantastic and thoughtful selection to choose from, and ultimately the perfect bottle(s). When it's this good, it's best to walk out double fisted. read more

Maybe it was due to my lack of experience with choosing my own wine... but this place felt a little too intimate, and made me feel overwhelmed. I prefer being able to blend in at Spec's, where I can explain to the staff my inability to pick a bottle by it's label but not have everyone in the store follow our conversation. Also, parking was awful. I parked in their "lot" connecting to shepherd, which had two parking spots marked on the concrete... but when I left the shop, there were three cars, one of them parking me in! read more

I wanted to buy my brother who lives in Houston an unusual birthday present this year. He loves wine, but I live in Virginia and you cannot ship wine to Texas. I called up the Houston Wine Merchant and they were AMAZINGLY helpful. I told them what my brother enjoys, and they wrapped up two nice bottles and delivered them to his doorstep. It was a great gift and he loves the wines. Wonderful customer service and excellent prices. I thought all that service (delivery, wrapping AND wines) would cost me an arm and a leg, but it was a real bargain and I was hardly worse off. I wish I lived in Houston to experience it for myself. Wine Merchant constructed a wonderful birthday present for my brother! read more

I've made two visits to HWM in the past couple of weeks because they carry 3 wines (a rose', a prosecco, and a sauvignon blanc) I cannot find any place else. And from doorstep to doorstep, it takes me 4 minutes to get my delicious bounty. I've only interacted with Allision, and she's bubbly (pun intended), cheerful, and super helpful. If you're looking to buy a metric ton of delicious things for lower than $10, this isn't the place, but if you're willing to spend a bit more, you're gonna love the selection. read more

Houston Wine Merchant - Ameztoi, Pehu Simonet, Cai de Zago...they've got all my favorites. - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Houston, Texas

Tucked away into a rather generic small strip center, this unpretentious facade houses some top notch wines from around the world. After attending a nice Bordeaux wine tasting evening of about six offerings, hubby and I received a very informative mini-education in French regions and wines from the helpful manager. Whether you want to spend $20. or $3000., there is a nice selection of the rare to the more distributed top wines of the world here, with a limited selection of bubbly, port, and fine spirits thrown in. If you don't want to be overwhelmed by Specs with their giant selection of poor and mediocre mixed in with the great, this may be a good place for you. However, if you are looking for a large variety of spirits, such as flavored vodkas, or if you know your wines and don't need the help weeding out the mundane, the selection here may be too limited. read more

Adorable little boutique wine shop! They offer tastings on Friday & Saturday. The staff is very knowledgable and helpful. Great selection of quality wine and spirits. read more

They have the widest wine selection that I have seen in the area. The owners and employees are extremely knowledgeable and give customers the right "distance" too. Purchased a few bottles, including a 92 pt (by Robert Parker) red blend discounted from $30 to $15...what a deal! read more

A couple of comments, first NOT about the shop: 1) Since when did an address ON Shepherd mean that the shop is "right off" Shepherd? 2) Does the Montrose not even exist any more? Shepherd is now "Upper Kirby" Now, about the shop & it's staff! 1) Awesome, very knowledgable; and not just about wines. 2) Helpful, friendly and very affable. 3) All of the above to both their telephone presence, and in person. 4) Contacted me regarding a special order I had placed, to let me know that what I had requested was not available. They suggested a subsitute-which was exactly what I had wanted to begin with, but had been told by S**c's was out of stock and no longer available. 5) Showed me around the store, indicated other wines/spirits that I might find enjoyable, and explaining ones that they found interesting. 6) Invited me to 2 tastings! read more

An amazing selection of wines from the greats in California to the classic stables in the old world and in between. Staff had the knowledge and were there welcoming you in helping you along the way. Stopped in on a random whim visiting from Chicago as I saw another review on Google mentioning that they were "Like K&L in CA". This intrigued me after visiting K&L quite a few times and it being such a targeted recommendation, so I had to stop in. They were spot on. I was ecstatic. Their selection was enormous for the space and was perfectly targeted with just the right selection from the right producers. I saw some old favorites, made some new friends, and in the end walked out with a great bottle at a reasonable price. While you might not find an enormous number of smaller producers, you will find a number of hard-to-find bottles. The staff loved the wine there, and they loved to share their knowledge of it. While I needed no help this time, they still stopped by and offered to take the bottle to the counter for me, as well as I over heard deep conversations about the various regions and varietals with someone looking to explore something new. My only "ugh" moment was seeing some of the greatest bottles in the world (Latour, Margaux, Rothschilds) on open racks and not properly cellared. Yes, a bit elitist, but if you're going to buy a $400+ bottle of wine, you'd want to know it was properly cared for, including in its last minutes. I appreciate they try to make sure that all bottles are accessible for all without a barrier to acquire, which some feel cellars/cabinets are standoff-ish, but for the higher price point, it's expected. Parking is tight, but I got right on in. However, given their wide selection in all price points, I can't ding them for either of those. Just too many great bottles and too great of service! read more