Wine Time

Austin's first urban winery pops the cork on cool new location

The Austin Winery Quarter Horse red blend tasting room glass

Austin Winery will move into its new home by the end of 2016.

The Austin Winery/Facebook

Austin's first urban winery is ready for its next phase. The Austin Winery will move from its original location in Northeast Austin to a brand-new space at The Yard before the new year.

The winery is helmed by CEO Ross McLauchlan and head winemaker Cooper Anderson, recently honored as part of CultureMap's Top Texans Under 30. The two take a hands-on approach to the company, working closely with eco-conscious and biodynamic vineyard partners across the country; the fermentation, filtration, bottling, and serving takes place in Austin.

Austin Winery will be among the first businesses to debut at The Yard, a massive 150,000-square-foot development for creatives located near the upcoming Saint Elmo Market District in South Austin. The winery joins St. Elmo Brewing Company and Still Austin Whiskey Co. at The Yard, which will also house Raw Paw, Drophouse Design, and more.

McLauchlan is most excited about the accessibility of the new location. The space will feature a barrel room; mezzanine; tasting room open Tuesday through Saturday; and onsite kitchen for hosting chefs, supper clubs, and other culinary collaborations. The team is also launching the Austin Wine School, offering public and industry classes, in addition to sommelier certification.

A retail space will showcase a curated selection of goods from local artisans like Texas Rover Company, Psyche Jewelry, and Tecovas Boots, and the winery will be dotted with vinyl stations and large canvas tapestries by Nic Mathis, who designed the bottles.

The new winery is much larger than the current space and will allow the team to produce up to 20,000 cases per year. McLauchlan hopes to hit 10,000 cases in 2017.

"I think [the new space] will bring us more to the forefront in the conversation about things to do around town," says McLauchlan. "The production expansion will also allow us to spread our distribution to Houston and Dallas and San Antonio in a much more present away."

To help support the transition and build-out, Austin Winery has launched a Kickstarter campaign. The team has raised over $12,000 of the $50,000 goal, with two weeks left to go. Stay tuned for more opening details in December.

openings wine

Can I Kick It?

Top Austin brewery kicks off new sports club with volleyball and soccer

Photo by Traverse Photography

Meanwhile Brewing Co. has new reasons to visit.

Even Austinites who don't drink have plenty of reasons to visit Meanwhile Brewing Co., and now there's another for volleyball-lovers. The brewery has set up brand new sand courts, ready for the launch of the new Meanwhile Sports Club. The club will organize both volleyball and soccer games, so there's always someone to play with.

Sand volleyball games will be divided into teams of four or six, with the first games starting the week of January 6, 2025. Soccer teams will be five-on-five, with play beginning the week of February 3.

Teams will be in it to win, but the short "seasons" will avoid triggering commitment issues at just six weeks long. At the end of each season, the club will host a championship game for the chance to win a $200 bar tab.

Soccer field at Meanwhile Brewing Co. Austin The soccer field is right next to Meanwhile's resident food trucks.Photo by Traverse Photography

The brewery recommends that teams sign up together to increase the likelihood that everyone gets a chance to play. The leagues do accept free agents, but availability constraints mean that no one is guaranteed a spot. Multitalented athletes can increase their chances by signing up for both sports, but should choose different days so games don't conflict.

For those who maintain that beer — and not running — is still their favorite part of visiting a brewery, there's always opportunities to spectate. Meanwhile's South Austin grounds are well-stocked with brews, cocktails, and food trucks. Plus, there's almost always an event going on, from flea markets to movie screenings.

Registration for volleyball is open now and closes December 19; registration for soccer opens December 1 and closes January 16. The team fee is $675 for the first two weeks of registration, and increases to $725 later. Meanwhile Brewing is located at 3901 Promontory Point Dr.