Glass Empty

Popular Austin winery C.L. Butaud to close St. Elmo tasting room

C.L. Butaud shared photos commemorating the space.

An Austin-based winery is closing down its local tasting room this month. C.L. Butaud will close its space at 415 E. St. Elmo Rd., Ste. 4F, on July 26.

Even though the tasting room is closing, C.L. Butaud itself will continue production. The team is "actively looking for a new home," a July 10 letter to social media and newsletter subscribers says. The letter, signed by married co-founders Brooke and Randy Hester, states that the move is because of real estate costs.

"When our lease came up for renewal, the increase in rent simply wasn't something we could responsibly take on as a small, independent winery," the letter says. "After a lot of thought, we made the difficult decision to step away from the space."

As operations in the space wind down, the business will continue hosting tastings, serving wines by the glass, and selling bottles to take home. After the space closes, customers will be able to shop for bottles online and at other local bottle shops. A list of restaurants serving C.L. Butaud wines is also available on the winery's website.

C.L. Butaud was founded in Austin in 2014. The Hesters already had experience making wine in California's Napa Valley, and they wanted to apply it to wines made entirely from Texas vineyards. They named their new winery after Randy's grandfather, Clet Louis Butaud, and created a Texas household name through many awards and media recognition.

"Thank you for being part of our story," the couple wrote in their letter. "Your support over the years has allowed a small Texas winery to do something pretty special, and we're incredibly grateful."

It's not surprising that rent is rising in South Austin's St. Elmo District, a former industrial area where warehouses have been turned into artsy rows of restaurants, creative studios, and other communal hubs like gyms and salons. The area is big for beverages; within a quarter of a mile from the C.L. Butaud tasting room are at least one other winery, a distillery, two breweries, two coffee shops, and several bars and restaurants.

wineries closings st. elmo district south austin tasting room wine

Take the plunge

10 poolside snack and cocktail menus to dive into around Austin

Photo by Garrett Smith

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Pools in Texas inevitably became places of refuge for locals and tourists alike during the hellacious summer season. What can be challenging is narrowing down what pools are worth a day pass or hotel reservation splurge, and why.

Sometimes, it comes down to what you can snack on and sip during a relaxing poolside excursion. The following 10 Austin properties all have their unique strengths when it comes to poolside dining options. While nobody has the power to fight Mother Nature, at least we have access to some of the best pool options in the state.

Austin Proper
The Austin Proper is a treasure trove of food and drink concepts. Guests who want to stay near the poolside can order from La Piscina, the property's rooftop restaurant with Tex-Mex influences. For guests arriving with full appetites, La Piscina has a unique brunch fajita, alongside more traditional brunch favorites like dulce de leche French toast. Pair the poolside dishes with a mimosarita (yes, it's exactly what you think it is), or signature drinks like A Proper Sunset with High Desert Cactus vodka, Aperol, pineapple, and lemon.

Austin Motel
This eclectic Bunkhouse property on SoCo has a kidney-shaped pool with a side of bona fide Austin weirdness. Pool passes are available, but what we love about this pool are the rotating events, like weekly pool deck dance classes with Erica Nix or the floating film series. The menu features fun drinks like the Mermaid Mojito or the SPF 43, a summer-themed nod to the Licor 43 in the drink. If you need to munch on a light snack, head to the bodega.

Cabana Club
Versatility is the name of the game at the Cabana Club, the only venue on this list that's not a hotel. The interior space has rapidly become a popular remote work spot. Poolside, snag and sip a frozen Cabana-rita, an Eastside Lemonade, or an innovative tiki old fashioned. For those committed to an alcohol-free summer, Cabana Club has plenty of coffee options, in addition to fresh pastries from 9 am to 2 pm. Then there's sushi later on in the night. According to Cabana Club's website, the property is currently in the middle of revamping its food menu — stay tuned.

Commodore Perry
Ideal for a truly bougie poolside experience, the Commodore Perry Estate has won every award in the book — and then some. The property typically keeps the pool open for guests and members only, so if you're looking to book a staycation, this is the spot for an elevated Austin getaway. The poolside menu is available from 11 am to 7 pm, with highlights (shared by the estate on social media) including frose, apps, entrees, and an sophisticated assortment of cocktails and mocktails.

Hotel Ella
Guests have two options when ordering at the historic Hotel Ella pool: hearty meals from Goodall's Kitchen or an ice-cold cocktail from the Parlor Bar. The Hill Country grain bowl, with sweet potatoes, seasonal veggies and avocado, is a superb choice for a light lunch before another poolside plunge. The Parlor Bar has a nice assortment of light bites (house truffle fries are always a yes), with a sophisticated selection of signature cocktails. The Watermelon Heater — with tequila, watermelon, and the right kick of jalapeño, tastes like a Texas summer in a glass.

Hotel Magdalena
This property has a cool summer perk for service industry folks on Mondays. Cheekily dubbed the "tip pool," the limited time summer special gives complimentary pool access and includes drink specials from local partners (for example, the Equipment Room on July 13) and live music. Not in the industry? The 900-square-foot pool is still worth checking out, particularly for the drinks from Magdalena Bar's extensive menu. There's a Mango Sun Ranch Water, the Don't Cha Wanna with mezcal and pineapple Fanta, and wonderful nonalcoholic options like the frozen house lemonade.

Hotel Van Zandt
The heated rooftop pool at Hotel Van Zandt is a popular choice for Austinites on cooler nights — with plenty of food and drink options at their perusal, who can blame them? Grab a hot honey chicken sandwich or switch it up with a hot honey cocktail from the pool bar. There's plenty of other choices to enjoy, from corn chips with fire-roasted queso, a creative daiquiri with watermelon and honeydew-infused Bacardi, smoked red fish tacos, and more. Pool passes are available to purchase.

Lone Star Court
If you've driven to The Domain, you may have passed by Lone Star Court without realizing it. The building is provincial but unassuming, and a classic car parked outside is the most notable cue. The boutique hotel embodies upscale road trip stop vibes, with a pool to match. Order from the Water Trough for poolside drinking and dining — the onsite restaurant has daily happy hour deals from 4-7 pm. You can't go wrong with a combo of the brisket tacos with a crisp Lone Star marg.

Omni Barton Creek
The view from the adult pool alone is worth the cost of a pool pass. Omni Barton Creek has nine food and drink concepts; their current poolside pop-up is the Omni Original Tiki Social bar. (Typically, the venue would be the Travis Pool Bar & Grill.) Nosh on tiki wings with rum and pineapple glaze, or a fresh tuna poke bowl. Drinks are creative spins on tiki cocktail classics, like the Coconutty Islander, served with rum and passionfruit liqueur in a fresh pineapple. Crenshaw's Bar and Eatery is also within walking distance of the pools. The sports bar has plenty of hearty entrees (the chili was a standout) with their own assortment of signature cocktails.

Volente Beach
It doesn't get more coastal than a bar dubbed Beachside Billy's. If you're craving a getaway without having to spend too much on gas, Volente Beach is only about a 30-minute drive from Austin. Situated on part of Lake Travis, Volente Beach feels like a true hidden getaway tucked away in plain sight. As for the poolside menu, comfort classics await: pizzas, burgers, and nachos with margaritas, beers, and Volente Vodka specials.

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