Catching Up: Vinously Speaking

I have been away for awhile. Life came crashing in -- work, family, etc. -- and left me with no time. But now, I have time, so I am back. With that said, I thought I would start with a quick blog that overviews what has been going on in that missing time period.


My favorite, local wine shop -- Vinously Speaking -- has had a lot going on in the last few months. The little shop, hidden in San Antonio's Medical Center, has entered into a new era. First, they celebrated their first anniversary, and now they look towards new ventures.

One Year Anniversary

On April 11, 2013, Vinously Speaking celebrated their first anniversary with a special VIP event at San Antonio's Richter Co. The wine flowed at the open wine bar, tasty treats were enjoyed, and great tunes from DJ Phylo kept the party going. I wish I knew more, but I was unable to make it. Though I had my tickets and was all geared up to go, something very important came up that took me away.

However, I did get to go to the Grand Tasting at the shop that Saturday, April 13. The shop was packed with well wishers, friends, and new faces. Conversation often was louder than the great music -- again thanks to DJ Phylo. For Sean and I, we enjoyed sharing our wine experiences with many of the wonderful people  we have met over the past year. This day allowed all of us to raise a glass -- or in this case a tasting cup -- to the new friendships and great times we have all had the great opportunity to share. This event made it clear: Vinously Speaking is more than just a wine shop, it is a wine home.

Yes, the people were great (when are they not), but I can't skip the wine at the Grand Tasting. There were two major wine bars -- a red bar and a white/sweet bar. The wines that made up the tastings were among the shop's top sellers, so, of course, these wines were favorites of all the regulars. And as usual, the wines showcased a diverse range of grapes and locales. Sean and I slowly enjoyed the great selection of reds. We even saw a few of the wines we tasted at some of our earliest tastings, as well as many from the most recent tastings. When we made it to the white bar (yes, we did things out of order), we actually tried a few wines we had missed. Sean and I had to miss the Portuguese tasting earlier in the year, and one of the Vinho Verdes was on the tasting bar.

A New San Antonio Wine Bar on the Horizon

And the best news from Vinously Speaking has to be the future. In March, Veronique Cecilia Barretto and Melissa Unsell decided to take the shop to the next level: a wine bar. There is space for expansion -- as the spot had once been a wine shop and bar under two different owners -- and they have family able to help. So, a business plan for a wine bar was worked out, including the cost of expansion and how the bar would be run. However, the money to expand was a bit out of reach. So, now there is a crowd funding movement to fund the expansion.They are looking to raise $30,000 and have just over $5,000. More help is needed.

Through gofundme, the shop has set up chance for wine lovers to develop the San Antonio wine scene. To help, head to the shop's funding site and donate what you can.

I did get a chance to speak to Ceci about the plan for the bar, and it excited me. First, the goal is to keep the by the glass and bottle prices down. So many wine bars in San Antonio are rather expensive. A single glass easily runs $10 or more and bottles are often $40 or more. Well, that won't happen at Vinously Speaking. The wine by the glass would be more in line with the retail price. Glass price would be low enough to enjoy a few different wines without wondering if it would have been better to buy a bottle. As for the bottle price, it would be more than retail (the shop's retail) but not overly so. It was explained there would be a fee for the service (more like a corkage fee) on top of the retail price, but it wouldn't be outrageous.

Texas Wine

Lately, a group from Vinously Speaking has been scouring the Texas Hill Country, seeking out great Texas wines at reasonable prices. Unfortunately, I don't know all of the new wines that are lining the shelves, but more Texas wine has shown up on the shelves. A blush from Spicewood Vineyards -- in Spicewood, Texas near Lake Travis -- is available. As the group continues adventuring into the hills, I can only guess as to which great Texas wines will find their way to the shelves at the shop.

The future looks bright for San Antonio's wine community. Vinously Speaking continues to provide a great selection of unique wines at reasonable prices; there has also been an expansion with the Texas wine selection (hooray!). And now, with a wine bar in the future, things look better. This is a good time for wine in Texas.

San Antonio Wine Tastings every Saturday @ Vinously Speaking

We took a breather this weekend and just bummed around San Antonio. With that in mind, I took advantage of a great opportunity in San Antonio: Vinously Speaking's Saturday wine tasting.

A little about this weekly event

Every Saturday, owners Ceci and Melissa invite wine lovers, enthusiasts, experts, and first-timers to visit their little shop in the San Antonio Medical Center (strip mall at the corner of Babcock and Wurzbach). From 1pm until 7pm, they offer a small selection of their wines available for tasting. Their choices vary every week and provide different views of the shop's diverse and interesting offerings.

The weekly tastings are a simple concept: a group of wines, with some theme, are selected and shared. For example, this past Saturday, they shared four reds that are currently available on their 50% off sale (all bottles over $30 are 50% off though Aug.4 ). On Saturday, we were treated to two American Pinot Noirs: an Oregon one that was smooth and lush and a California wine that was complex and spicy. The second set was two Bordeaux blends, one that emphasized Cabernet Sauvignon and one that was more Merlot. I wasn't surprised when they had the same sort of diversity that the two Pinots provided. This quick view into wine, with a hidden lesson, provides more than a mere tasting but a wine experience, and it also encourages visitors to leave with at least one bottle (we brought home one of the Bordeauxs).

Special event tastings

Two weekends ago -- July 14 -- Vinously Speaking hosted a wine tasting event. In this case, they shared a selection of French wines and cheeses with US and Texas wines and Bar-be-Que (see post for more details). When events like these take place, I encourage going. In fact, to keep track, like the shop on Facebook or Twitter or stop by their website.

A regular event at the shop are monthly Texas wine tastings. Once a month, Vinously Speaking will be highlighting some of the Texas wines in their store. I was able to attend their first major Pedernales Cellars event. They are the winery most highlighted, and I agree with their choice. I do look forward to future Texas tastings, as they also carry the great Perissos Vineyard (for a look into them, check out the recent post by Texas Wine Lover). There are a handful of other Texas wines that could provide interesting tastings, especially a diverse collection of Texas whites (like Chisholm Trail, Torre di Pietra, etc.).


All of these tastings are aided by one last fact: price. Wine can be a very expensive hobby (my current expense is quickly increasing). However, Vinously Speaking provides a varied selection at a variety of prices. This weekend I bought one $12 bottle of Portuguese wine (normal price) and one of the on-sale Bordeauxs at $15; these are prices that rival that of larger retailers. So going to a tasting will not clean out your pocketbook; you'll taste for free and then can take home some great wines at reasonable prices. Stop by next Saturday and have a tasting for me.