From tech to spirits, California and Texas seem to be drawing ever-nearer. One wine-loving Austin couple from the Golden State, Leo and Tiffany Resig, saw a gap in the wine scene near their Westlake home, and decided that even the gap between Westlake and downtown was too far. Instead of braving the traffic yet again, the two certified Level 1 sommeliers are making great wines available even closer to home, opening a wine bar and retail shop called Neighborhood Vintner in Westlake this May.
“Westlake has been overlooked by many restauranters because of the proximity to downtown,” says Tiffany Resig in a press release. “As a local Westlake resident, I don’t want to have to go downtown to connect with local friends and share a glass of wine, or to purchase a special bottle of wine.”
Neighborhood Vintner plans to offer over 1,000 bottles for retail, and focuses on educating buyers entering at any level, both through the shopping experience itself and “tasting events and educational series.” Every shopper will be matched with recommendations, and can browse from shelves organized by varietal, instead of region. Their choices will be more streamlined at the bar onsite, from a rotating list of 20 selections served with charcuterie boards featuring Antonelli’s Cheese.
The Resigs are amplifying their curatorial abilities through a top-notch staff of sommeliers led by general manger and Advanced Sommelier Paul Ozbirn, who brings 16 years of wine experience in Austin (including at favorite local restaurants Parkside and The Backspace). He is joined by assistant general manager Krista Church, who adds another decade to their pooled experience, and who is also a Parkside alum.
“Every person is a different puzzle and with all the wines in the shop, I get to play matchmaker to fit the right wines to the right person,” says Ozbirn in the release. “My goal is not only [to] make our guests happy with their wine selection, but to delicately push them out of their comfort zone of all the things that they’ve bought before.”
Much of the Resigs’ experience comes from their work on Resign Wine, the winery they founded in collaboration with organically farmed vineyards in Sonoma, California. This winery offers eight varietals and makes its products widely available around Austin, including non-specialty joints like Antone’s and Central Market. Resign Wines will be featured prominently at Neighborhood Vintner’s bar, and for those who find Westlake less accessible than downtown, the winery offers a semi-annual delivery subscription.
Watch Neighborhood Vintner on Instagram or at neighborhoodvintner.com for the May opening date, to be announced soon. The store will be located at 3663 Bee Cave Rd. and will be open Monday to Wednesday from 11 am-9 pm, and Thursday to Saturday from 11 am-10 pm.
