It’s always nice to see locals get national recognition, so it was a pleasure to open up the current issue of the Wine Spectator (October 31, 2025 edition) to a section called Meet Me at the Wine Bar. The article is a collection of the best wine joints in the United States.
I turned to see if there was anything from Texas, and, there on page 42 was Houston’s Montrose Cheese & Wine, which they noted was opened six years ago by our own Master Sommelier June Rodil in a particularly attractive write-up. But then, on page, 43, there was Austin’s Birdie’s!
How did Birdie’s land on the list? The folks at the Wine Spectator loved the fact that “It’s a counter service, ‘no-frills’ joint that welcomes kids and dogs, but it’s also a prix fixe – only $79 and boasts a top-notch wine program that features collaborative bottlings.” They also raved about co-owner Arjav Ezekiel’s wine list and its way of classifying styles between light and heavy, and that each wine is described with a single adjective. Cogent brevity is always a popular concept with writers.
They also rave about co-owner and chef Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel’s French inspired menu, featuring items like olive oil cake with Texas peach sauce, and the high-end osetra caviar service. What the Wine Spectator’s writers neglect to mention is the ever-changing menu, with its fanciful geographic stops. For instance, the current menu is titled “Chapter 5: Sicily.”
The majority of the article’s listings are from bars on the U.S. coasts, but kudos to Austin’s Rodil (even though her place is in Houston) and Birdie’s for getting some well deserved recognition for our city’s ever growing reputation as a wine destination.