They’re called convenience stores for a reason: They’re convenient for grabbing a snack and a drink while you’re filling up your car and on the go. Speed is the goal here. If your needs extend beyond petrol alone, you want to get your stuff and be on your way. Mostly we want beverages at these ice houses (as I came to know them in San Antonio), so the back wall is typically a row of refrigerators stocked with dozens of varieties of waters, sodas, teas, juices, and the like. And beer. Lots of beer, although the quality and selection of suds varies dramatically from shop to shop. You can usually find wine, too, but you have to be in a rather desperate state to find a bottle you can purchase without embarrassment. True story: I was gazing at the low-rent wine selection at an ice house in San Antonio when a toothless homeless guy walked in purposefully and pulled a bottle off the shelf. He turned to me, brandished the wine, and claimed, “You’re lookin’ for a good wine? This is it.” Since he was obviously an expert on the subject, I took his advice and followed suit. It was my first taste of MD 20/20. It’s this and other experiences of the like that left me completely unprepared for the Lake Austin Chevron convenience store (2402 Lake Austin Blvd.). Situated across the street from the Deep Eddy Cabaret, the back right corner of the store is a gem of a bona fide wine shop with a wide selection of thoughtfully chosen wines from the U.S., France, Chile, Argentina, Spain, and Italy. You can pick up a bottle of bubbly Taittinger and make a grand entrance at a fancy soiree, or you can grab some port for after-dinner-party sipping. You’ll find reliable labels (Coppola, Blackstone, etc.) and some varietals that we weren’t familiar with, such as El Miracle 120, a blend of tempranillo and shiraz from Valencia recommended by the clerk, who clearly knew his wines. It was only the second time I got wine advice at an ice house, but the first time I didn’t exit giggling with my purchase tucked under my arm in an anonymous brown bag.
This article appears in December 29 • 2006.