Plate and Bottle

My parents and I went to Plate and bottle for the first time yesterday. They have a nice wine selection that they have.
Great service, cool interior, delicious food. I know you will have a great experience too.
I have already recommended Plates and bottle to friends.

We went in to buy some wine last week. New manager. New concept. More of a wine bar now vs the wine shop it used to be. I asked several times if I could buy a bottle of wine to go. He finally said yes but the wine I was looking at was high end. I guess he felt I couldn’t afford it. Sat for a glass and tried to make small talk. It was just us. He was very cold. I guess we weren’t cool enough for him.

I love the interior decoration… it’s simple, modern, and classy. Nice décor.
Great lighting and perfect noise level for great conversation. Great wine menu and also some mixed drinks.
Food was pretty amazing. I can’t wait to go back!

They need to check their hours that are posted. Showed up on a Monday. Everything said they were open and that obviously wasn’t the case. Disappointing.

Nice cozy place, good selection of wines, we stop by on a Monday and Graham gave us a nice conversation and some of his day selections!!!

I had the opportunity to stop by Plate and Bottle for an event. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover because this little treasure is located in a very bland looking building. There is free parking for the location behind the building but since it is located in Rice Village, there is plenty of alternate parking all around. The interior is cozy and great for people who just want to relax and sip on a glass of wine. Plenty of room at the bar but additional tables and couches if you want more intimate seating. I was impressed by the extensive collection of wine they had and the gentleman behind the bar had suggestions for you if you were unsure of what you wanted. All in all, I would definitely suggest Plate and Bottle to anyone looking for a place to relax after work or a place to get the occasional (or frequent — not judgments here) bottle of wine to enjoy at home.

Stopped into Plate & Bottle after dinner on Saturday. Great wine bar and our bartender was FABULOUS. He entertained us with tales of Houston in the 80s and 90s and his time in NYC and changed the playlist to our liking.
Free samples of anything by the glass and 20% off wines if you get the bottle. They had a great, broad selection. I really liked the cab we had and wished I remembered to take a picture. Definitley reccomended if you’re in the area and looking for a cute wine bar.

I’ve been to 2 Unilocal events here now and once on a Sunday (only to find out they weren’t open). I friggin’ love this place! We park in the pay lot next door per Sue P.‘s suggestion and haven’t had any issues with it. It’s annoying, but that’s kind of expected around these parts.
There’s a huge range of wines to accommodate any budget. They pride themselves on procuring hard to find and rare selections. The staff (manager? owner? Nick?) a bespectacled gentleman has helped us both times and is so knowledgeable, friendly, and all around awesome. The first time we picked a few bottles that weren’t being sampled at the event and he said if we didn’t like them, bring him back the empty bottle and we could try something else. You can’t do that at Specs! This most recent visit he took off 10% because they had just sold out of the wine I originally intended on purchasing. The customer care really goes above and beyond and we haven’t tried a bottle yet that wasn’t delightful! Specialty wine stores can be intimidating sometimes but this place is so welcoming and down to earth. I highly recommend you check it out, regardless of your level of knowledge or lack thereof.

I have been here three or four times now for Unilocal wine tasting events. The shop is small, but they have a great selection of unique wines that you won’t find in most other grocery stores and wine shops.
I am usually afraid to go in boutique wine shops because I expect the wine to be expensive and overpriced. At Plate and Bottle, there are wines at all price points. I bought a bunch of nice Spanish-​blend wine at $ 12 a bottle. I’ve also bought a fantastic Howell Mountain Cab for $ 80 (probably better than Dunn!). The wines are– surprisingly– not marked up very much over wholesale value.
The employees are very friendly and knowledgeable. They aren’t pushy and are eager to help you find a wine you will like. See Nick. He is awesome.
Definitely stop by this shop if you’re in the Village. There’s a tiny parking lot behind the shop.

If it weren’t for Unilocal,I probably never would have stepped foot in this store.
It’s a boutique wine shop. If you walk by it and look inside, you’ll see nothing but wine. White wine, red wine, sweet wine, cheap wine, expensive wine, unique wine. All kinds of wine. According to the owner, they import select wines. The kinds that you won’t find at your local grocery store.
I drink wine. I love wine with my steak. But I’m not the kind of guy who can claim to be a wine snob. I’m that dude that would get overwhelmed by the huge selection of wines that you see at the grocery store, or at Spec’s. A wine store like this wouldn’t be a place I’d call somewhere I’m comfortable in. However, thanks to Unilocal for holding their monthly wine tasting event here, I’m glad to say that this place is not pretentious or obnoxious at all.
They have great selections of wine. From cheap wines to expensive wines. All different kinds of wine you can think of. If you’re looking for something different, come here and ask for a recommendation. They hold free wine tasting event every Saturday from 6 — 8 pm so swing by and try different kinds of wines. I’ve personally purchased a few bottles from here. All at very reasonable prices and all have been very good!

Had a great time at Unilocal’s Grape Escape event at Plate & Bottle last night!
Winese is one of my second languages so I certainly was in my playground!
In terms of location, Rice Village is easy to access, and plenty of free street parking, the venue was great, Plate & Bottle owner was very knowlegable and so were the wine distributors. Between the Catalonian and French red blends, I truely enjoyed the Granache/​Syrah blend from Spain more and with 10% off purchase price ($ 15) thats a pretty good deal you don’t get at many of the vino stores. Had a chance to mingle with some fellow Unilocalers and had a good time.
Thanks Unilocal,look forward to the next event!

For months I thought that this store was still in the process of opening. Turns out it’s been here all along. Anyway, my first impression is that this is a charming little wine shop with some interesting things from small vineyards. I’ll have to visit a few more times to see if it’s going to be my primary wine destination*
* The problem in Texas with a shop like this is the fact that Whole Foods, HEB and Central Market all also sell wine. Sure, the service isn’t the same, but the wine is *right there* when you’re shopping for the food with which you hope to drink the wine. The synergies are almost overwhelming.

Visited during the Grape Escape event. Love the whole set up of this place. Very charming. Their lot in the back is def bonus compared to the crazy parking in the area.
Their selection is great… spotted a few things that I will be going back to pick up for sure. The staff are very friendly & knowledgeable. Will be back to check out one of their tasting events.

Great place to discover some new wines… I have to admit, I have had my fair share but have never really given much thought to the nuances that make one more special than another… having just been to Sonoma a few months ago does help to educate the palette a bit.
Everything I’ve tried here thus far has been pretty good… the sommeliers do a great job of explaining the subtle hints of fruit in this and that.
So I’m still pretty sure I’m considered a total newbie but I know I don’t like Pinot noirs or Shiraz, always have red with red meats and whites with chicken or fish… the moscato is called the panty dropper for a reason, Riesling always smell like feet to me, but taste great… and my favorite? Don’t punch me… I am a sucker for a simple Santa Margarita Pinot Grigio ;)
We always enjoy coming here. Pinky out, yo!

So, I never thought I would be the type of person to go to a Wine Store to pick a wine. I have always been a Cost Plus World Market/​Specs/​HEB type chick when it comes to purchasing wines. But now I see the true value of a place like this!
They have all the wines you can’t find. I personally am addicted to the Pepe-​Nero red blend. I can’t find it ANYWHERE but here and the actual winery in Rosenberg.
And I can’t forget to mention the SWING. yes there is a swing int he store. Nothing’s better than reckless, indoor swinging when tipsy!

I am reviewing this store from the point of a complete ameuteur in the wine department.
There is a massive collection of fine wines that you will not usually find in your neighborhood grocery stores. Here is one of the places to come to if you want to impress an out of town visitor or as a gift for somebody that does have extensive wine knowledge and do not want to get them something short of your run of the mill local grape product.
The interior for a small store you will find complex with a variety of wine openers, glasses and such.
In the corner you will find a neat looking piano, I do not know if anybody plays on it but it adds a nice sophisticated touch to the interior.
I went to a Unilocal event here recently and found the staff of course VERY knowledged in everything you could ask. Claudia who is the owner is very cordial to everybody and makes sure everybody is pleased or if anything is needed and ask for suggestions if any.
Do not be discouraged by price if you think they are only going to offer expensive wines, they also have some that are really not expensive to the untrained wine person like some of us are. Browse until you drop, there is plenty for everybody here for your viewing pleasure.
I want to make a shout out to Ruggles Green for the wonderful desserts they participated in here as well as Dairymaids (next door) for the cheese, crackers, breads and olive oils for the Unilocal event.
Door! Could not find it my first try, made a whole around trip, it’s on the right hand side towards the back if you are facing the building. I noticed there is private parking in the back for a space of what seemed about 10 cars. I think that is why I did not find the door so fast.
You will find this store at the end of Times Boulevard, when you see a Torchy’s Tacos, look across the street, there it is.

Any time I can catch a quick buzz, and learn something in the process it’s a win win.
This place is super cute, big enough to have s solid collection no matter what your level of wine knowledge is, or what you are willing to pay. I really appreciated they have a good selection of inexpensive wines that I hadn’t heard or seen before, and some old favorites I hadn’t been able to find. I picked up a fantastic Chardonnay that probably won’t make it past this weekend, a Malbec I can’t wait to share with my new husband, and a Reisling that will make a great upcoming birthday gift.
The event was great, as I got to see some old faces, and meet new ones, and it was just the right amount that you weren’t squished in there. The gentlemen who worked there were very gracious in explaining the different types of wines, and making recommendations based on my taste. The selection of Dairymaid cheese was a nice touch and the ruggles sweets rounded out some delish bites. The only bummer was a couple of Unilocalers who really bogarted the wine guys. They made it very difficult for anyone else to speak to them or try different wines. To those people, let everyone have some fun, and learn!
The price points of these wines are really really good, as I have seen double the mark ups at other boutique wine shops. I would love to come back and continue to learn more, expand my wine horizons and small cellar (aka the stash above my fridge)
Great Event Farrah! Thank you Ruggles, Dairy Maids, and Plate and Bottle!

This is a review of the kickoff event of Unilocal Uncorked 2013.
Can I tell you how happy I was to get in from the waiting list?! It’s proof that patience pays off! Parking was easy and free, across the street in the Torchy’s Taco lot. I walked in and was greeted by the lovely intern (no name tag, but super nice) with my name badge and instructions on where the tasting tables were located. It’s always awesome to see Farrah and David working the crowd, as well as my long-​time Unilocal friends.
This particular event was special since it gave me a chance to meet a lot of Unilocalers in a smaller setting. The wine tastings were delicious as well as the assorted meats, cheeses and chocolate bites. Great cheeses from Dairymaids and dessert bites from Ruggles!
I can’t wait to uncork the 4 bottles I picked up: Erales Malbec 2008, Trione Chardonnay 2010, Reynolds Persistence Red 2007, Château L’Anessan Haut-​Medoc 1996. I love coming to Rice Village and now that I know that this wine store is here, I will be more inclined to stop in to pick up a unique and delicious bottle of wine. But if you’re game and bring some cheese, I’ll pick up a few more ;)
Thank you Unilocal,Farrah, David, Claudia (the owner) and the dudes from Plate and Bottle for making this Wednesday night feel like a Saturday night! OMG, I do love being a Unilocaler. I can’t wait until the next Unilocal event! See you there? Say yes!

If you are a Bobby Singer-​style wine idjit then you need to come here to get your learn on. The ladies are fantastic to talk with you about wine and let you learn at your own pace. Unlike obnoxious wine snobs that talk down to you from a wine bottle pedestal, they are enthusiastic about wine and want you to learn as much as you feel you want to learn, no amount is too little — they don’t look down their nose at you because you know that there is a red wine and a white wine, and not much else besides it all tastes the same after three glasses anyway.
Very helpful, friendly, and a useful resource if you are throwing a murder mystery dinner party at your home and you want to make sure you match the right sort of drinking wine with the correct food, and to have the throwing wine in reserve for additional secret-​gulping if you are having family over but they are being civil at the moment, then it hasn’t become throwing wine yet.
Unfortunately it’s in the Village so parking is going to be a bit of an issue, but they do have a few spots in the rear if you turn in off Morningside. And if you time it right then you get a free tasting of this or that.
If you need wine come here instead of the wine snob guy hovering over you at Spec’s Midtown.

If you’re a lover of wine, or a newb, or a collector — or just a fan of all things grape, you should check out this new boutique wine retail store. Notice I said «store,» not «bar.» Plate & Bottle is not a wine bar. It’s a small retail wine store housing all sorts of boutique wines from around the globe and at a variety of price points.
I’ve attended two tastings so far, and fell in love with wines as inexpensive as $ 12 and bubbly around $ 30. Claudia is the owner you’ll find onsite, and she’s very knowledgeable in wines and food pairing (she hails from Dolce Vita and Vinoteca Poscol).
It’s also a full-​service wine store. If there’s a particular wine you’re searching for, they’ll find it. They also make home/​office deliveries — ex: you’re hosting a dinner party and don’t have time/​want to leave the house. And they’ll also deliver to nearby BYOB restaurants, like Ruggles Café Bakery which happens to be right around the corner.
Other things to know:
*FREE wine tastings on Saturday 6−8pm with music and cheeses from Houston Diary Maids.
*Free (limited) parking in the back
*Sign up for their e-​news letter where you’ll get invites to other tastings and private events.
*Wanna host your own tasting for friends or colleagues? Drop in and talk to Claudia.