Hill Country's Best Kept Wine Secret
Downtown · New Braunfels · European-inspired tapas, bistro and wine bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 6, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Favorite Neighbor’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Favorite Neighbor in downtown New Braunfels, the last thing you expect is a wine list that references Burgundy and California natural wine in the same breath. For a Hill Country town better known for river tubes and Tex-Mex, this place swings with real ambition. The room feels relaxed and stylish — more neighborhood bistro than anything trying too hard.
The list sits somewhere in the 30-50 label range, which sounds modest until you notice the curation. There's a clear European spine — France anchors things with producers like Albert Bichot representing the Mâconnais — but the team isn't afraid to bring in natural and low-intervention bottles from the U.S., like Las Jaras out of California and Southold Farm + Cellar from Texas. That mix of old-world European imports alongside natural-leaning New World producers is genuinely uncommon at this price point and in this zip code. The gaps show — there's no deep Rhône bench, no serious Spanish section — but what's here is chosen with a point of view, not just filled to look full.
The by-the-glass program runs 10-20 options and lands between $9-$16, which is honest pricing for this market. The Veille Fermi sparkling rosé appearing at an accessible price point is the kind of move that tells you someone here actually thinks about accessibility, not just margin. Rotation appears to happen but not aggressively — don't expect a new lineup every week.
Las Jaras 'Glou Glou' — $16
California's most drinkable natural red by the glass at a fair price in a Texas wine bar? That's a win. Light, chillable, and perfect for a warm New Braunfels evening — it punches well above its ask.
Albert Bichot Viré-Clessé
Most people at a Hill Country wine bar are reaching for something familiar, which means this white Burgundy from the Mâconnais gets overlooked. Viré-Clessé from a reliable négociant like Bichot is clean, mineral-driven Chardonnay that outclasses its price tag — grab it before someone else does.
Veille Fermi Sparkling Rosé
The $5 price point flagged in local press suggests this is likely a tasting pour or promotional pour rather than a full glass — which is fun as an intro, but don't anchor your evening around it expecting a full sparkling rosé experience.
Southold Farm + Cellar 'Rouge Clair' + Charcuterie and cheese board
Rouge Clair is a low-intervention, lightly structured red built for exactly this kind of casual eating. The salinity in cured meats and the funk in aged cheese don't need a big tannic wine — they need something bright and a little earthy, which is exactly what Southold delivers.
The Bottom Line
Favorite Neighbor is the Wild Card that New Braunfels didn't know it needed — a genuinely curious wine program in a town where 'wine bar' usually means a Malbec and a Pinot Grigio. If you're passing through Hill Country and want to drink something that actually required a decision to stock, stop here.
· New Braunfels · Wine bar and bottle shop
A deliberately small list that earns your trust with fair prices and genuine variety — this is what a neighborhood bottle shop wine program should look like. If you're passing through New Braunfels and want a real glass of wine without paying restaurant-markup prices, this is the move.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New Braunfels · Tex-Mex
Chuy's is a genuinely great time if you surrender to the margaritas and queso — but the wine list is a placeholder, not a program. Send your friends here for the fajitas, not the Cabernet.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New Braunfels · Wine bar / lounge
The Clubhouse on Castell is a legitimate wine bar doing real work in a market that doesn't demand it, and that's exactly why it deserves your attention. Send your wine-curious friends here — they'll leave having drunk better than they expected.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Creekside / IH-35 Corridor · New Braunfels · Steakhouse
Saltgrass Creekside is not a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be — the list exists to sell bottles alongside steaks, and it does that competently enough. If you stick to Jordan or Stag's Leap and skip the grocery-store bottles, you'll drink fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Creekside / IH-35 Corridor · New Braunfels · American Casual
We wouldn't send anyone to BJ's Creekside specifically for the wine list — but if you're already there for the Pizookie and a Tuesday lands on your calendar, those half-price bottles are a legitimate deal. Come for the beer, and if you must drink wine, come on a Tuesday.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Creekside / I-35 Corridor · New Braunfels · Steakhouse
Saltgrass New Braunfels serves a wine list that was assembled by a committee in Houston and hasn't been questioned since. It functions — you'll find something drinkable — but if wine matters to you tonight, manage expectations before you sit down.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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