Small-town Texas spot punching above its weight
· New Braunfels · Wine bar and bottle shop · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · September 2, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Wine Folks’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Ten bottles. That's the whole list. In most places that would be a red flag, but here it reads more like a deliberate edit — someone actually made choices instead of just saying yes to every distributor rep who walked through the door. The price tags stop us in our tracks: nothing over $38, and a Riesling for $29.
For a bottle shop and wine bar in New Braunfels, the range here is legitimately interesting. You've got a Texas rep with Spicewood Vineyards Tempranillo 2021, Italian coverage via Livon Pinot Grigio and Bosco del Merlo Prosecco, a Bordeaux rosé from Chateau Goudichaud, and South American value through Ruta 22 Malbec — all in one tight, ten-bottle rotation. The Inman Vineyards Sangiovese 2019 shows someone is paying attention to American producers doing interesting things with Italian grapes. Yes, the list is short, and there are real gaps in depth — no old-world reds beyond the rosé, no aged bottles — but the curation feels intentional rather than lazy.
Every bottle on the list is available by the glass, which is the whole point here. At $9–$13 a pour, you can work your way around the full list in one visit without a significant dent in your wallet. That kind of flexibility at these prices is rare and genuinely appreciated.
Karl Joseph Riesling 2024 — $29
The cheapest bottle on the list and arguably the most interesting. A German Riesling at this price point, available by the bottle at a wine bar, is the kind of thing you'd pay $50+ for at a proper restaurant. Easy pick.
Inman Vineyards Sangiovese 2019
Most people scrolling a short list will land on the Cabernet or Malbec out of habit. The Inman Sangiovese is the sleeper — an American take on a Tuscan grape with a few years of age on it, which is not something you expect to find at a casual bottle shop in the Texas Hill Country.
Bosco del Merlo Prosecco Brut
At $38 it's the most expensive bottle on the list, and Prosecco — even solid Prosecco — is hard to justify at that price when the Riesling is $9 less and offers far more complexity. Save the splurge for something with a little more going on.
Spicewood Vineyards Tempranillo 2021 + A charcuterie or cheese board
Texas Tempranillo has the same earthy, slightly smoky structure as Spanish Rioja — it was built for cured meats and aged cheeses. If Wine Folks offers any kind of board, this is the pour to order with it.
The Bottom Line
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.
· 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
Downtown · New Braunfels · From-scratch American comfort food with Hill Country influences, brunch and brewery
The Root Cellar is a brewery first and a wine destination never — but the list earns its keep with fair prices, a Texas wine you should actually try, and the quietly baffling joy of prosecco on tap next to a craft IPA. Come for the biscuits, stay curious about the wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Oakland · Oakland · Wine bar and bottle shop
Bay Grape is the bottle shop you wish was in your neighborhood — a tight, genuinely considered list priced by people who respect your wallet. If you're anywhere near Oakland and care about drinking something interesting, this is a stop worth making.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Capitol Hill · Seattle · Wine bar and bottle shop
Doe Bay is the rare wine bar where the bottle shop credibility actually transfers to the glass program — staff knows what's on the shelf, the pricing respects your intelligence, and the Orcas Island origin story gives it a soul most Capitol Hill spots lack. Send your wine-curious friends here without hesitation.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
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