UPDATED 10/8/15 8:49 a.m. CST
The Infinite Monkey Theorem will not open Oct. 2 as planned due to unexpected construction delays. The team now hopes to open in November.
A Colorado-based urban winery concept will open its first Texas location Oct. 2.
The Infinite Monkey Theorem will open in Austin at 121 Pickle Road, Ste. 110, with its first Texas-made wine in the form of a Texas Cinsault Rosé. Meredith Berman is director of wine operations in Austin and her husband Aaron Berman co-founded the winery with winemaker Ben Parsons.
Meredith said their approach to wine-making is to leave a batch alone and let the grapes naturally do their own work.
“When you taste the wine, you’re not tasting the winemaker,” she said. “It’s this crazy process. It’s crazy, and it’s gritty.”
While the process may be unique, the team behind The Infinite Monkey Theorem is very process-oriented, Meredith said. The owners are also very interested in becoming a part of the city and the surrounding neighborhood, she said.
The winery does not have its own vineyard. Instead the team buys its grapes from vineyards around the Central Texas area. Because Texas has entered a winery boom, there is a limited supply of grapes, Meredith said. There are many factors that can affect whether a grape is good enough to be made into wine, but it it is typically difficult to know whether a grape is good enough to use until two days before harvest, she said.
For a while after opening, most of the selection will be Colorado-made wines, with the Texas Cinsault Rosé as the only Texas-made wine, Meredith said. As the operation matures, more Texas wines will be offered, she said, and anywhere from eight to 14 wines will be available at a time.
The Infinite Monkey Theorem wines are also available in bottles, cans or kegs at more than 31 establishments in the Austin area. Bottles range from $18 to $50 each, and a four pack of canned wine costs $14.99, Meredith said.
Other Impacts:
NOW OPEN—New Indian and Nepalese restaurant Saffron opened June 13 at 3616 Far West Blvd., Ste. 113, The restaurant serves lunch and dinner with a chef for each cuisine style. Saffron ownership intends to begin serving wine and beer by November, but the restaurant in the meantime has a free BYOB policy for patrons. 512-241-1732.
COMING SOON—After closing its flagship location in 2014 because of downtown construction, Hatbox: A Modern Haberdashery will open at 704 Congress Ave. Sept. 26. The third location will sell a variety of headwear and will double its original store size at the new location, which has been secured for the next 20 years. 512-476-1203.
COMING SOON—Kettle & Brine will open its first location at 908 W. 12th St. on Oct. 7. The kitchen and home accessory store will include cookware, serve ware and pantry items. The new concept comes from local entrepreneur Tarica Navarro, who hopes to provide customers with ethically sourced goods. 512-375-4239.
CLOSINGS—Houston-based Langford Market closed its only remaining Austin location at 249 W. Second St. on Aug. 24. The location at 2900 Guadalupe St. closed earlier this year for undisclosed reasons. Since the most recent closure, the company’s website and Facebook account have been deactivated.
CLOSINGS—Bess Bistro closed Sept. 20 after almost nine years at 500 W. Sixth St. No reason was made public for the closure. Plans are already in the works for a new tapas bar and restaurant to take over the space under new ownership. Sister restaurant Walton’s Fancy and Staple will remain open. 512-477-2377.
