After hearing “no, not yet” in response, she decided to take matters into her own hands. Hiney doesn’t have classic sommelier training or a formal background; she just has a love for wine that led her to a path of entrepreneurship.
Meet the owner
After 12 years in the software management field, Hiney opened Hutto Wine Bar on East Street in February 2024 with a focus on selling and promoting wine made and sold by women.
The wine bar sells small cheese plates, a variety of white and red wine, rose, sparkling beverages and seasonal offerings. Wines are available by the glass, as flights or in full bottles. Approximately 90-95% of Hutto Wine Bar’s by the glass menu is made up of women-influenced wine, Hiney said.
“I come from a corporate software background, which is very male dominated,” Hiney said. “Having gone into another very male-dominated industry, I was just trying to find any way that I could really lift these women up,”
Her current go-to wine is BloodRoot cabernet sauvignon.
Staying local
To help educate Hutto locals about the wine bar and support other women-led businesses in the community, Hiney frequently partners with establishments in Hutto to host profit shares.
“Now that we've been established for this long, trying to reach further into our own community and trying to make sure that all of our local people know that we're here has been a really big task,” Hiney said.
Hutto Wine Bar is set to partner with Hutto Public Library on Dec. 10 for a book blind date event. The library will sell books for $5 each and Hutto Wine Bar will have wine for sale.
The wine bar also hosts seasonal and regular events, like a Friendsgiving dinner held on Nov. 21, tastings, meet-the-winemaker events and live music on the outdoor patio on Fridays. The wine bar is family friendly and allows dogs on the patio, Hiney said.
Learn more
For more access to wine bar events and offerings, Hutto Wine Bar has a members-only club with a two-tiered membership. Members can either choose to receive one or two bottles a month and enjoy a monthly meet up to collect their wine, taste other offerings and purchase additional wine.
Members also get discounts on purchases, access to member-only wines and a complimentary glass of wine per visit each day. There are currently about 80 members at the wine bar.
“I would love to have more people join us,” Hiney said. “I am told a lot of the time that what [members] pay is not what they get out of it. They're underpaying for what they actually get out of it, which that's how I want you to feel. I want to make sure that you're getting the value that you're paying.”
The membership cost is $45 for one bottle or $80 for two bottles.
- 105 East St., Hutto
- www.huttowinebar.com
