Pour up? Houston touts new self-serve wine bar in East Downtown

HOUSTON – Houston welcomes its first self-serve wine bar in East Downtown.

Roots Wine Bar, at 3107 Leeland Street, aims to eliminate the “uptight” or unapproachable stigma associated with wine tastings by providing an innovative and interactive wine experience, the company says on its website.

The establishment, which opened to the public in mid-February, offers a rotating menu with over 50 different wines to sample using fully automated wine dispensing machines.

Customers use a keycard to pour their own samples from a wall of taps. The bar says it takes a “Try Before You Buy” approach and sells all the wines by the bottle to enjoy while dining in or retail to take home.

Roots also feature a rotating menu of gulf coast bites, such as caramelized Brussel sprouts, fried oysters, crawfish croquettes, and Amberjack Ricotta dumplings.

The bar also features a cutesy outdoor patio.