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Farina’s Winery Review

Farina’s Winery Review

Address: 420 S. Main Street Grapevine,Texas 76051.
Phone Number: 817-442-9095
Tasting Hours: Mon-Tues 11:00-9:00, Wed-Thurs 11:00-10:00, Fri-Sat 11:00-11:00, Sun 11:00-6:00

Region: Texas
Reviewer: Adria Schmedthorst
Review Date: 4/14/2012
Reviewer: Adria Schmedthorst
Rating: 3

The Review

Along Main Street, Farina’s combines new wines with old-world Italian food.

The Place: &nbspIn an old brick building on South Main Street in Grapevine, Farina’s is hard to miss. It’s a popular place with both locals and tourists alike, offering good quality Italian food and wine at reasonable prices with a fun atmosphere. Parking is sparse next to the café but a large parking lot just south of the winery is available. Opened in 2007 by owner Gary Farina, the saloon-themed restaurant started with old family recipes and then expanded to wine making. The dark red walls add charm to the dining room filled with antiques, including a 1880s European bar and a hand blown glass chandelier dripping with clusters of colored grapes glittering overhead. According to the staff, every one of the 62 bunches of grapes dangling from the chandelier weigh 1 ½ pounds. The subdued glow of the lighting offers a pleasant backdrop for the works of art from local artists that cover the walls of the main room. In the back and off to the right is a private room for tastings that is surrounded by racks of wine bottles and wine deco. The café and winery was originally an antique auction site for Gary’s first love, his antique store next door to the winery.

The Experience: We came to Farina’s for a tasting but quickly realized that Farina’s main focus is the food. The Italian cafe and winery offers a full menu of classic favorites, from pastas to pizza, for both lunch and dinner. The kitchen is open to viewing at the rear of the café and it is fun to watch as the chefs prepare the wonderful food. As for the tasting, we received three pours for $8; if you decide to purchase two bottles the fee is waived. On the day we visitied, staff members were very busy and appeared bothered at the idea of having to attend to customers who were only there for a tasting.

The Wines: Gary is in the early stages of winemaking and all of Farina’s house label wines are made for them at the Crossroads Vineyards near Frisco, Texas. Farina’s Red, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah is very young and light, and not quite up to the $22 price tag. The White is a blend as well and is a better bet at $20. Also on offer are many other Texas and international wines.

Insider’s Tip: &nbspHappy Hour at Farina’s is Monday through Friday from 4:30-6:30pm, offering $5 glasses of wine and half-price pizzas. Just be ready to face the crowds since this deal is extremely popular with the after-work group. The oven baked lasagna and chicken alfredo are always crowd favorites. Live music plays Thursday through Saturday evenings in the main dining room.