A popular Central Texas winery is closing its one and only tasting room in Austin. C.L. Butaud recently announced on social media that it will shutter its brick-and-mortar at the end of the month.
The company’s tasting room located at 415 E. St. Elmo Road, Suite. 4F in Austin will close its doors on July 26. In an Instagram post, C.L. Butaud’s owners said they decided to close the space due to rising rent costs.
“When our lease came up for renewal, the increase in rent simply wasn’t something we could responsibly take on as a small, independent winery,” C.L. Butaud co-owners Brooke and Randy Hester wrote in the post. “After a lot of thought, we made the difficult decision to step away from the space.”
Although C.L. Butaud’s physical location is closing, the business confirmed it “isn’t going anywhere.” The husband and wife duo added they’re “actively looking for a new home for C.L. Butaud and exploring opportunities that will allow us to welcome you back into a space of our own.”
“While this chapter is coming to a close, we don’t believe it’s the end of gathering over great wine with this community,” the couple said. We don’t have details to share just yet, but we’re hopeful about what’s ahead.”
You can also find C.L. Butaud’s wines at dozens of local bottle shops and major retailers across Texas including H-E-B, Twin Liquors, Central Market and more. A full list of the winery’s verified retailers is available on the C.L. Butaud website.
Founded in Austin in 2014, C.L. Butaud was founded by the Hesters building on their experience working at some of the most acclaimed wineries in Napa Valley, California. The winery, named after Randy’s great grandfather, Clet Louis Butaud, opened its current tasting room in Austin’s Saint Elmo industrial district in July 2024.
Over the past decade, C.L. Butaud has been recognized as a top Texas wine by Texas Monthly, the Texas Department of Agriculture, Austin Monthly, Forbes and more.
The pair invited the Austin community to visit C.L. Butaud’s tasting room one last time until July 26.
“It would mean a great deal to us to share one more visit with you in this space,” the pair concluded. “Thank you for being part of our story. Your support over the years has allowed a small Texas winery to do something pretty special, and we’re incredibly grateful.”
Find it: 415 E. St. Elmo Road, Austin, TX 78745