Padre's owner William Farley
Owner William Farley describes his streamlined, eclectically designed space as a place to shop, gather and socialize over boutique wines while enjoying small bites. Bottles are sourced from France, Italy, America, South America and undiscovered regions like Corsica, Uruguay and Hungary.
Formerly in oil and gas finance, Farley left the industry to start a wine importing company. He traveled to Argentina, Chile and Uruguay to meet with some small, family-run vineyard owners and a few of the vineyards became the foundation of his portfolio, which now represents 25 producers across South America. What began as a hobby and love of wine Farley shared with his late father, has evolved into Padre’s.
“The name ‘Padre’s Wine’ honors my father, who friends, family and strangers endearingly referred to as Padre,” says William Farley. “Padre’s Wine is an effort to not only share and teach about good wine but to create a space in the Heights for people to come together as a community, enjoy good wine, taste new things, kick back and relax.”
Paninis at Padre's
The patio at Padre's
Charcuterie
Padre’s GM Nick Nguyen, who brings extensive experience from groups such as The Riel Group, Musaafer, Kata Robata and The Rishi Group, will collaborate with Farley to offer Houstonians a wine experience that features the duo’s mutual vision and passion for wine.
According to Farley, most wine retailers offer less than 10 percent of South American wines, while Padre’s homages South American wines, with more than 20 percent of its selections hailing from Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. Anticipate wines from over 200-year-old vines, or biodynamic estates nestled in the Andes, and a robust array of over 500 bottles.
The new shop also showcases family-owned wineries emphasizing sustainability, which can be purchased by the bottle or the 20-plus rotating options by the glass. A small food menu includes charcuterie boards made with Houston Dairymaids cheeses, paninis, and other small wine-friendly bites like East coast oysters and cake and bacon bread and butter. There’s also a membership club that unlocks special selections and discounts.
For the space, Farley tapped Austin’s Architecture and Interior Design firm Dick Clark and Associates, whose work can be seen at iconic destinations such as The Oasis and the South Congress Hotel. The laid-back, light-filled 4,000-square-foot space — including retail, a bar and expansive patio — sports soothing natural colors and textures. Expect Marfa-inspired décor and works by artists Lee Crum and Jose Maria Cundin; a favorite photographer of the late Mike Farley, Crum’s stunning portfolio spans from New Orleans culture and a Mexican landscape to portraits of celebrities including Mick Jagger and Jack Nicholson.
When the main entrance through the bottle shop closes at 8PM, guests will enter the wine bar through a speak-easy style walkway via the patio. “My father had a fun, witty, inquisitive and welcoming spirit,” said Farley. “We want the aesthetics and energy of the wine bar to reflect those qualities.”
From Your Site Articles
- Campfire Lattes, Hard-to-Find Wine and More of This Week's Tastiest Food News ›
- With the Help of a Young Artist, a Spring Branch Winery Uncorks the Perfect Holiday Gift - Houston CityBook ›
- James Beard ‘Taste America’ Stops in Houston for a Foodie Affair at Four Seasons Downtown - Houston CityBook ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Christopher Paul (photo by Ellen Sabin)
Last May, Paul was the only undergrad invited to be a part of Nuanced Black — an exhibition at Community Artists’ Collective of works by Black Master of Fine Arts candidates at the University of Houston. (Paul is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture at UH.) In January, at the opening of the Blaffer Art Museum’s winter exhibition, Paul teamed up with sound artist Mo Nikole to present the moody, ritualistic movement-based performance “Transmigration Through the Void to No Place.” And on Sunday, April 16 at Kindred Stories, as part of Folk Fest 2023, an afternoon of workshops celebrating methods of familial and cultural preservation, Paul will lead an audience participatory piece titled “Earth Seed.” Be it wearable sculpture, installation art, movement, or sound, it’s all material Paul mixes up and uses to “tap into” transcendental practices within Afro-American and Black diasporic culture.
With his full afro, earrings in both earlobes, and a penchant for beaded bracelets, Paul cuts a dramatic figure; but his fashion sense serves a purpose beyond just looking cool. “I have a uniform,” says Paul with a smile when asked about his sartorial choices. “I like to wear kaftans and tunics or wrap something around my body. Those pieces speak to spiritual and shamanistic practice.”
'Earth Seed'
'transmigration through the void to no place II'
Born in Bulverde, Texas, a small town between Austin and San Antonio, Paul came to Houston to study at UH. He grew up with three sisters and a brother, surrounded by creativity and creative people, including his father Lionel, who is a painter and a musician. “He was very multi-disciplinary,” says Paul, “very much a jack of all trades.” Paul’s older sister worked in the entertainment industry as a publicist, and actors, models, and other creatives often visited the house, which inspired Paul at age 16 to commit to art as a vocation.
Earth Seed brings together Paul’s divergent interests with his ability to guide an audience into a communal experience. His plan is to usher the Folk Fest crowd to move around a sculpture he created, which will be decorated by the participants. “The movement is inspired by the ring shout,” says Paul, “this sort of circular movement that is in African American dance culture.” The ring shout was originated by slaves as a religious activity, with elements of Christian worship complementing with its African roots. At the end of the dance, Paul will invite each participant to sit with his sculpture, meditate on an ancestor, and share what they felt during the dance. For Paul, these actions are a means of transcendence, a way for people of African descent to “untether” from the racist and Eurocentric ideals of what is and is not “human.” “Black people have been and still are dehumanized,” says Paul. “So let’s figure out other ways we can exist that are centralized within our own culture.”
Meanwhile, back on terra firma, Paul is enjoying a new gig as an assistant at Art Is Bond gallery and is considering what to do next upon completing his degree in 2024. Grad school in London or New York is a definite possibility, along with a long-term goal to open an African American art residency program for youth. Until then, we’re glad he’s made a niche for himself in Houston — and look forward to traveling wherever he takes us next.
From Your Site Articles
- Hot New Portraits: Rising Stars Who Kept the Music Playing Through Crisis Spotlighted ›
- Touting Never-Before-Seen Objects from Its Founders Own Collection, the Menil Opens Andean Exhibit ›
- Houston Folk Singer Hand-Picked by Music Icon for New Compilation Album ›
- Glitzy River Oaks Gallery Closes the Year with 'Superspectra' Soiree and Show ›
- A Self-Taught Artist Hangs a Solo Show to Inspire Everyone - Houston CityBook ›
- Booted From its Longtime Building, Artist Collective Seeks a New Home for ‘Life-Affirming’ Work - Houston CityBook ›
- Inaugural ‘Black Art Houston’ Celebration Takes Place City-Wide This Weekend - Houston CityBook ›
- This Weekend: Check Out These Intricate, Puzzle-Like Collages Packed with Personal and Societal Anecdotes - Houston CityBook ›