Billionaire Tycoon Opens Up a New Houston Wine Bar at His Showcase Hotel — Stella’s Brings a $5 Million Collection

The Houston billionaire who seems unable to sit still has just expanded his hospitality playground on the West Loop South. Stella’s Wine Bar opened Monday in a corner of Tilman Fertitta’s Post Oak Hotel within a cork’s toss of his Mastro’s Steakhouse, Willie G’s Seafood and his luxury car dealership.

The chic bôite is staged to showcase The Cellar, the hotel‘s award winning wine cellar boasting a $5 million collection with more than 30,000 bottles. The new space is designed with floor-to-ceiling wine racks and wall-to-wall climate-controlled refrigeration for storage of more than 3,500 bottles.

“This concept offers something for both casual wine enthusiasts and serious oenophiles,” master sommelier Keith Goldston, head of Post Oak Hotel’s wine program, says in a statement. “The menu embodies more than 30 wine-producing regions that guests can experience through flights or explore over 60 vintages by the glass. With more than 35,000 selections, the options are near limitless.”

Insuring the quality of Stella’s operation, Landry’s Inc. (Fertitta’s company) tapped Mastro’s wine director and advanced sommelier Julie Dalton to direct the operations at the wine bar.

Post Oak Hotel executive chef Jean Luc Royere has curated a light menu sure to please those who like a bite with their wine. House made duck rillettes and Spanish chorizo and cheeses such as Meredith Australian Goat, Truffle Gouda Artikaas and Mountain Maple Brie are among charcuterie offerings while small bites include marinated Mediterranean olives, fig and gorgonzola prosciutto flatbread, and beef and bacon jam sliders.

Stella’s, named after the Fertitta family’s people-loving pet pig, is located next to the 29 North boutique on the hotel’s main level and features a patio with an expansive, open-air pergola and built-in heaters so that these chilly winter nights will not be a deterrent. Happy news for party animals, both the wine lounge and the patio are available for booking private events.

“We strived to create a casual yet sophisticated, social bistro for wine enthusiasts of all levels,” Steven Chou, Post Oak Hotel general manager, says in a statement. “Whether gathering for pre-dinner wine or ending the evening with a nightcap, Stella’s Wine Bar is a delightful setting to sit, relax and imbibe the most sought-after wines from around the world.”

Now you can celebrate purchasing your big six-figure Bentley SUV from Post Oak Motor Cars with toasts at Stella’s.