Budget Bites: Get a Good Deal with Sixty Vines’ Happy Hour

Budget Bites is a series that looks for the best food and drink deals at restaurants in Dallas-Fort Worth — because being on a budget doesn't mean you can't eat out in a city like Dallas.

One of Dallas-Fort Worth’s popular wine bars finally has a happy hour. During “tappy hour” at Sixty Vines, guests can enjoy high-quality wines, as well as delicious appetizers, at a low price.

The wines sold during tappy hour come as part of Sixty Vines’ Vine Huggers program. The Vine Huggers program allows guests to taste a series of wines created by Bill Knuttel, a California winemaker with decades of winemaking experience.

“We wanted to create a way for wines of quality to be approachable to consumers,” says Kenneth Freeman, Sixty Vines’ sommelier. “You walk in, you see the keg taps, and everything is immediately more casual, even if it is high quality. We really want to bring wines to you that are site-specific and have a higher quality than what you typically see.”

When creating the Vine Huggers program with Sixty Vines, Knuttel planned to source single-vineyard fruit to create signature wines exclusively for the restaurant.

“When you actually look at the wines, like the sauvignon blanc that comes from a single vineyard called Woods Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley,” Freeman says, “Dry Creek is one of the most historical places to grow wine in Sonoma. It’s known for a few different grape varietals, and the sauvignon blanc we get from there has a Woods Vineyard signature to it.”

In addition to the Vine Huggers program, Sixty Vines also has the Hop Huggers program, where guests can enjoy a selection of beers from Plano’s Unlawful Assembly Brewing Company.

Each of the starters on the tappy hour menu are only $5, and they include light treats, such as the spinach and mushroom bites. Heartier options, like the short rib sliders, are also on the tappy hour menu.

More healthy options include the smoked peach bruschetta, four slices of toasted bread topped with a peach jam, cream cheese and pickled onions. There's also the crispy avocado: fried avocado slices served with a side of hot and spicy aioli.

As for wines, you won’t be able to get a glass for less than $10, however, the best bang for your buck would be to go splitsies on a bottle with your guest(s). Once you try a glass of the crisp, sweet rosé ($12 per glass/$54 bottle), you’ll certainly want another (and another and another).

Sixty Vines, 500 Crescent Court, Suite 160 (Uptown); 3701 Dallas Parkway, Plano. Happy hour: 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday.