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Britt Wallace stands out at Locals Craft Beer and Fine Wine.
His bubbly personality, bow ties and deep knowledge of wines charms customers.
Yet, his skill as a sommelier and retailer and their shared vision for the wine shop located in Mustang Station captured owner Traci Williams’ heart.
“I feel so very fortunate and so lucky to have found him and I could not do this without Britt,” she said. “I knew at our first meeting. I thought, ‘This is just kismet.’”
Wallace wasn’t really looking for a job when he saw Williams’ post on a job search platform.
He’d gotten burned out working long hours as sommelier for Gaylord Texan Resort’s Old Hickory Steakhouse and had quit to renovate a house. He knew his time off needed to come to an end eventually, so he peeked in to see what was available, but said he wasn’t necessarily looking for work.
But the job description for Locals “was right up my alley,” and as soon as he met Williams he said, “We just knew we were destined to work together. We hit it off from the very beginning. We had the same ideas.”
Wallace started his career in hospitality, working in restaurants in southern California, where he was introduced to wine.
“I just fell in love,” he said, “and it’s abundant out there.”
Though his obsession with wines started as a hobby, it didn’t take him long to realize he could make a career of it.
He moved to Texas in the early 2000s and became a wine buyer at Market Street, where it quickly became apparent that retail is a different beast from hospitality. However, he used his time there to become a certified sommelier through the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.
Wallace has strong opinions that wine is for everyone.
“Wine should be fun. It shouldn’t be pretentious,” he said. “Wine was created to sustain people from the beginning, but if you can afford (to splurge), that’s okay.”
For Locals, he seeks wines that aren’t readily available elsewhere, such as single vineyard or reserve wines.
He has organized for vineyards to come to the shop weekly to talk about their wines, and he offers blending classes 1-2:30 p.m. Saturdays with four wines from Browne Vineyard.
“I talk you through their profiles, and you spend the rest of your time playing mad scientist … drink, play, take it home,” he said. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how open people are to trying new things.”
There have been a few pleasant surprises with the shop.
Craft beer sales have taken off, the tasting shop has exceeded expectations and Gruet seems to have found a local fan base, so Wallace cannot rotate it off the inventory as expected.
“I would have some upset locals, and that was supposed to be seasonal. That’s the best of outcomes,” he said.
Wallace focuses on the wine shop as its manager, but also helps in the Lounge, which is owned by Robert Dye, as needed or to mix special cocktails, though he insists he is not a mixologist.
“I will set myself on fire making a smoked Old Fashioned, especially when I had my long mustache. I was highly flammable,” he said, laughing.
Personally, Wallace is a bubbles person.
“Bubbles are just fun. You can be in your pajamas on your couch on a Tuesday, and the minute that cork pops, it turns into a party,” he said.
Both Wallace and Williams said they love the location in Mustang Station. Unfortunately, the lack of a grease trap and no easy work-around from the city means they can’t offer food, so they do offer people the ability to pick up food from the other restaurants and come in either the wine shop or the Lounge to hang out.
“We didn’t open this place to compete with anyone,” Wallace said.
That is the vision Wallace and Williams share - creating a place where the community can come to meet. They’ve hosted post-work cocktails, bridal showers, baby showers and even people who work from home who need a change of scenery.
“It’s just a pretty little space to hang out in,” Williams said.
To find events at Locals, which is located at 13050 Bee St., Suite 100, visit exploretock.com.
