Cape Bottle Room allows you to enjoy new wines of every kind, inspired by South African flavors.
By Haley Noble, Photos courtesy of Cape Bottle Room
Driven by purpose and a need for community, Danya and Cory Declusin brought Cape Bottle Room to Austin. The business doubles as a wine bar and retail wine shop. Cape Bottle Room provides a variety of wines and perfectly paired food options inspired by South African tastes and culture for patrons to enjoy.
“Grilled meats are a focal point of the food there,” Danya explains. “A lot of these wines feel perfectly crafted for the Texas market.”
After realizing how few South African wine options are available in the U.S., the Declusins knew they needed to share this variety of new wines with Austin.
“We thought, ‘How are these wines so fantastic?’” Danya says. “The price point is so phenomenal for what you’re getting. On top of that, their drive for sustainability is massive. They focus so much on maintaining their ecosystems and giving back to their workers.”
Inspired by the passion behind the making of these wines, Cape Bottle Room offers a South African variety in an effort to create a new experience for consumers.
“If there were always those more familiar regions, everyone would default to that,” Danya explains. “If I created a space where it’s your only option, people would give in to the experience.”
While designing the physical space, Danya wanted it light and comfortable, but also something different than residents were used to.
“I was trying to create a hybrid space of a wine bar and wine shop,” Danya says. “So that people could come in, buy bottles and leave, or stay and hang out. I think of Austin as this bright, sunny place. So, people may want something kind of dark and moody. I thought I should create this in-between where it’s still bright but also feels warm.”
With this aesthetic in mind, Cape Bottle Room provides a serene atmosphere for all guests to enjoy, whether they are sitting at a table with family or at the bar with friends. The space itself provides a comfortable vibe for wine drinkers of all kinds.
When researching the relationship between wine and consumers, Danya found that younger people tend to drink less wine. This hesitation could be attributed to the false idea that wine must be expensive or that you have to be an expert to know which wine is “good.” With Cape Bottle Room, she wants to change that.
“Wine can be whatever you want it to be,” Dayne emphasizes. “You can drink the cheapest bottle, but if you’re having fun, then you win. It’s all about people enjoying themselves. When you make it less serious, it becomes more appealing.”
In the future, Danya hopes to supply restaurants with these wines and continue to expand to other parts of Texas. She believes South African wine has big potential to gain popularity and become a standard, whether you’re out for dinner or buying a bottle to enjoy at home.
“That’s my goal,” she says. “I want it to be everywhere. Everyone should be drinking South African wines!”