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    Dallas Wine Chick

    WinePoynt mobile app puts the power of wine selection in the palm of your hand

    Melanie Ofenloch
    Feb 13, 2013 | 1:23 pm

    The story starts like a punch line to a joke. Two Texas engineers walk into a local Dallas wine bar and order four different wine flights that aren’t to their personal tastes. Because these guys owned a data analysis and consulting company, they knew that having the right data would help them make a decision about a wine that would satisfy both of them.

     

    With the data problem solved, they needed to convince their sommelier friend, Chris Taylor, to apply his personal expertise to put together WinePoynt, a location- and assortment-oriented mobile app designed to help wine drinkers find wines they enjoy.

     

    The company launched in 2009; the app for Android and iPhone were launched in 2011. The app comes in free and premium versions available on iTunes, Google Play and Amazon for $.99 a month or $4.99 a year.

     
     

      When I navigated the Recommend tab, there were some interesting “off the beaten path” user reviews for Alma Andina 2011, Chateau Pibran 2004 and Meeker Cabernet Franc 2004.

     
     

    “Our initial plan was very ambitious, and we’ve learned a ton in the process,” says Taylor, who is now the president of WinePoynt. “We learned to prioritize locations and features. But, at the end of the day, the problem remains the same for people who buy wine.

     

    “Just because I like a certain wine doesn’t mean that you will like it as well. And wine is often overwhelming because of the number of choices. If I know your preferences, this application takes out the complexity of wine and gives you something that works specifically for you.”

     

    He says they initially planned to focus on wine bars and restaurants, but retailers — especially the grocery stores — were early adopters. I downloaded the app, logged in, entered a few key questions and then clicked on “Drink. Rate. Repeat.” The grocery store ratings were very robust, and I even found a few sales. But I couldn’t find some key wine bars around town like Veritas.

     

    In terms of restaurants, the chains were easier to navigate. However, the app is always in improvement mode and depends on the robustness of its community. You can request new locations and add wines that aren’t in the database by putting in the name or scanning the barcode.

     

    When I navigated the Recommend tab, there were some interesting “off the beaten path” user reviews for Alma Andina 2011, Chateau Pibran 2004, Antonio Sasa 2006, Buehler Vineyards 2009 and Meeker Cabernet Franc 2004 in addition to the grocery store labels like Cupcake, Kendall-Jackson and Ravenswood. I quickly found some WinePoynt users that I’d follow more closely than others.

     

    Near my house, there appeared to be a mix of chain restaurants along with the really great pizza places like Fireside Pies and Coal Vines, which both have good lists.

     

    WinePoynt helps you navigate your wine preferences, provides recommendations, offers food pairing suggestions, shares wine activities and gives consumers a wide option of wines they might enjoy. There are currently 30,000 wines in the database, and the company’s goal is to add 15 new locations every two weeks. You can even create your own list — like “champagnes to drink before you die.” Bryan-College Station, Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin are the focus markets for now.

     

    According to Taylor, the biggest challenge the company is facing is competing for people’s time and exposure. Once the usual suspect wine bars are added, I see this becoming a robust wine app for everything from finding a good Pinot Noir to pair with salmon to discovering a new varietal to finding out about a 40 percent sale at Tom Thumb for wines over $20.

    The WinePoynt app is designed to help people choose wines that suit their tastes, whether in restaurants or retail shops.

    WinePoynt app cartoon
      
    Photo courtesy of WinePoynt
    The WinePoynt app is designed to help people choose wines that suit their tastes, whether in restaurants or retail shops.
    unspecified
    news/restaurants-bars
    news/innovation

    Skewer News

    Vila Brazil to bring affordable Brazilian steakhouse to Cedar Hill

    Raven Jordan
    Jul 11, 2025 | 6:10 pm
    Side of meat
    Photo courtesy of Vila Brazil
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    A Brazilian steakhouse known for its low-for-steak prices is coming to Garland: Called Vila Brazil, it's part of a small local chain and will open in Cedar Hill, at 305 W. RM Rd. 1382 #316, in the former Crab & Bar space, in late 2025.

    Vila Brazil was founded by restaurateur Roberto de Sa, who opened the first location in Irving in 2011, as a home-grown rendition of churrascaria-type restaurants such as Fogo de Chao. A second location opened in Garland in 2024.

    According to co-owner Gabriel de Sa, the Cedar Hill location will feature the same menu, including rotating chef specials at the buffet.

    Vila Brazil features a lower-cost version of churrascaria, a Brazilian style of serving cuts of grilled meat from giant skewers onto diners’ plates. They offer eight cuts of meat including picanha steak, sirloin, chicken, lamb, and pork.

    There’s also a salad bar buffet featuring rice, salads, vegetables, and Brazilian-inspired dishes such as cheese bread rolls and cinnamon-grilled pineapple.

    Weekday lunch is $25 and dinner is $40 daily. For the buffet only, it’s $18-$21.

    They own other restaurants including VB's steakhouse in Arlington and Casa Pollastro, a Brazilian-Italian concept in North Dallas. But Gabriel says they take a different approach with Vila Brazil than some of the other more expensive churrascaria restaurants in town.

    "Instead we offer homemade food at an affordable price with great quality and flavor,” he says. "Our guests on average visit our store three times a month — much more frequently than your typical churrascaria."

    The Cedar Hill location will be fairly large, in a 6,528 square-foot space, with an approachable casual dining atmosphere.

    “We choose the Cedar Hill community for the same reason we opened in Garland, to serve an underserved community,” Gabriel says. “A fusion between a fast casual buffet and a Brazilian Churrascaria Vila Brazil is accessible to all members of the community with high value.”

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    news/restaurants-bars
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