Need More Wine

Dallas wine shop Times Ten Cellars pulls plug on second location

There's still a chance for a few last toasts.

Times Ten Cellars

Fort Worth wine drinkers are about to lose a favorite little hang when Times Ten Cellars closes its location at 1100 Foch St. on January 28. The wine spot announced the impending closure on Facebook.

"Thank you for allowing us to serve you and share in so many special occasions," it said. "We look forward to seeing you before we close and would love to raise a glass."

Rob Wilson and Kert Platner opened the Fort Worth outlet in 2009 as a spinoff of their original location in Dallas. Both branches serve wine made in-house and boast a laid-back easygoing vibe, with cheese platters and other snacks, as well as the option for you to bring your own.

Fans loved it not only as a place to get a glass of wine, with an attentive knowledgeable staff, but for all kinds of gatherings: tastings, birthday parties, showers, wedding receptions, girls night out, and neighbor meet-ups.

The Fort Worth location also became known for its alliance with Cane Rosso pizzeria, which brought its mobile pizza truck to the wine bar once a week for pizza nights. Not only did it give wine drinkers excellent pizza, it also gave Cane Rosso a foothold in Fort Worth's dining scene that helped pave the way for its successful opening in the Near Southside district.

Wilson says they timed the closing to give faithful customers a chance for some closure.

"There are a lot of reasons that led us to this decision, the biggest being that we just weren't profitable at that location," he says. "We made the decision with our managers to stay open most of the month of January to give our loyal customers a chance to say goodbye and enjoy a glass of wine."

Meanwhile, the prognosis for Dallas is good.

"For now we want to focus on Dallas which continues to do well," he says. "All of the production and storage will move back to Dallas or our warehouse in East Dallas, and Dustin Walker will continue as our winemaker."

Times Ten Cellars produces approximately 20,000 cases of wine a year, and has its own 10-acre vineyard in Alpine, Texas, where they grow Tempranillo, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Petite Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah grapes.

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In A Pickle

Dallas-based Smoothie King chain debuts puckery new pickle smoothie

Smoothie King

Pickle flavored smoothie from Smoothie King.

The ever upwardly trending pickle flavor is surfacing in the unlikeliest of places: Smoothie King, the Dallas-based smoothie chain, is releasing a new limited-edition Pickle Smoothie — for those who love pickles so much they could drink them.

Smoothie King is partnering with Grillo's Pickles, a Boston-based pickle company, on a beverage that combines Grillo’s Pickles with bananas, kale, and coconut water for what they describe as a refreshingly tangy drink infused with electrolytes designed to support hydration.

The drink is $5.99 for a 20-ounce serving, and will be available through the summer. They'll be giving out free 4-ounce samples on May 16, while supplies last. A Today writer who ran out and tried it found that the banana and pickles both had an equally strong presence, and that it was "not bad." That's some reporting.

Grillo's Pickles was founded in 2008 by Travis Grillo, who launched the business as a small wooden pushcart in Boston Common, using his family's 100-year-old recipe. It has since grown into a nationwide brand, with their bottles topped with kelly-green lids sold in the refrigerator section of major grocery chains such as Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Kroger, and Aldi.

Smoothie King is based in Dallas and is owned by Wan Kim, who opened the first Smoothie King franchise in Korea before eventually acquiring the national chain. He's also a major presence in Dallas' restaurant scene, opening the acclaimed Asian-themed Nuri Steakhouse in Uptown Dallas in 2024, and more recently debuting a chicken tenders concept on Dallas' Greenville Avenue called Flock & Fresh on May 2.

Pickles have emerged in recent years as one of the buzziest flavors, including Fort Worth's own craft beer brewer Martin House Brewing Co., a pickle pioneer that has released a number of pickle-flavored beers. H-E-B just joined the pickle party with a new Pickle Chamoy Sherbet, and national boutique grocery chain Trader Joe's is about to reprise its annual Pickle Season onslaught of pickle-flavored products such as Dill Pickle Mustard and Pickle-Flavored Potato Chips.

Beyond their flavor, pickles are a fermented item which can offer nutritional/probiotic benefits, although Smoothie King VP of R&D and Product Marketing Lori Primavera focuses primarily on the hydration aspect.

"At Smoothie King, every recipe starts with delicious nutrition in mind," Primavera says in a statement. "Pickles are not only delicious and having a cultural moment, they also offer real nutritional benefits, especially known for their enhanced hydration. That combination gave us an opportunity to explore them in a new format and push our innovation into new territory, reimagining how a beloved flavor can deliver both function and taste."

Grillo's Pickles Chief Commercial Officer Mark Luker calls them "functional benefits."

"We love to do unhinged collabs at Grillo's," Luker says. "With that, we don't always get to talk about the functional benefits of pickles. When we partnered with Smoothie King for a hydration smoothie, we knew this was a great opportunity to do both. Those who are willing to try will be pleasantly surprised (and hydrated)."

And if pickles are not your thing, Smoothie King is also simultaneously unveiling five watermelon smoothies including fan-favorite Watermelon Hydration, Watermelon X-Treme, Gut Health, The Activator Recovery Watermelon, and Power Meal Slim Watermelon.

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