On a sleepy corner in Houston’s CityCentre, the new Tasting Room beckons with a 6500-sq-ft patio, a one-of-a-kind-in-Houston self-serve enomatic wine dispenser and a brand new, inviting space where you can pull up a seat at the bar or get your own table.

If you’re a Tasting Room fan, you’ve probably visited in the evening, when it’s the perfect time to unwind with a nice glass of vino. It may not come to mind as a lunch destination, but that’s actually when I prefer to go. During lunchtime, it’s less crowded, which means I can actually take advantage of their state-of-the-art-enomatic system and taste wines without feeling too bad about wanting to taste too many.

During a recent afternoon visit, I tasted no fewer than four before settling on a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand for my meal, the bouquet fresh and fruity, the taste cool, crisp and clean. My friend and I snagged a seat at the marble-topped charcuterie bar and ordered a chef’s selection of charcuterie and cheeses while we looked over the menu.

Served on a wooden platter with some fresh grapes and a slab of quince jelly, the charcuterie – a  selection of prosciutto di parma, coppa and speck – were all good. But it was the little touches, like the side dish of fresh sliced baguette, cornichons and Dijon mustard, that made it memorable.

The lunch menu was simple, with choices of some salads, sandwiches, pizza and a few entrees. I was skeptical when executive chef Raymond Vandergaag suggested the “Sliceburg” wedge salad as a dish to try, but the crisp wedge under a blizzard of apple-wood smoked bacon, tomatoes, cucumber and feta cheese, topped with jalapeño cilantro ranch dressing, turned out to be a very pleasing dish, the coolness of lettuce a nice foil to the 100+ degree heat outside. The portion looked large at the onset, but I found myself cleaning the plate.

My grilled corn ravioli with sautéed cherry tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, serrano chili and cotija cheese was a good read on the menu and tasted even better. The handmade ravioli were delicate and full of a creamy sweet corn paste, while the sauce, which sounded Italian-inspired, actually had a Southwestern flavor, the serrano chili giving the dish a spicy salsa-like kick.

Surprisingly, the dish I thought I’d enjoy the most – the prosciutto pizza with house-made mozzarella, arugula and truffle vinaigrette – was the dish I enjoyed the least, perhaps because I was already full, or perhaps because we let it sit too long while we chatted. By the time I bit into my first piece, I found the crust chewy and a bit on the tough side.

The desserts we chose were lovely, however. I didn’t think I would like the zeppole more than square-shaped creamy panna cotta topped with sweet Texas peaches, but the airy, bite-sized Italian donuts of ricotta cheese were simply delicious. Drizzled with chocolate sauce, they were irresistible.

THE TASTING ROOM, 818 Town & Country Blvd. in CityCentre, 281-822-1500, tastingroomwines.com