The Bishop Arts Winery, which Oak Cliff resident Elias Rodriguez has been planning since last January, could open as soon as the end of December. At the latest, the winery is expected to open in January.

Rodriguez has been open, serving coffee and bagels for several months while he waits for approval so sell and manufacture wine.

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The shop, in a former art gallery at Davis and Tyler, will specialize in Texas wines. Rodriguez, who has worked in German wineries, plans to make wine at the shop as well. His vision is similar to Times Ten Cellars.

Rodriguez has hired chef Ericka Vazquez, who once worked under chef Sharon Hage at Salve. Vazquez also worked as a grill cook at the Oceanaire and Craft Dallas. Her resume as a cook is a who’s who of upscale Dallas restaurants, but Bishop Arts Winery is the first kitchen that is all hers.

She is planning a menu that includes a cheese board, soup, salad and desserts. The menu isn’t final yet, and they haven’t decided whether to offer entrees. But I tried Vazquez’s delicious beef and vegetable soup the other day (they have free wifi and good coffee), and I have high hopes for her menu.