My 'Unofficial' Guide to Drinking Wine in L.A.
Whenever I have the chance to visit a new city, there are a few things I aim to accomplish: trying local cuisine, spending time with my homies, and of course, checking out the wine spots.
Los Angeles, with its year-round sunshine, gorgeous palm trees, and eclectic neighborhoods has something for everyone. It’s one of the chillest cities I’ve visited in a while - no one is in a rush, kickin’ it poolside in the middle of the day is a lifestyle and sitting in traffic comes with being an Angeleno.
Over the course of my 2.5-week stay, I had the chance to hit up some pretty dope spots with my bestie (hi Taj!) and drink some yummy wines and delicious food along the way. All of these places were a vibe, so you truly won’t be disappointed if you hit one or all of them.
With that, here's my unofficial wine guide to L.A. - enjoy!
Source: The Los Angeles Times
Esters Wine Bar & Shop (Santa Monica) - This was my first stop upon arriving in L.A., and I have to credit my girl Taj for finding this gem. When you walk in, you’re swept up by the comfort of a neighborhood bottle shop but the elegant chic of a wine bar. We sat outside on the gorgeous patio until closing (they were SO ready for us to leave!) and enjoyed glasses of Arnaud Lambert Rosé Crémant, oysters, and delicious charcuterie with meats and cheese sourced from local farms. A cute Thursday night spot that’s great for happy hour with the girls or dinner with bae.
Bar Bandini (Echo Park) - Don’t you wanna go where everybody knows your name? Well, Bar Bandini is without a doubt a neighborhood wine bar that gives you that good Cheers feeling. With natural wines available on tap and by the bottle, my friends left it to me to choose what to sip on both visits. From a delightful Chenin Blanc by Broc Cellars out of Solano County to an effervescent Pet Nat Rosé from Mendocino, Bar Bandini is doing natural wine right.
LoLo Wine Bar & Restaurant (East Hollywood) - I’d heard so much about this place upon my arrival, and I’m so glad I got to share the experience with my wine friends Desiree, Marcella, and Shontel. LoLo is a lowkey wine bar with a lovely garden patio that offers small bites and large plates. What makes this place extra special is the bottle shop that’s straight to the back, where you can pick out your own bottle or enjoy something by the glass. Before the girls arrived, I enjoyed a glass of Pipeno, and we shared a bottle of Staigiare Sufficiently Whelming - a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay that we absolutely loved.
L&E Oyster Bar (Silver Lake) - True life: I love seafood, so whenever I have the chance to eat it, I most certainly will. Marcella thought this would be a great place for us to have dinner and a great bottle of wine. We enjoyed a dozen oysters and fries before we each ordered yummy seafood entrees. For the table, I ordered Antxiola Rosado - a beautiful rosé from the Getariako Txakolina appellation of Txakoli, Spain that was crisp, light, tart with a hint of effervescence.
Bar Covell (Loz Feliz) - To close out our mini wine bar crawl, Desiree, Marcella, Shontel and I ended the evening at Covell - a unique bar where there isn’t a menu, but you walk in and tell them what you’re in the mood for. HOW COOL IS THAT?! There was so much to choose from, and from what I recall, I told the bartender that I was in the mood for something light, effervescent (because, bubbles) but funky. She didn’t disappoint when she poured me a glass of Blue Sky Action - a rosé of Sangiovese from Northern Sacramento Valley.
Vinovore Wine & Goods Shop (Silver Lake) - While wine bars are fetch, I am a sucker for a good wine shop. I had the chance to write about Vinovore for Imbibe Magazine earlier this year, and I was geeked up like Fabo to visit. When you walk in, the wine is displayed from sparklings, rosé, and funky whites to light, medium, and full-bodied reds. They’ve also got an assortment of canned wines, as well as a shop with super dope knick-knacks, books, and wine accessories. But what I love the most about this show is the huge sign on the wall that helps you determine what type of Vinovore you are. On any given day, I am a Silver Fox, but I can also be an Orange Tiger too :)
