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It's no secret that California is a wine-loving state; of all the wine produced in the United States each year, California is responsible for about 90% of it. Needless to say, this bodes well for everyone smart enough to own a wine bar in Los Angeles. With posh hideouts and revamped strip mall dives alike erecting shrines to the vine, LA provides a variety of venues that specialize in catering to our wine loving culture. LA wine bars offer a little something for everyone, whether you drive a Porsche and wear Gucci or attend wellness retreats and traipse off to Burning Man with three suitcases full of granola. From romantic Spanish imports to organically grown, humanely harvested, culturally conscious grapes hand picked at the exact moment Venus entered retrograde, Los Angeles wine bars can happily serve you the vintage you're looking for.
326 Bar
6333 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, California; Tel. 323.933.9211
Serving domestic draft and bottled beers and wines, the 326 Bar located at the Original Los Angeles Farmers Market is a seen and be seen down low haven where you can escape, but still soak in, the Farmers Market shopping scene. 326 Bar also features something that you so wouldn't expect in a town like LA; free live music. Yep, every Thursday, Friday and Saturday 326 Bar kicks back with some down tempo jazz or blues beats from local Los Angeles live music acts that perfectly caps off the low key vibe at 326 Bar. |
Air Conditioned
2819 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, California; Tel. 310.829.3700
Air Conditioned is a hip little Westside LA wine bar and lounge for those who enjoy the finer things like a superb selections of California varietals, designer furniture and deep wood accents, a knowledgeable bar staff and a severe lack of posh wine bar snobbery. But all the beer drinkers out there needn't worry because Air Conditioned in Santa Monica has you covered with a good, if requisite, selection of imports and domestics that still get the swank treatment along with Air Conditioned's selection of light appetizers. So far as Los Angeles wine bars go, Air Conditioned has to be the hippest due in no small part to its low key vibe and the eclectic sounds provided by some of the better LA downbeat DJs. |
Bodega DeCordova
361 Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, California; Tel. 323.951.1969
It's a dream come true, Spain in Fairfax! This Los Angeles bar has been inspired by the soul and romance of Madrid but Bodega DeCordova sits in a convenient location in Los Angeles. The wine is imported as well as the various tapas you may choose from to accompany your beverage and the friendly faces remind you that you are still in LA, but enjoying treats from a world away. Bodega DeCordova has a warm atmosphere and allows customers to truly enjoy themselves over a blossoming glass of red wine while absorbing all the fabulous Spanish influences this worldly chic Los Angeles bar has to offer. |
Bottle Rock
3847 Main St., Culver City, California; Tel. 310.836.9463
This is a wine specialty bar with over 800 wine labels and a tasting room for not just the wine, but also the Bottle Rock's hand-crafted beers and sakes. This is a good place to bring a designated driver—the Bottle Rock is an alcoholic's dream, with all bottles ranging from $5 to $600. Light maple wood floors and dark wood cabinetry give the Bottle Rock a vineyard feel, but what's even better than most vineyards is the fact that they will open any bottle regardless of price, if two glasses are purchased. Can't beat that. |
Colorado Wine Company
2114 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles, California; Tel. 323.478.1985
Unconventional wine tasting themes such as "Wine Tasting: Bigfoot" or "Beauty vs. The Beast" where bottles with ugly labels are tasted against more attractive labels, are what sets the Colorado Wine Company apart as a wine bar in Los Angeles. Their slogan, "Wine for everyone," makes even those who usually drink their wine from a jug with a handle feel welcome at their Eagle Rock location. The sommeliers are more than willing to explain the wines at their casual tastings that are scheduled Tuesday through Sunday. The Colorado Wine Company also lives by the idea that cost does not determine the quality of the wine. Unlike other LA wine bars, ninety-five percent of the wines at this bar cost less than $25. When you've had your fill of wine and cheese, there is a cozy lounge in the back that offers comfortable seating to enjoy that new bottle of wine you purchased. |
Lou
724 Vine St., Hollywood, California; Tel. 323.962.6369
In the midst of a Hollywood strip mall that hasn't been renovated in decades, a diamond-in-the-rough of a wine bar stays hidden in Los Angeles. Owner, Lou Amdur, has taken the Southern California location and made it into a destination by offering a menu of various hand picked wines that he changes every few weeks based on season or whim. The wine bar used to only offer small dishes of snacks, salads, and cheese, but recently they have begun offering Monday night suppers making it a one stop LA night. The beauty of the wine is displayed in nightly flights or poured by the glass. The over 25 wines offered are from family producers and at least 10 percent are organically or biodynamically grown. Lou treats his customers like celebrities whether or not they're from Hollywood. |
—Los Angeles bar and club reviews by Alanna Lee and Ryan Osterbeck
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