30 Sep Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Tensley Wines Tasting Room in Los Angeles

Living in Los Angeles, I love to head up to Santa Ynez for a few days of wine tasting. But if I cannot make it up there, I now can enjoy some wines from Santa Ynez as Tensley Wines has a tasting room in West Los Angeles! Just a five-minute drive from my home, I would say that is one of the most convenient wine-tasting experiences possible, and that is why the Tensley Wines Tasting Room in Los Angeles is the Please The Palate pick of the week. The Tensley Tasting Room is located in the heart of Brentwood in West LA. It is on the ground floor of Brentwood Gardens, a shopping mall on San Vicente Blvd. The mall has a variety of businesses, including restaurants and retails stores, and now it has the first wine tasting space for a winery from Santa Barbara County. The tasting space is filled with art by American painter and independent curator, Lawrence Gipe, as well as art from Artist C.B. Hewes, a second-generation bartender. with seating that can be adjusted for different size groups. Aside from the colorful art on the ways, the space is minimalist with seating that can be adjusted for different different size groups. Tensley Wines was launched in 1998 by Joey Tensley. Tensley started as a “cellar rat” for Fess Parker Winery in Santa Barbara County and then worked as the assistant winemaker at Babcock. He then became the assistant winemaker at Beckman in 1998. It was at Beckman that Joey developed his love for Rhone varieties. When he was offered space to start his own wine in 1998, he knew he would only produce Rhone varieties sourced from Santa Barbara County. And how did Tensley Wines open a tasting room in Los Angeles? And why in Brentwood? It helped that one of Joey’s children went to UCLA and so he was coming down to Los Angeles regularly. Having a tasting room in Los Angeles can introduce more people to his wines and the wines of Santa Barbara County. At the tasting room, a wine tasting experience costs $25 and includes four tastes of wine. Current wine flight includes:

• 2022 Clairette Blanche, sourced from 80% Nolan Ranch and 20% Martian Vineyard and fermented in neutral oak, has lovely tropical and citrus notes.
• 2022 Rosé of Grenache, a blend of 85% Grenache and 15% Clairette Blanche, is fresh and textured with strawberry, peach, and tangerine aromas.
• 2020 Santa Barbara County Syrah which has rich black and blue fruit and spice notes but bright acidity and a mineral finish.
• 2021 Thompson Vineyard Syrah has powerful aromatics of wildflowers and savory herbs

Wines are also available by the glass as well by the bottle, including the 2021 All Blocks Blend of 80% Grenache,19% Syrah, and 1% Mourvèdre. I loved the red berry and spice notes and the silky texture. Now I know that if I am in the mood to go wine tasting but do not have the time to drive to Santa Ynez Valley, I can drive a few minutes to the Tensley Tasting Room in Brentwood and enjoy a selection of Rhone varieties. Tensley Tasting Room is open daily from 12 pm – 7 pm. Tensley Wines 11677 San Vicente Blvd, Suite 116 Los Angeles, CA 90049