WINE

Happy Summer 2019! I hope you had a wonderful, long 4th of July weekend. This summer (specifically June 8th), marks the 8th anniversary of Please...

09 July, 2019
As good as the food is at a restaurant, what can make a meal even better is the wine selections to pair with the food. It is not about the size of the list or having the correct list of wines. It is about understanding the cuisine of the restaurant and the customer and then creating a list to appeal to both. My recent story in California Winery Advisor listed 15 of the best restaurant wine lists in Los Angeles and you can read it here. ************************************************************** Wondering who has the best restaurant wine lists in Los Angeles and why? It is not the size of the wine list. It is not because it has a list of every aspirational, expensive, highly scored wine. And it is definitely not a good list when the list consists of generic mass-produced brands that can be found on the shelves of the local grocery store. A good wine list is one that is curated by the wine director of the restaurant to pair with the food on the menu. It is a list that offers a range of price points and combines familiarity as well as uniqueness. With so many exceptional restaurants in Los Angeles, a good wine list is what can set one apart from another. Here are 15 restaurants offering some of the most interesting, exciting and appropriate wine selections for the customer.
02 July, 2019
When I tasted the Irvine & Roberts Pinot Meunier last month, I was smitten and selected it as the Please The Palate Wine of the Week. But, I loved their Chardonnays and the Pinot Noirs, as well as the story of owners Dionne and Doug Irvine, which I wrote about in the Napa Valley Register and am sharing here. When thinking about wines from Oregon, the Willamette Valley is what first comes to mind. But located in Oregon’s southernmost grape-growing region in Oregon, near the California border, is the Rogue Valley.
27 June, 2019
Auburn LA is one of the newest additions to the Los Angeles restaurant scene, and it is set to be one of the best. Located on Melrose Avenue, across the street from Mozza and Chi Spacca, Auburn LA has made its home in the space that was once home to Meson G, Citrus and Hatfield's. Completely revamped, the space looks nothing like its predecessors. Auburn LA is a clean open space with lots of sunlight streaming in from the skylights. The decor is simple with neutral-toned walls, white oak, light-colored furniture and indoor greenery. Auburn LA is a 105-seat restaurant, broken into several different spaces. Upon entering the restaurant, there is a bar and seating area. The open kitchen is where you can see Chef Eric Bost and his team diligently at work. There are a few tables that share the room with the kitchen. Just beyond the kitchen, separated by glass windows, is the semi-enclosed patio. This is the main dining area and yet the tables are so well-spaced that you really feel like you can enjoy dinner with your companions and not be distracted or interrupted by other diners.
25 June, 2019
The Central Coast is the fastest growing wine region in California. It includes Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. More importantly, the quality and diversity of the wine produced in the Central Coast is really good. To promote the excellent quality and diversity of commercial wineries in the region, the Central Coast Wine Competition is an annual event hosted by the California Mid-State Fair and sponsored by Albertsons/Vons and The Tribune and it is the Please The Palate pick of the week. For the second year in a row, I was invited to be one of the 18 judges at the Central Coast Wine Competition. Judging wine may seem like a pretty easy way to spend two days but it is harder and more exhausting that it looks. There were a little over 800 wine entries this year! That is an increase from last year. And that meant that there were more wines for us to judge.
22 June, 2019
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