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Pasadena is home to several wine-lover’s haunts: Bodega, Vertical Wine Bar, Red White + Bluezz, Barcelona, and The Crepevine Bistro among others. Culver City has BottleRock, Vinoteque and Vino Populi, and I’m sure there are several wine bars throughout Los Angeles of which I am unaware. So why does Downtown, a blossoming center for art, food and culture currently lack the wine experience? Is anyone else thirsty for this particular scene to arrive?

Meeting the Right Wine

I have discovered wines are like people. They can make interesting dinner companions or sit idly by as tastebud candy. A thoughtfully selected wine can elevate any experience, dining or otherwise.

At the risk of sounding overly corny, if wines are like people then wine-tasting is like dating. You have to go through a lot of wines before finding something special enough to take home. Most wines are pretty decent, some are downright dreadful and some are “just not the one,” but once in a while you’ll find a bottle you just can’t stop thinking about. You won’t know unless you put yourself out there to meet the right wine

Generating Demand Through Exposure

Most Downtown restaurants offer a decent selection of wines by the glass, but none I know of offer wine flights. For the uninitiated, a wine flight is a set of 3 or more wines in smaller pours, either pre-set or self-selected. This allows one to experience, compare and contrast different wines in one sitting, which helps enhance one’s understanding and appreciation of wine. Most restaurants offering flights do so in the $10-$18 range. While potentially more expensive than ordering a full glass, you get to tickle your palate and build on your wine knowledge

It would not be difficult for a restaurant to offer wine flights if they already have 10 or so bottles open for purchase by the glass. A pair of diners can potentially sample six wines per seating. It is highly likely they will end up liking at least one of the wines, which increases the likelihood of ordering a full glass or even a bottle, if not now then perhaps in subsequent visits. The diners may then tell their friends. The friends may end up purchasing a bottle or glass at said restaurant based on the recommendation. Therefore, allowing diners a convenient way to experience several wines has the potential to generate interest as well as demand.

Recently I asked Mike Berger, wine steward at Ralph’s supermarket, “Do you see a correlation between the number of bottles sold and your wine tasting events?” His reply was “Absolutely.” Berger reports an increase in the number of bottles sold at Ralph’s following a tasting or his recommendation of a particular wine to a shopper. The moral of this story- wine events move inventory.

Gourmet Wines & Spirits Misses the Boat (and the Point)

Gourmet Wines and Spirits seems like it would be an ideal place for wine tasting events. They are already set up with a small bar area, tables for lunch service, and a built-in atmosphere. No matter where you settle down you are surrounded by bottles of wine.

I attempted to stop by Gourmet Wines & Spirits on a Sunday. It was dark inside, but a white sign behind the door read “open on weekends.” The hours of business were nowhere to be found so I dialed their number. The phone rang and rang. And rang some more.

Now, I consider it a major party foul to let one’s business line ring with no answer. If you want potential customers to try back, at the very least have an outgoing message announcing your normal hours of operation.

A few days later I returned during lunch hours and asked if they have wine tasting events. The shop keeper replied they do not because “there isn’t enough demand.” Really? Do they have the option for customers to choose wine flights? Again, no, they only sell by the glass. He did not seem to care I was interested, nor did the issue seem open for discussion. I felt so discouraged and unwelcome. OK, whatever. I thought, ‘If you’re not interested in hearing from a potentially loyal customer then I won’t waste your time any longer.’ Good-bye.

Seven Restaurant Catches a Current- Will They Sail?

The other day I walked into Seven Restaurant to check out their wine list and ask questions. Noticing my interest in wines, owner Gary informed me they had a wine-tasting event that very evening and extended an invitation. I could not believe my luck. It wasn’t a publicly advertised event and I felt like a total party crasher but it seemed too good to pass up. I arrived later to find an impressive selection of 7-8 reds and whites carefully arranged in the small lounge area. In front of each wine was a stack of information sheets. You did not even have to take notes at this event. It was already done in advance for you. Sweet.

A representative from their distributor Southern Wines and Spirits led the tasting. Even though the event wasn’t publicly announced, it quickly became very crowded. Among the people in attendance were Seven’s publicist and liquor license liason. Other attendees appeared to be bona fide wine aficionados who were truly enjoying themselves and asking the wine rep thoughtful questions. By the time I left around 6:30pm there were at least 15-20 wine tasters milling about. Seven Restaurant certainly looked like the place to be.

The publicist for Seven Restaurant said several regular events are in the works and wine tasting may be one of them. Judging from the success of the event I’d say it’s a no-brainer. The Southern Wines representative also said she will talk to Gary about offerring wine flights at the restaurant. I walked away with a smile on my face, and not just from tasting 7 different wines.

Downtown Ripe For the Picking

Some fellow wine enthusiasts I randomly met at J Restaurant & Lounge said, “Downtown is ripe for this sort of thing. There is nothing like it here right now. If someone starts up regular wine events in Downtown they will make a killing.” If what I witnessed at Seven Restaurant’s impromptu wine tasting and the small but growing crowd at Ralph’s events are an accurate barometer, these dudes are right on the money. No demand, my ass.

Bottlerock will pretty much lead the wine-hungry crowd when they finally open in South Park unless other restaurants jump in on the action. They boast a full kitchen, an impressive selection of wines, regular hours, weekly tastings with a knowledgeable sommelier, a relaxed no-snobbery atmosphere and they are well-stocked if you should want to take a few bottles home with you. But until then, resident winos have at least a couple of options in Downtown. More on that later.

Stay tuned for future installments of The Wine Chronicles. Next up, “Ralph’s as community (wine) cooler”

Wine flight photos courtesy of flickr users emurry and paulaloe.