5 Wine Tasting Tours in Los Angeles
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Wine Tasting for Beginners
What if you are intimidated by wine tasting events? What if you aren't interested in wine beyond a sip or two? This St. Patty's Day consider branching out beyond lager. Let this guide convince you to take a staycation, if you live in Los Angeles, and take a wine tasting tour despite your objections.
The image is of my first Los Angeles hiking trip with my Hubby. He returned recently from wine tasting at Napa Valley's Castello di Amorosa.
The image is of my first Los Angeles hiking trip with my Hubby. He returned recently from wine tasting at Napa Valley's Castello di Amorosa.
Wine Clubs
Dinner Parties with the Marchols
Nik, my husband, is a member of the Wine Club at the Anderson School of Management. In addition, I've been hosting dinner parties with wine pairings, since I turned 21. Take a look at our recent Riesling review or visit us again for our upcoming Naked Grape Chardonnay wine review. We are glad to volunteer as your virtual wine guides.
When you tour, I'd advise you go before or after 3 Day Weekends to avoid the crowds.
Taking such a tour has 3 benefits:
Exploring the science of wine-making and grape cultivation
Learning the history of the region and architecture of an era
Demystifying wine reviews
Wine Activities Poll
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Bordeaux Tutorial
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Wine Tutorials
Never feel out of your depth. Only insecure snobs will try to give you a bad time at a wine party.I recommend these 4 no-cost resources for your self-paced wine education. Visit WinePros.org for advice from Professional Friends of Wine. Read acclaimed wine reviewer, Wilfred Wong, on Bev Mo's blog. This will demystify what reviewers mean by "poised and proper on the palate", "ripe apple aroma" and "yeast autolysis trace". These terms were used by Wilfred Wong to describe 2008 Shramsberg de Blancs. WineSpectator.com and FoodandWine.com are also great places to learn about wine in 15-minute sips.
My First Wine Tasting Tour
I'm originally from Norcal so I am eager to experience 5 Socal wineries before June. My husband and I spent time in Monterey, Carmel, Folsom and Truckee for our honeymoon 1 and 2. Some of my best wine tasting memories are sampling Rieslings while watching speckled harbor seals and kayakers navigate the chilly waters. Another fave wine festival took place in Truckee. Truckee hosts a wine tasting that I compare to trick-or-treating for adults. My First Wine Stroll in Downtown Truckee
Imagine grown up trick-or-treating for bacon-wrapped scallops, dark chocolate and port
California Resources for Wine Tasting Tours
My First Wine Festival Details
Each Truckee retail shop hosts both a caterer and a winery for those festival days. For example, a Truckee candy shop hosted a local winery known for its port and it partnered with a regional chocolatier so that guests could sample the treats together. On the second floor, wine tour participants could try elegant sips of Thai soup with various cheese selections and wine. I indulged in smoker pulled pork, tiny honeyed wings, and beer can chicken as appetizers.My husband evaluated red wines, white wines, muscats, Rieslings and ports.
Truckee Wine Tasting Resources
Benefits of My First Wine Tasting Outing
During the Monterey wine tasting tour, I also visited the sardine and Cannery Row museum. You may remember this is the setting for one of John Steinbeck's novels. For the Truckee food and wine festival, I also toured the historic boardwalk and Old West town.I look forward to similar experiences, here, in Los Angeles.
Monterey Wine Tasting Resources
Cabernet Tutorial
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K & L Wine Merchants of Hollywood
My first two destinations, K&L and Silver Lake, are wine boutiques rather than wineries. Why? Sometimes you may want the winery representative to come to you.If I can't revisit the Sardine Factory restaurant anytime soon, with the largest wine menu on the West Coast, then I'll have to make do. Right?
Yelp Reviewers Brian V., Phuong T. say that this boutique is the best place for the best Burgundy and the finest Scotch. Victoria S. recommends its wine classes and Rochelle calls the staff polite and funny. I think Danmo H. makes the most compelling argument. He said that he went to this boutique because it was time he ditched his book Wine for Dummies.
Silverlake Wine
In March, before St. Patrick's Day, I plan to visit this boutique. Five Yelp reviewers caught my attention. Margarita S. talked about its $20 Sunday wine tasting. James S. said he wasn't a white wine fan until he experienced its 3 flights of Austrian white wine. Jess W. recommended Silverlake Wine as a place to pick up wine for a dinner party and she especially enjoyed the lesson she received there on Portuguese wine. Joanne P. makes the argument to support smaller wine stores such as this one. Most importantly, Christina S. endorses this wine shop as a snottiness-free zone. Church Estate Vineyards of Malibu
I'm a fan of formal, European gardens and I'm hoping to find one in SoCal. Maybe I'll find it at Church Estate Vineyards of Malibu since it's described as having Monet-like gardens, a French chateau and majestic sycamore trees. Church Estate Vineyards recommends The Old Place and Cornell Winery as two of their own faves. Squidoo Wine Resources
San Antonio Winery
I confess. I have a prejudice against Chocolate Port and sweet sparking red wines. I have a preference for crisp white wines and wine without extracts such as almond or chocolate.However, I plan to give this winery a chance in February after my 5K trail run. Yelp reviewers seem to recommend the Syrahs, Muscato, Chocolate Port and sweet sparkling reds here. I like a challenge. Bring it, San Antonio Winery!
Malibu Winery Slideshow
The Louis Armstrong music will also put you in the wine tasting mood.
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Malibu Family Wines
Judging from the Yelp reviews, this winery may be less of a power hitter for wine selection and more of a beautiful picnic area. Not a single reviewer identified a specific wine to recommend. However, each visitor wrote about the picnic areas, covered outdoor bars, and fabulous Latin music.I will go to decide for myself, in April, but my impression is that this might be a place for scenery rather than a wine lesson.
Orfila Vineyards & Winery of Escondido
Be warned. Some Yelp reviewers complained that the staff has been snotty on some days. However, I am drawn to this winery because of the promise of rich and spicy Syrahs and tawny ports. I was spoiled, by my husband, at the Old Monterey Inn which had tawny port afternoons. Reviewers seem to appreciate this vineyards 2008 Ambassador Syrah so I will visit in May. by SmartyGirlRenee
Greetings, Squidoo Wine Tasters. I'm Renee Marchol. My first banquet catering job included pouring champagne at weddings, bringing cocktails from the... more »
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