Amongst the Woodland Hills Magazine staff, it’s no secret that many of us love wine. If there’s one thing our team and Rhianna have in common, it’s that wine glasses “filled with wine” are our favorite accessory. Call us fans, call us connoisseurs – you can even accuse of us being winos…but the girl loves fermented grapes of all kinds, and neither she nor we care who knows it.
Suffice to say, it should come as no surprise that we have visited just about every establishment in the “wine bar” category within the Woodland Hills area at least once, so if you’re looking for the community’s best places to sip and swirl, the following spots will wet your whistle.
Woodland Hills Wine Company, located at 22622 Ventura Boulevard, was established in 1978 by Paul and Carol Smith in Northridge (as Northridge Hills Liquor, originally) with the goal to make wine a fun, exciting and integral part of people’s everyday lives, as it was for the owners. The business has evolved since its founding to become a leading “direct source” purveyor of exceptional wines from around the world – at great values. What started out as a huge wine selection of a couple of mostly California-based vino variants morphed into a wine shop that grew along with the public’s growing interest in fine wines, gradually developing a more international flavor. In 1998, the business moved to its current location on Ventura Boulevard and adopted the name Woodland Hills Wine Company, going on to develop strong relationships with wineries in California and across the world’s most important wine-growing regions. Today, WHWC keeps over 2,500 wines in stock alongside a world class spirits selection, guaranteeing you’ll always find something for your refined palate at this L.A. hot wine spot. Open Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 7 pm and from 10:30 am to 5 pm on Sunday.
Malibu Wines & Beer Garden, situated at 23130 Sherman Way in West Hills, allows wine aficionados from across the Valley to experience the taste of Malibu from grape to glass, especially when it comes to the unique tasting room offering wine and craft beer sampling. From Semler and Saddlerock labels to a variety of local and regional craft beer – and even food on weekends – Malibu Wines & Beer Garden redefines the word variety in almost every way, its staff crafting unforgettable experiences around premium vino selections. With 70,000 vines on the 1,000-acre Semler Family Ranch nestled in the Malibu hills, the heart of the Malibu Wines & Beer Garden experience is Malibu Family Wines, which produces over 12 different varietals between the aforementioned Semler and Saddlerock brands. Open Monday through Thursday 12 pm to 7 pm, Friday and Saturday from 12 pm to 9 pm and Sunday from 12 pm to 7 pm.
Unwind, located at 19100 Ventura Boulevard Suite N in Tarzana, was established in 2017 and specializes in boutique wines and beers, to say nothing of delicious cocktails from Margaritas to Cucumber Martinis. This remains a great Woodland Hills spot for birthdays, anniversaries, wine tasting events or any celebration that demands a place to “unwind.” A full roster of white/sparkling wine and red wine selections are on the menu, including Blanc de Blancs, Moscato, Sparkling Moscato, Brut Ruse, Red Blend Verbo, Red Blend Ventoux, Merlot, Zinfandel and more. Open Tuesday through Thursday 4 pm to 10 pm and Friday/Saturday from 4 pm to 11 pm. Closed Sunday and Monday.
JOEY Woodland Hills, located at Westfield Topanga and The Village, 6344 Topanga Canyon Boulevard, boasts a wide-open kitchen plan and spacious patio for a deliciously modern and refreshingly casual upscale restaurant experience – but it’s also known as a great Woodland Hills wine spot, evidenced by its myriad of tasty vino selections guaranteed to satisfy all aficionado’s curiosities. Whether it’s a glass of sparkling Ferrari Brut, Segura Viudas, Sofia Brut Rose or Schramsberg; an aromatic, fresh and fruity glass of Dry Creek Vineyard, Pinot Gris or Estancia Pinot; a crisp, dry and quenching glass of white Sauvignon Blanc, Hubert Brochard or Domaine Zind-Humbrecht; a rich, broad and textural glass of white Chardonnay or a light, elegant and refreshing glass of red Chateau des Jacques, there’s something for everyone at JOEY Woodland Hills. Open daily from 11 am to 12 am the following day.
Strange Family Vineyards, located at 1062 Drum Canyon Road in Lompoc, is nestled in the Santa Rita Hills and as such is blessed with a distinctive terroir ideally suited for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The owners’ commitment to sustainable, organic farming serves as the foundation for its sparkling and still wines, all crafted to embrace the distinct characteristics of its vineyard and region; what’s more, it’s the family’s dream to make Strange Family Vineyards a part of the everyday celebration of life, promoting love and community with the hope of making a difference in the world. As one of the most popular draws of the vineyard, the Malibu Tasting Room celebrates the joy of everyday life with its still and sparkling Santa Rita Hills wines from Santa Barbara Wine Country, where you and the family (and even the four-legged members) can purchase glasses or bottles to sample for $35 per person. Open Monday through Thursday and Sunday from 12 noon to 5 pm and Friday/Saturday from 12 to 6 pm.
Los Angeles is home to fantastic and plentiful wine spots staffed by experts ready to introduce casual sippers and serious oenophiles to new and rare varietals, as well as the most talked-about natural wines and pet-nats. You can head to any of the Woodland Hills spots mentioned in this roundup for an immersive – though mostly still casual – experience, from sampling locally-grown California blends to sipping something more unexpected from an emerging vineyard across the globe.
No Comment