Taking wine seriously in a casual setting

For each get-together, everyone brings her own viticultural obsession of the moment. For Maria Garcia, head sommelier at Republique, the pick of the day was an Austrian Riesling. “This is one that hasn’t been released to the public yet,” she says, “so I really wanted to share it with everyone.”

Maria Garcia, sommelier at Republique, left, pours Champagne as Hope Shiverick, center, L.A. district manager at the Henry Wine Group, looks on.

Elizabeth Huettinger, the get-together’s hostess, in her apartment, which overlooks the Broad museum and the courtyard Otium restaurant, where she is wine director.

All the sommeliers agreed on at least one thing: Skip the supermarket when shopping for wine. “Wine buying is like making a bet,” Huettinger, right, says, “and if you have a knowledgeable person to help you eliminate risk, it’s very much worth it. The people at Wally’s and K&L, for example, can easily translate what you want and your budget into the perfect wine.”

Elizabeth Huettinger, wine director at Otium restaurant, center, likes to entertain in her building’s penthouse or pool areas since her one-bedroom isn’t big enough for her group.

To keep it simple, Elizabeth Huettinger offers just one glass per guest and opts for a burgundy glass for all wines because it’s the “most expressive for flavors,” she says. “If a wine is really bad, we’ll pour in the next wine and rinse it out. We always rinse with wine.”

With limited space, Elizabeth Huettinger, wine director at Otium restaurant, left, has had to position her wine refrigerator in the living room of her one-bedroom unit.

“If you are all alone, know nothing, and in a rush, the old adage goes, ‘What grows together, goes together,’ meaning if you are serving Italian food, Italian wine will likely work,” Elizabeth Huettinger, right, advises. “It’s not a perfect 100% rule, but it works for an under-the-gun novice.”

A group of sommeliers and friends drink wine surrounded by views of downtown Los Angeles. The sommeliers migrate from home to home each month to talk about wine, exchange information about wine and, yes, to drink wine.

To keep trips back and forth from her apartment to a minimum, Elizabeth Huettinger bought a “bar cart” on Craigslist for $150. “It’s an old credenza or a mini buffet that someone added wheels to before we bought it,” she says. “All the tools and glasses go inside, then the wine goes on top and I just roll it to the elevator and out to the pool or penthouse, depending on where the party is.”