Wine wisdom in Los Angeles

S. Irene Virbila restaurant critic>>> For those of us who love wine, Los Angeles is a wonderful city for all things vinous. We have some of the best wine shops in the country, so competitive with one another that the selection of wines and favorable pricing trump those of most retailers in other parts of the country. ¶ Not only that: L.A. boasts a good number of wine-friendly restaurants where you can nourish a deepening interest in the grape. Not to mention the restaurateurs and wine waiters who offer engaging advice on wine with undisguised passion for pet appellations or finds. ¶ For true wine lovers, it's not about which restaurant has the deepest cellar or the deepest pockets. It's about which has the most beguiling wine list. And it's not even just about the wine, it's also very much about a wine culture where the sommeliers and servers celebrate wine and, without intimidating anybody, however green, make the subject fun to explore. ¶ It's easy to propose that $300 bottle of cult Cabernet or name Burgundy, or the wines that have just topped the charts in the Wine Advocate or Wine Spectator. But coming up with a little-known wine or up-and-coming young producer -- that takes research and ingenuity. It means tasting and tasting to find the good bottles, not just reading up online.

By S. IRENE VIRBILA

December 2, 2008