Posted November 4th, 2008 by Meg
I know it’s been approximately two weeks since the annual White Trash Tasting at Colorado Wine Company took place, but I must mention how great it was! [Or maybe "I thot it wers pertd dam goot" would be more appropriate? Or maybe that's too inappropriate(ly wonderful)]. Every wine was paired with the delicious delicacies any income bracket can enjoy: Boules de Fromage, Charcuterie de 7-Eleven, Frito Tarte, and Gâteau au Chocolat en Plastique. (Translation: Cheese puffs, Slim Jims, Homemade Chili and Frito Chips, and last but not least a Ding Dong). In the few short hours between 4pm and 6pm, CoWineCo transformed into a magical world: crowded like Target on a Sunday, tasty like Taco Bell at 3am, and the feeling of a receiving a great deal like a Birthday card filled with cash.
My roommate, boyfriend, and I arrived shortly after 4 to find the place packed to full capacity. Never before had I seen a wine for line and never before have I waited so happily in line for wine! The service was impeccable as usual. When I arrived it was John at the register, Jen at the food table, and George & Drew serving the wine. Although busy, everyone was in great spirits. This was probably my favorite part about the whole event because a lot can be said about a staff that is friendly, passionate, and thoughtful. I want to go on a tangent about it, but I’m stopping myself. Just know that I think this place is the tops.
In the end, the pairing of wine AND food was a wonderful reminder to me that I shouldn’t only drink my wine after dinner. Instead, I should buy more bottles so I can drink while eating and when I am not eating. Thank You, CoWineCo.
Colorado Wine Company
2114 Colorado Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90041
(323) 478-1985
Posted September 19th, 2008 by Meg
Border Grill is one of my favorite Happy Hour Mexican restaurants in Los Angeles. Not only do I enjoy the food, but I have many positive memories eating there with my family. Over six years ago, my parents took me out there the night before I started college and when it was located in Pasadena. My how time has flown by! Now Border Grill is located in Santa Monica by the Promenade. It is owned by the chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger from Food Network’s TV Show Too Hot Tamales. They also own the downtown Spanish restaurant Ciudad. And if you have ever bought any food at Whole Foods that had the label “Border Girls” on it, these are those ladies behind that brand.
The best part about Border Grill is their amazing Happy Hour at the bar: $4 Margaritas/Mojitos /Wines. Free chips and salsas (tomato, chipotle, and tomatillo). Various appetizers all between the price of 4-7 dollars. Their margaritas and mojitos are delicious, you can never go wrong ordering them! During this visit I tried their red wine for the first time, an Esser cabernet sauvignon.
What we ordered:
Black Bean Dip - warm refried organic black beans with salsa fresca, crema, and plantain chips
The dip was not as heavy as I expected nor was it bland (which is the usual vibe I get from bean dips). I especially enjoyed the plantain chips which were soft and salty sweet. I preferred those chips over the regular table chips.
Q
ueso Fundido - panela and manchego cheeses melted over raja (potato), and spanish chorizo
This appetizer was more than I expected on both the amount and satisfying levels. It was a plethora of cheese that dominated the raja potatoes and the chorizo. It was an excellent appetizer, but was probably too much for two people to share.
Carnitas Sope - slow cooked carnitas topped with jalapeno citrus slaw and border guacamole
A sope is a relative to a tortilla. It is made from the same ingredients as a tortilla, but the size and thickness are much different. The sope is smaller in diameter but much thicker. Other than that, they are used for the same purposes. This was my favorite appetizer of the night because it had a nice and refreshing citrus sour flavor mingling with the salty and savory carnitas.
Seriously, it is the best happy hour on the west side of town. Fact.
Border Grill
1445 4th St
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Get Directions(310) 451-1655
Happy Hours:
Monday - Friday: 4:00-7:00pm
Posted September 3rd, 2008 by Meg
I love the Colorado Wine Company. So much, in fact that I need to say it again… I love the Colorado Wine Company! I have been going there ever since it first opened in 2005. Not only are the owners, John and Jen, some of the sweetest and most friendly people, but anyone that has worked or currently works there, are also great people.
I tried to think of the main reason behind why I enjoy Colorado Wine Company, but found that I am unwilling to settle on just one. Instead, I have made a list:
- I already mentioned that the owners/staff are amazing (but it is worth repeating).
- The atmosphere is organized, intimate, and cozy.
- The prices of wines by the glass are reasonable.
- I am always able to find a great bottle within my 8-15 dollar price range.
- I am always able to get a great recommendation for the aforementioned bottle; very knowledgeable people!
- Nobody judges your palate, there is “Wine For Everyone.”
- The art on the walls is constantly changing and showcasing talented, local artists.
- I always make a new friend while I am there; the people who I meet are laid back, friendly, and fun.
- Parking is rarely a problem.
- They send out witty newsletters and have a beautiful and active website.
This past Friday I went to their weekly tasting with my roommate. The tagline to the tasting was “Happy Thoth Day!” in celebration of the first day of Thoth, the ibis-headed god of knowledge, in the Egyptian calendar. The best reason to raise your glass! Here is the list of the wines in order of how they were served:
1. Tangent Sauvignon Blanc 2006, Edna Valley, California
2. Mr. Riggs Riesling 2006, Clare Valley, Australia
3. Lonardi Valpolicella 2004, Verona, Italy
4. Wisteria Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, California
5. Earthworks Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Barossa Valley, Australia
I am not going to go into great detail about how each one tasted, but instead want to stress that they were all delicious! These are the quick notes I wrote later in the evening about the wines: Favorites are 1, 3, 5. Tangent was sweet, perfect to start the tasting. Mr. Riggs was not as sweet as I expected for a Riesling, but quite satisfying. The Valpolicella was great, light in taste. Wisteria was good, but where does it come from? Earthworks was full bodied and pleasant, could drink a lot more of it.
The Co Wine Co is one of the remaining reasons, aside from a few friends in the area, that I return to Eagle Rock. When I am on that side of town, I always try to stock up on some inexpensively priced wines. I am willing to pay more here than I would at Trader Joe’s because I know that John and Jen have put a lot of time and effort into choosing amazing wines and I fully trust their judgment and selection (in comparison to me just choosing wines by which one has the cooler label). I came home with bottles Tangent and Valpolicella from the tasting, and two other bottles that I found around the store that looked good.
Whether to pick up a bottle, sit down for a glass, or have a cold one from their impressive beer selection (No Bud Lite here), I encourage everyone to visit Colorado Wine Company! Check out their website (also sign up for their newsletters) to see what event works best for your schedule. I have included information on two of their weekly tastings and their hours of operation, but I know they offer events on other days so it is best take a look at their event calendar.
Friday Wine Tastings (5 wines; 15 dollars) - 5:30-8:30pm
Lazy Sunday Tastings (4 wines; 12 dollars) - 1:00-4:00pm
Store Hours
Monday: Closed
Tuesday & Wednesday: 11:00am-9:00pm
Thursday-Saturday: 11:00am-11:00pm
Sunday: 11:00am-5:00pm
Wine Bar Hours
Monday: Closed
Tuesday & Wednesday: 4:00-9:00pm
Thursday-Friday: 4:00-11:00pm
Saturday: 1:00-11:00pm
Sunday: 1:00-5:00pm
Colorado Wine Company
2114 Colorado Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90041
(323) 478-1985
Posted August 8th, 2008 by Meg
Friday night my roommate and I opened a bottle of 2006 King Shag Sauvignon Blanc. Yes, it is a bottle of wine that can be found at Trader Joe’s for under ten dollars. That is the way we roll here in our Brentwood abode…
I am only recently learning to love white wines, so everything is new and exciting for me. I have learned quite a few interesting facts about sauvignon blancs: Made from green-grapes originating from Bordeaux and the Loire Valley regions of France. The grape gets its name from the French word sauvage (”wild”) and blanc (”white”) due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France. During the 18th century, the vine was paired with a Cabernet Franc and gave birth a good friend of mine: Ca bernet Sauvignon. California is the leading producer in North America. When it came to California, it acquired the marketing name change to Fumé Blanc under the initiative of Robert Mondavi in effort to avoid prejudices held at that time against sauvignon blanc (grassy flavor, aggressive aroma). It is usually consumed young, as it does not particularly benefit from aging (inappropriate joke goes here). It can sometimes be recognized by its typical smell that reminds one of cat’s urine (which would not stop me anyway, and doesn’t stop most people apparently.)
King Shag is named after a rare bird species endemic to New Zealand, which really is not a coincidence because the wine is made in the subregion, Marlborough, in the South Island of New Zealand. I am willing to bet money that the image on the bottle is of the King Shag himself.
My opinion: Smooth, tart, tannic, and a citrus sweet finish. I taste lime and grapefruit.
I don’t love it, but it’s still good. I would be willing to drink it again and maybe even purchase more at some point in time.
Because we weren’t drunk enough..
My roommate and I opened another bottle of wine. It was also from Trader Joe’s for under ten dollars. King Shag was our last bottle of white wine, so red was our only option. We decided on the Riserva 2004 Epicuro Italian Red Wine.
Although you can’t really see the label in the picture, it says: Salice Salentino Denominazione Di Origine Controllata Red Wine. Salice Salentino is the name of the wine, but it is also named after the town it is produced in, the Apulia region of Italy. Apulia is in the heel of the Italian boot. (”Denominazione di origine controllata” translates to English as “appellation of origin” which is referring to Salice Salentino.) The grapes used in this bottle are 80% Negroamaro and 20% Malvasia Nera. The negroamaro grapes dominate the vineyards in Salice Salentino. I find the name, negroamaro, very interesting because they are used to describe the characteristics of the grape, but depending on the language used, you can come up with different translations. Negro translates to black, but amaro adds some confusion. Amaro in Italian translates to ‘bitter,’ but it has been suggested that the name derives from Greek word “manu” which also translates to black. Not that this is important at all, I just think it’s kind of cool. There is also an Italian rock band named after the grapes too, Negroamaro.
My opinion: medium bodied, spicy, berry taste, and a warm finish that hugged my heart.
My roommate picked up more specific tastes such as gameyness, smokiness, and in particular lingonberries, which is not a berry I am familiar with so I couldn’t truly accept. But, now that I know of these little cranberry-looking berries, I will try to become more familiar with them. Overall, I enjoyed it and would not be hesitant drink it again.
I know it’s been approximately two weeks since the annual White Trash Tasting at Colorado Wine Company took place, but I must mention how great it was! [Or maybe "I thot it wers pertd dam goot" would be more appropriate? Or maybe that's too inappropriate(ly wonderful)]. Every wine was paired with the delicious delicacies any income bracket can enjoy: Boules de Fromage, Charcuterie de 7-Eleven, Frito Tarte, and Gâteau au Chocolat en Plastique. (Translation: Cheese puffs, Slim Jims, Homemade Chili and Frito Chips, and last but not least a Ding Dong). In the few short hours between 4pm and 6pm, CoWineCo transformed into a magical world: crowded like Target on a Sunday, tasty like Taco Bell at 3am, and the feeling of a receiving a great deal like a Birthday card filled with cash. 
My roommate, boyfriend, and I arrived shortly after 4 to find the place packed to full capacity. Never before had I seen a wine for line and never before have I waited so happily in line for wine! The service was impeccable as usual. When I arrived it was John at the register, Jen at the food table, and George & Drew serving the wine. Although busy, everyone was in great spirits. This was probably my favorite part about the whole event because a lot can be said about a staff that is friendly, passionate, and thoughtful. I want to go on a tangent about it, but I’m stopping myself. Just know that I think this place is the tops.
