Our Semi-Annual All Events Column – PART TWO

February 5, 2016 by evebushman

We try to get wine events that we like listed in our weekly Dear Wine Friend free e-newsletter and/or our SCV Wine Calendar. But every now and then I do the work for you, which means pulling the info from each site and culling it all into one article, especially when there are so many worthwhile events:

Eve’s Wine 101 Event Picks (Part One ran last week, 1/29, and listed events through Feb., today’s Part Two has events from Feb through April)

Chocolate and Beer Pairing 2/11: Wolf Creek Brewery is pairing with Truffles N’ Toffee! Seven chocolate truffles will be paired with some of your favorites here at Wolf Creek including our Howlin’ Hefe with Bananas Foster Crunch and Over the Moon Stout with a Triple Threat Dark Chocolate! Tickets are going fast! Don’t miss out on this great event! Presale only, limited seating. Purchase tickets in the Tasting Room (25108 Rye Canyon Loop. Valencia, CA 91355; Tel: (661) 294-9977) or email Laina@wolfcreekbrewery.com. The whole experience is $25.00 all-inclusive.

Paso Robles Distillery Trail presents Fire and Ice 2/27: Discover the Paso Robles Distillery Trail during this one-of-a-kind event featuring 8 Paso Robles distilleries! The evening will kick off with the sounds of Bear Market Riot as you enter into a cocktail throwdown pitting fire against ice. Get your tickets now for this premier cocktail reception featuring locally produced distilled spirits, mouthwatering bites, live music and an opportunity to get your hands on limited production spirits crafted exclusively for this event. Ticket price includes sampling of locally crafted spirits, custom cocktails and hearty bites including sliders, tacos, twice baked red potatoes, and BBQ pork grilled cheese. The event will also feature a silent auction of limited production spirits crafted specifically for the event. All attendees must be 21 years of age or older to attend this event. Proceeds benefit the Distillers of SLO County, a non-profit organization.

Food Fare 3/3: Enjoy a day and an evening of eating, drinking, shopping and fun in support of community health, education and wellness. Planned Parenthood Los Angeles’ 37^th annual Food Fare will be returning to Barker Hangar in Santa Monica on March 3, 2016. This premier gastronomic event will showcase over 100 of Southern California’s best chefs, restaurants, caterers, wineries, breweries and merchants. In addition to the huge array of delightful food and beverage samples, Food Fare will highlight shopping opportunities as well as dozens of raffles and auctions where guests will have the chance to bid on coveted prizes including one-of-a-kind entertainment and culinary experiences. For the first time, Food Fare will honor a Restaurateur of the Year. This inaugural honor has been presented to Jenny Rush, who founded and heads the Blue Plate Restaurant Group in Los Angeles.

Taste of Solvang 3/16-20: Presented by the Solvang Conference and Visitors Bureau since 1993, Taste of Solvang features locally grown foods, wines and diverse cuisine to celebrate the rich cultural and culinary heritage of the area. The 2014 Taste of Solvang will offer five days of wine, food and fun. Take a culinary journey through Solvang, where wine country meets “dine country”.

Paso Zin Weekend 3/18-20: Zinposium seminar, screening of the latest film “SOMM: Into the Bottle”, X-Nightcap After Party and Winery Activities where you can Create your own zinful itinerary to smell, sip and savor the heritage of Paso Robles, with events at more than 140 wineries! Join fellow wine enthusiasts for a selection of wine and chocolate pairings, winemaker dinners, vineyard tours, laid-back barbecues, barrel tastings, live music, and so much more! Visit the Winery Activities tab to search by winery, day or activity.

Fourth Annual Sierra Pelona Wine Fest 4/23: Join us for our Fourth Annual Sierra Pelona Valley Wine Festival! The Festival will be held at Reyes Winery on Saturday April 23, 2016 from 11am-4pm. The wine festival features numerous wineries and local wine makers offering tastings of their best wines. There will also be gourmet food and specialty items sampling, handmade crafts from local artisans, live music, and lots of fun for a great day. Attendees will receive a specialty event glass, event plate, specialty gift bag, wine and food sampling and free parking. Benefits will support the Senior Center of Santa Clarita Valley.

Cabs of Distinction 4/12-14: World-class Cabernet Sauvignon and red Bordeaux varietals, access to acclaimed producers, personal cheese and charcuterie plates prepared by Vivant Fine Cheese, small bites and artisanal offerings from local producers Heaven Squared Brownie Co., Monterey Chocolate Company, Therabee, and the option to purchase food prepared by Chef Bruce Finch of A Party For Your Palate, panoramic views and elegant setting and live music. Wineries include ADELAIDA Cellars, Ancient Peaks Winery, Bon Niche Cellars, Brecon Estate, Broken Earth Winery, Calcareous Vineyard, Cass Vineyard & Winery, Chateau Margene, DAOU Vineyards & Winery, Eberle Winery, Halter Ranch Vineyard, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Jada Vineyard, JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery, Le Cuvier Winery, Opolo Vineyards, Parrish Family Vineyard, Pomar Junction Vineyard & Winery, Record Family Wines, Red Soles Winery, Rotta Winery, Sextant Wines, Villa San-Juliette Vineyard & Winery, and Vina Robles Vineyards & Winery.

Wine LA: has continuous classes and events including the upcoming Classes and Tastings that include Stars of Santa Barbara 1/27, Wine Camp 2/6, Wine Dinner 2/11, Wine, Cheese and Chocolate 2/13, Dry Creek Valley Tour 2/20, James Suckling Wines of Italy Tour 2/25, Brunello vs. Bordeaux 2/28, Stars of Napa Valley 3/2, Wine Camp 3/6, Cult Wines Cab Dinner 3/12, Pinot Noir vs. Burgundy vs. Beaujolais 3/13, Napa Trip 3/18+20, Tapas 3/24, Trip to Sicily and Sardinia 4/2-9…and MORE!

Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years. She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Our Semi-Annual (If We Remember to do it) All Events Column – PART ONE

January 29, 2016 by evebushman

Eve’s Wine 101 Event Picks (Part One list events through Feb., Part Two, which will run next week on 2/5, has events from Feb through April)

Wine LA: has continuous Classes and Tastings that include Wine Camp 2/6, Wine Dinner 2/11, Wine, Cheese and Chocolate 2/13, Dry Creek Valley Tour 2/20, James Suckling Wines of Italy Tour 2/25, Brunello vs. Bordeaux 2/28, Stars of Napa Valley 3/2, Wine Camp 3/6, Cult Wines Cab Dinner 3/12, Pinot Noir vs. Burgundy vs. Beaujolais 3/13, Napa Trip 3/18+20, Tapas 3/24, Trip to Sicily and Sardinia 4/2-9…and MORE!

Cambria Art and Wine Festival 1/29-31: Begins Friday Morning with shopping specials, raffle ticket opportunities, wine tasting and demonstrating artists throughout the village. Friday evening an Event Kick-Off Party offering wine and food pairing, entertainment, preview of the Art Show/Silent Auction and special raffle prize packages will be held at the Veterans’ Hall. Saturday offers Wine Tasting at the Veterans’ Hall (west village), The Cambria Center for the Arts (mid village) & the Cambria Historical Museum (east village), over 40 local wineries participating. Saturday Evening offers additional venues with artists, food and wine pairing and continued entertainment. Check the Details Page. Sunday offers an Artist’s Faire with demonstrating artists, wine tasting and a barbecue lunch available. Raffle drawings will be held at the end of the event on Sunday at the Artist’s Faire.

Wally’s UGC Bordeaux 2013 Vintage Tasting 1/29: An opportunity to taste the new 2013 vintage from many of the best producers in Margaux, St Julien, Pauillac, St Estèphe, Listrac, Moulis, Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Graves, Pessac-Léognan, Saint-Emilion, Pomerol, Sauternes and Barsac.   The Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGC) is visiting Los Angeles to promote the soon-to-be-released 2013 vintage.  The Union is an affiliation of the best Bordeaux producers from all of the major Bordeaux growing regions. More than 80 châteaux will attend and winemakers and owners will pour over 100 wines from the 2013 vintage. This is the largest Bordeaux tasting in the United States.   Taking place in The Museum of Flying at Santa Monica Airport, guests will be able to take in vintage aircraft and aviation memorabilia while sampling world class wines.   Wally’s Cheese Box, along with Monsieur Madame and The Bison Burger food trucks, will also be on-site.  This event will sell out. Sign up today! All net profit proceeds to benefit Food on Foot.

Garagiste Southern Exposure 2/12-13: We are excited to be bringing many of the best, hard-to-find, high-quality micro-production wineries from all over California to the Santa Ynez Valley for The 4th Annual Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure. The majority of our wineries do not have tasting rooms, and their wines can be very hard to find on store shelves. We make it easy for you to find a world of new wine discoveries all under one roof. As with all Garagiste events, only the winemakers and/or owners (often the same person) will be pouring the wines. Come meet the artists who are making some of the most exciting and innovative wines in the world. Over 25 wineries and 100 wines to try both days.Each day begins with one of our engaging, educational and unique winemaker panels and tasting seminars. These seminars are only available as part of the VIP All-Day Ticket, which also includes a Wine Country Box Lunch and early access to the Grand Tasting. Seats are limited. This just in: Also, this year we are running a very cool drawing for 2 Sunday VIP tickets and a room on Valentine’s Day night at the newest luxury boutique hotel in Solvang, The Landsby – http://on.fb.me/1ZHwbpa

NEW Valentine’s Day Dinner at Newhall Refinery: Enjoy a 4-course gourmet candlelit meal paired with beer or wine flight at one of our favorite restaurants. Live background music and complimentary valet parking included. 5pm or 8pm seatings. Please email or call for availability, menu options and pricing: sercek.refinery@gmail.com or 661-388-4477.

American Wine Specialist course Feb 20, 21, 27 and 29 (this is the one you can take with me, so let me know if you signed up: Eve@EveWine101.com) The course consists of 24 hours (4 full days) of class time and tasting, with a final written exam (5th day) required to achieve the official AMERICAN WINE SPECIALIST® certification, issued by the North American Sommelier Association and recognized internationally by the Worldwide Sommelier Association (www.worldwidesommelier.com). Designed around the concept of our widely acclaimed ‘Italian Wine Specialist‘ certification, this course focuses on the same holistic teaching methodology, looking at culture, history, terroir, climate, geology, geography, enography, legislation and tasting of 30+ high quality wines representative of wine regions around the USA. A short portion of the course will be dedicated to the exclusive and advanced WSA/NASA technical wine-tasting technique.

The Essentials 2/20: LA Weekly presents The Essentials, our signature food and wine event benefitting Food Forward: A.O.C., Animal, Beverly Soon Tofu, Broken Spanish, Chengdu Taste, Chichen Itza, Coni’ Seafood, Crossroads, Guelaguetza, Guerrilla Tacos, ink., Jitlada Southern Thai, Kiriko Sushi, Kogi BBQ, La Casita Mexicana, Lucques, Mariscos Jalisco, Park’s BBQ, POT, Providence, Republique, Sotto, Spago, Sqirl, Szechuan Impression, Terrine, the hungry cat, Night + Market, Wexler’s Deli, Baroo, Jon & Vinny’s, Le Comptoir, Racion, Luv2eat Thai Bistro, RedBird, RiceBar, Mélisse, Philippe the Original, Bestia, Cassia, Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen, Guisados, Lukshon, Connie and Ted’s, Maude, Belcampo Meat Co., Little Sister, Dune, Pine & Crane, Union, Aqui es Texcoco, Burritos La Palma, Cacao Mexicatessen, Corazon y Miel, Bludso’s BBQ, Osteria Mozza, Trois Mec, Papilles Bistro, El Huarache Azteca, Button Mash.

Your SCV (and MORE) Happy Hour List

March 13, 2015 by evebushman

Besides the SCV Wine Calendar for events, we also have compiled a list of local Happy Hours taken from website pages or via email. Some of our hyperlinks go straight to the Happy Hour menus! (We have not visited all of these, so this is not a list of Eve Wine 101 recommended Happy Hours, it’s just a list of all the ones you can check out in Santa Clarita that we now know about!) If you know of any others please email them to us, as you see a pal emailed us a couple outside of SCV that we shared at the bottom of our list:

Azul Tequila: Monday through Friday 3pm until 7pm, $3.75 House Margaritas, $3.50 wine by the glass, $3.50 well drinks, $.99 Coors light draft, (All other draft beers $3.50) and $5 appetizers.

Bier Academy, Beer Bar and Grill: From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. $1 off pints and appetizers. Pints can range from $3.50 to $7 depending on the type of beer. Always have 16 ounce $3 Rolling Rocks or PBR.

BJ’s Brewhouse: Monday through Friday 3-7pm, Sunday through Thursday 10pm until closing and all day Tuesday is half off wines by the glass or bottle. $4 craft beers and call drinks, $5 Mojitos and Martinis, $6 select wines by the glass, Happy Hour food menu.

Black Angus Steakhouse: Monday through Friday from 3pm until 7pm in the bar, Tuesdays and Sundays all day long, $3.50 well drinks, $4.50 16 ounce bottled and draft beers, $5.50 select wines by the glass and reduced prices on full sized appetizers.

Claim Jumper Valencia: Monday through Friday from 3pm until 6:30pm, Saturday 11am until 3pm, in the saloon only. Select menu of items priced between $2 and $8, $4 pints of draft beer, $5 to $8 select cocktails and $5 select wines by the glass.

Sazerac with Whistle Pig, Antigua Bitters, nice and neat at Cuvee.

NEW 2015: Cuvée Bistro & Raw Bar: 2-7pm every day with $2 Taco Bar from 2-5pm. (Though at press time I was just there on a Tuesday and we were offered but one get one drinks until 7pm.)

Don Cuco Newhall: Daily from 4pm until 7pm, select beers between $3.00 and 4.50, $5.95 Margaritas and $5.25 well drinks, half price on all appetizers, in the bar only.

Gyi-Kaku Sushi Bar: After 8:30 p.m. you can get house sake for $2.95, a mug of Sapporo for $3, a pitcher for $6.50, 50% off all cocktails.

Islands: Monday through Friday from 4pm until 7pm, select appetizers and drinks under $5. (A perusal of their website no longer shows pricing only the Happy Hour time.)

Kabuki: Monday through Friday 3pm until 6pm, Monday through Thursdays 9pm until closing and 8 pm until closing on Sundays. Select cocktails $5.95 to $6.50, lowered prices on select hot and cold Sakes, select wines are $3.50 a glass and lowered prices on select beers.

Lazy Dog: Monday through Friday 3pm until 6pm, Sunday through Thursday 9pm until closing in the bar and patio only, drinks priced from $3 to $7 and Happy Hour portioned appetizers between $3 and $6.

Le Chene: 4:30pm until 7pm every day except Saturday. No specifics on website.

Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que: In the bar only from 3 until 7 pm Monday through Friday and 9pm until closing every day. Happy Hour menu, select 22 ounce draft beers between $4 and $5, $5.50 – $7.50 select wines by the glass, $4.25 well drinks, $6.50 – $7.25 Martinis, featured cocktails between $4.75 and $7.50.

Margaritas Mexican Grill: Monday through Friday from 3pm-7pm in bar area only. No drink specials listed on website.

Marston’s Valencia: Tuesday through Sunday 5pm to 7pm. $1 off Marston’s specialty drinks and Martinis, $4 select glasses of wine, $4 all draft beer, $3.25 bottled beer, $5 well drinks, $6 well martinis and Cosmopolitans. Happy Hour Appetizer menu.

Newhall Refinery: Available Tuesday – Friday 3:00pm-5:00pm: House Wine – Cabernet or Chardonnay $4, Specialty Beer Flight – Bartender’s Choice (3) 4oz. Draught $4, Custom Beer Flight – your choice of (3) 4oz. Draught $6, Brown Bag Special – 12oz. Bottle, Bartender’s Choice $4 (Guess brown bag style beer for additional comp), Wine Flights – your choice of (3) 2oz wine by the glass from $6, $2 off small bottled beer, $4 off large bottled beer, $2 off wine flights, $2 off wine by the glass, HAPPY HOUR BITES Available Tuesday – Sunday 4:00pm-5:00pm – Chipotle wings, lime cream, peanuts & cilantro $6, Chicharones, house yuzu kosho hot sauce, celery greens, radish $4, Pickled beets and cherries, frisee, warm goat crostini $5, Mini refiners fries $5, Warm olives $3 and Chili lime bar nuts $3.

New Moon Valencia: In the bar and lounge weekdays from 5pm until closing and all day long on weekends. Cocktails from $5 to $6, beer $3.75 to $5.50, wine $5 and appetizers from $3 to $6 (most are $4).

The Oaks Grille (inside TPC, Tournament Players Club): 4:30-6:30 Wednesdays and Thursday.

Persia Restaurant and Persia Lounge: Monday to Thursday 3pm to 7pm house wine $3.50 Domestic Beer $3, and Reverse Happy Hours every night from 8pm until closing for the same prices.

Presidente Santa Clarita: Monday through Friday from 2:30pm until 6pm in the cantina only, small bites starting at $2.50, all draft beer $3.25 for 14 ounce and $5.50 for 22 ounce, $4 plain and $4.50 flavored16 ounce house Margaritas, $5 to $6.75 for 16 ounce premium Margaritas, $3.50 to $4.25 tequilas, $3 well drinks, $4 house wine by the glass.

Rattler’s Bar B Que: Monday to Friday 3-7 p.m. bar only, food priced between $1.50 and $5.50, 16 oz. draft beer $4.99, 20 oz. draft beer $5.99, specialty cocktails $7 to $9.

Route 66 Classic Grill: Happy Hour in the bar and patio only and not during special events, Monday through Friday 3pm until 6pm and again from 9pm until closing, Saturday 9pm until closing and Sunday 7pm until closing. $1 off draft beer and $1 off well drinks.

Sabor Cocina Mexicana: Monday to Friday 2pm until 6pm $6 margaritas, $4 beer, $4 well drinks and $6 appetizers.

Salt Creek Grille Valencia: Monday through Friday 4-6:30 pm in the bar only, well drinks $4, draft and bottled beers $4 and house wines by the glass $4. Bites ranging from $4 (soup of the day) to $10 (jumbo shrimp cocktail).

Sisley Italian Kitchen Valencia: Monday through Friday 3-7pm, Saturday 8-10pm and all day Sunday well drinks between $3 and $5, several appetizers between $3 and $4.95.

Watermelon Margaritas at solita

NEW 2015: Solita Tacos and Margaritas: Two Wood Grilled Chicken, Crispy Fish and Tofu tacos for $4.00, Oak-Roasted Chicken, Pork Carnitas, Chorizo Sweet Potato and Black Bean or the Chicken Taquitos are $5. Guacamole $6. House, Frozen or Skinny Margarita for $6. Well drinks and wines $5.00. (solita Tacos & Margaritas Valencia will be rolling out more specials every Tuesday, for Taco & Tequila Tuesday, offering live music, Frozen Margarita Flights, taco options and more from 3:00 pm to close.) Happy Hour and Reverse Happy Hour every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 3:00 pm to 6:15 pm and 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm; Taco Tuesday is every Tuesday from 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm, with the bar staying open until 12:00 Midnight.

TGI Fridays: “Drink specials all day, every day” includes $3 – $4 beers, cocktails $4 and up.

Vines (in the Hyatt on Town Center Drive): Lounge and patio from 4pm until 7pm daily, $6 bites, $5 bartender specials as well as select wines, $4 domestic beer and $5 craft beer.

The Vu: Everyday 4 to 8pm.

Wokcano Valencia: In the bar and lounge area: Monday 11am until 2am, Tuesday – Thursday 3pm to 7pm and 9pm to 2am, Friday 3pm until 7pm, Saturday 11am to 5pm, Sunday 11am to 5pm and 9pm to 2am. Happy Hour food menu, $4 draft beer, $4 Sangria, $4 well drinks, $4 house wine, $5 Sake Bomb.

Wolf Creek Restaurant: In the bar area only Monday 4pm until closing, Tuesday through Friday 4pm until 6:30pm, Saturday 8pm until closing. Happy Hour pizzas $5.50 and 25% off other appetizers.

Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill: Happy Hour 3pm until 6pm.

And Outside of SCV:

MAGNOLIA HOUSE: No need to knock, as the door is always open at Magnolia House! Pasadena’s favorite new restaurant and bar introduces Neighborhood Hour every Monday through Friday from 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm. Offering discounted wines, well drinks and their signature cocktails, this cozy bungalow has something for everyone on the block. Sip on Bar Manager Colin Shearn’s tasty Cocktail of the Moment from his newly released cocktail menu for only $7.00, or kick back and relax while you enjoy the signature Magnolia House Sangria for $6.00. Pint-loving pedestrians will not be able to resist popping in to try all five craft beer options (at just $5.00 each), including the Craftsman 1903, Heavenly Hefe, Mother Earth Cali’ Creamin’, Santa Barbara Common Ale and Swamis IPA. Pair these budget-friendly beverages with gourmet snacks from Executive Chef Kyu Yi and bite into delicious dishes like Crunchy Ahi Tacos with spicy tuna, avocado crema and radish or Margherita Flatbread ($8.00) topped with spicy tomato, burrata, basil and a cilantro-pistachio pesto. Or get food tipsy off the Drunken Nachos ($7.00) smothered in beer queso sauce. Additionally, guests can dine on Blistered Shishitos ($5.00) served with sweet Thai chili and ponzu sauce, as well as Lebanese Beef Skewers,($6.00) drizzled with tahini yogurt sauce. Do not miss out on this new hotspot, where Neighborhood Houris reinventing Pasadena evenings and making it easy for you (and your wallet)! Magnolia House is open for Neighborhood Hour Monday through Friday from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm; 492 South Lake Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101; 626.584.1126.

RASCAL: The only rule at Rascal, is that there are no rules! This favorite local hotspot on South La Brea Avenue hosts Happy Hour seven days a week. With $6.00 Eats & House Libations available throughout the entire restaurant (not just bar), it is quickly becoming everyone’s favorite pastime. With something for everyone, Rascaloffers traditional beverage choices including cocktails like the Moscow Mule and Margarita, as well as House-Made Red Sangria and the Cold Duck, a sangria topped off with sparkling cava brut. Beer lovers can enjoy pints of the North Cost Scrimshaw Pilsner, while discriminating winos will delight in select red, white and sparkling wines like the 2013 Solar de Estraunza and the 2011 Garnacha Beso de Vino. Executive Chef Andy Lee keeps everyone happy with favorites like Spicy Italian Sausage with blistered red watercress, olive oil and olive tapenade, a classic Burger topped with beer-deglazed caramelized onions, cheddar, arugula, vine-ripened tomato and herb remoulade, as well as Brussels Sprouts sprinkled with smoked bacon, shallots and garlic and drizzled with whole grain mustard sauce. Buttermilk marinated fried chickenis so good, it is served two ways: A Fried Chicken Sandwich, which is stacked with tomato, Napa cabbage and tzatziki and the classic comfort-dish, Fried Chicken & Gravy is smothered with Italian sausage gravy. Non meat-eaters can enjoy a pita bread-packed Vegetable Gyro Sandwich stuffed with potato croquet, tabbouleh, curry hummus, tzatziki and queso fresco. Why let the happy stop there? Rascal wonders the same thing, which is why every Sunday is Sunday Funday, a game night, offering a variety of board games for patrons to play, while sipping on Happy Hour cocktails (at Happy Hour prices) “all night long.” Checkmate! Rascal is open for Happy Hour from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm every Tuesday through Saturday, and 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm every Monday; and Sunday Funday is every Sunday from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm; 801 South La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90036; 323.933.3229.

TIPPLE & BRINE: Known for their bountiful bivalve bar of fresh oysters and creative custom cocktails, Tipple & Brine continues to shine and is quickly becoming the gem (or pearl, more appropriately) of Sherman Oaks. Currently presenting a Social Hour every Monday through Friday, from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm, guests can stop in for gourmet fare and drinks at discounted pricing. Dive in with $5.00 Oyster Shooters and $7.00 house-made classic cocktails, like the Old Fashioned or Moscow Mule crafted with Tito’s Vodka.The beer and wine is more than fine, with $5.00 draft offerings of Firestone IPA, Mama’s Little Yella Pils, Golden Road Hefe, Craftsman 1903 or Dogtown Brown and four wine selections of Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon for just $6.00 per glass. Slurp down fresh Oysters for just $2.00 a piece or a plate of Warm Marinated Olives for only $4.00. Additional menu favorites are occasionally rotated during Social Hour, but generally consist of delectable dishes like Crispy Oysters with sauce gribiche ($7.00), Brussels Sprouts ($5.00) and Mussels & Fries ($7.00). Stop in for some social time and savor some of these select pairings at this Sherman Oaks hotspot! Tipple & Brine is open for Social Hour every Monday through Friday from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm; 14633 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403; 818.528.2550.

Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years. She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a guest judge for the L.A. International Wine Competition. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

A day in the life of a wine 101er (Vintage Beacon Circa 8-09)

July 8, 2014 by evebushman

It starts before 5 in the morning, the anal compulsion to blog about my wine adventures…but it really started 14 years ago, when I began poking fun of all things Santa Clarita in a local newspaper. Who knew that movers, shakers, and those of us in-between, enjoyed a little wine now and then?

I’ve been writing, can you believe this, before I started drinking. (You thought I was going to say walking?) Anyway, I wrote under the column header Eve of Destruction (while poking fun) and Another Face of Eve (when doing good) before I settled on using Eve’s Wine 101 for almost the last 5 years.

I met a lot of local people running non-profits, politicians for hire, business owners…you get the drift. When the newspaper asked me to write about wine I found that most of the people I had met, well, seemed to have an interest in wine as well. And what’s more, they wanted to perch themselves on my glass, follow my wine adventures, and, basically, get thoroughly loose through me.

So this is what I do every day to satisfy your every whim.

Yes, I’m up at 5am, because I walk my LA City Fire Chief to his car, with his coffee and Wall Street Journal, every morning…or at least the ones where he is on shift. Then, in rapid succession comes, the run, the coffee, the reading and returning of e-mails, adding events to the SCV Wine Calendar, checking in on Facebook, Twitter, the West Ranch Beacon, reading my friends blogs, taking all the little scraps of notes that I jotted down in the middle of the night and transferring them into a “blog notes” document, get ready to blog and then I see my daughter off to school…

I do work part time, the hours my teenage cherub is in school, but I will leave that job up to your imagination. My employer is a wonderful person that ignores my wine passion…and allows me just enough hours, and salary, to escape cooking and cleaning my own house.

Then back at home after the end of the school day, I transfer non-profit, and for-profit, press releases into blog posts, put their art with a link on my blog, return more e-mails, put up photos and guest posts from readers, take time to write to and work with my two wonderful contributors: Michael Perlis and Rusty Sly that also give time to my Wine 101 blog. Then sift through the dozens of invites I receive every month to see which I can attend and write more about.

I write my big blog story for this site, prepare my weekly Dear Wine Friend newsletter, and then, by the end of the week, I’m headed out to a wine tasting or wine education class.

I try and go to as many non-profit events, and advertise that I’ll be there in my newsletter so that others, may be on the fence, might go as well.

I take a Pepcid AC if it’s a farly large tasting so I can be feeling tip top the next day when I start again at, you guessed it, 5am.