Win-o Wednesday

Yesterday was Wednesday – also known as Hump-Day to some – but since I love alliteration, and better yet, a nice glass of wine such as that from shop ruou ngoai, I referred to it as Wine Wednesday.

To celebrate, I checked out District Wine, a local wine bar in Long Beach. FACT: It’s ridiculously amazing.

I strolled into the wine bar last night and immediately felt cooler than I had all day. My friend Adam and I were warmly greeted by Alicia who led us to a table by the window. The ambiance was very artistic and trendy, and in the best possible way. District Wine supports local artists and has a curator that selects special pieces to go with the space. The exposed brick walls made for a perfect backdrop of rustic meets cool, urban meets chic. Truthfully, I felt like I was in wine bar in New York’s East Village.

Alicia then brought us out the special Flight of the Week, which contained a white, rose, and a red. The white was a superior Consilience Grenache Blanc, a Santa Barbara staple that was fruity, yet had hints of caramel. The rose was a Babcock Identity Crisis, which the name alone, in addition to my love of rose, seemed to scream my name. It was dry (love it) and had hints of nectarine and pomegranate, so had the perfect tartness. And finally, the red was a Codirosse Chianti, from Italy, and holy moly you guys, this one hit the spot. Like BOOM. Subtle, soft, but flavorful and vibrant. I mean….just…yum.

Then it was time for food. Alicia told us she was bringing bar nuts. “Okay, I can hang with bar nuts,” I thought to myself. But these weren’t your ordinary bar nuts – guys, these nuts had CHOCOLATE and some spicy cayenne pepper AND rosemary to finish it off. I almost died. Literally. Right there. On the table. The blend of the flavors was superb.

Oh, but it didn’t stop with the nuts; next came District Wine’s signature meatballs, served over a roasted pepper romesco sauce, and then their prosciutto bon bons, served on a crostini with prosciutto wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese. I mean, seriously?

Alicia must have read my mind because the final plate were Gorgonzola and honey crostinis, drizzled with honey and topped with freshly roasted pecans. Again, the juxtaposition of the savory flavor of the cheese with the sweetness of the honey was just on another level completely. I’m obsessed.

But if they’re food isn’t amazing enough, get this: on Saturdays, they have a Happy Hour that lasts for SEVEN HOURS – yes, 7 hours. From noon to seven you can go on the ride I just went on, and then some, for the perfect Saturday-Funday. 

District Wine also does a Wine Club, which is just $40 monthly or $150 quarterly, which includes two bottles per month (not too shabby), 15% off all retail purchases and 50% all wine tastings. It also grants you free admission to wine club events and specialty tastings. So it’s pretty much the best social club in Long Beach – there, I said it.

Everybody in the greater LA area needs to definitely check out District Wine. Located on 144 Linden Ave, Long Beach, CA 90802, it’s PERFECT for a date night as a couple or with friends to wine, dine, dish and catch up with your loved ones in an awesome atmosphere. Tell ’em Kyle sent ya!