Best Places to Enjoy Drinking Wine in Sherman Oaks
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We love wine! We drink it, we collect it, we read about it and we like to travel to wine regions. But we live in Sherman Oaks so we prefer to drink locally. So where do we like to go? And what makes a great place? Well, of course great wines, and different wines than you find at most places. Plus a friendly and well-informed wine staff who love teaching you about their selections and maybe try to introduce you to something new.
So where are the Best places in Sherman Oaks for that kind of experience?
Hands down, Augustine has to be number one. An Iconic wine bar, it has a large and rotating selection of wines curated by owner and Sommelier Matthew Kaner to taste including some rare vintages from co-owner, David Gibbs’s personal cellar. The knowledgeable staff is only too happy to educate and acquaint you with unusual varietals you may have never tasted before. Augustine was even recognized as one of the Best Wine Bars in the US by Food and Wine magazine! Plus there is a nice selection of small plates designed to pair with the wines that are much better than you would expect them to be at a place whose focus is clearly on the libations.
Augustine, 13456 Ventura Bl., Sherman Oaks
Although it may be primarily known as a Sports Bar, On The Thirty has a great wine program. Perhaps it comes from Owner Shawn Kerwin’s personal love of wine but the selection there is far superior to most other restaurants of this genre. The name was actually created from the concept of Thirty Boutique wines, Thirty Craft Beers and Thirty Pizzas. Try the Frank Family Chardonnay or the Belle Glos Pinot Noir along with their terrific Earth Pizza with caramelized onions, wild mushrooms and white truffle oil. The design-your-own charcuterie and cheese plates are another great choice with a great glass of wine from their out of the ordinary wine list.
On The Thirty, 14622 Ventura Blvd #112, Sherman Oaks
A gastropub with a good wine selection, including quality “wines on tap”, The Local Peasant, is one of our favorite places to go. The selection of wines on tap range from a Simi Sauv Blanc to a Hitching Post Pinot Noir to a Brander Syrah. All can be ordered in a mini 8.5 oz carafe for a very reasonable $11-$14 or a full liter carafe for about $30. There are also really good wines by the bottle with some serious selections like the Caymus 41st Anniversary Cab for $180 if you are feeling really flush. And the food is way better than a lot of other Gastropubs we have been to including what I declare is the best Crab cake I have eaten in Los Angeles!
The Local Peasant, 14058 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
When we are feeling a little more romantic we head to the Bar at Mistral. The traditional French restaurant has been around since 1988 and has been lauded as a top spot , not only in Sherman Oaks, but as Open Table’s top 100 restaurants in the US as well as a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. They have a wonderful wine list as well as a good selection of premium wines by the glass. The food is always terrific and we love sitting at the Bar and sharing a few glasses with an appetizer or two like their yummy Tuna tartare and their wonderful cheesy gougeres.
Mistral, 13422 Ventura Bl., Sherman Oaks
Fran Kerzner, owner of Interior Design firm, Design Synthesis , has lived and worked in Sherman Oaks since 1989. She lives with her husband, Ken and their two rescue pups, Sunny and Kobe. Fran is the 2017 President- Elect of the Sherman Oaks Chamber of Commerce.
