
Every other person I meet in Los Angeles is a self-proclaimed foodie, anxious to talk up the newest restaurant and their own kitchen inventions; to talk down the disappointment of a celebrity chef and the “true” merit of an uber hip and buzz-worthy eatery; and then to write or chat about all their insights as if they are experts. And I don’t shirk the blame either; my blog is proof that my hands are as dirty with truffle oil and goat cheese as the next person’s.
But I forget often, as I think many do, to not only talk the talk, and walk the map of a Los Angeles food aficionado, but also to slow down and really explore and appreciate this part of our culture for all its facets, impact, and possibilities.
This weekend, I had the opportunity to visit 55 Degree Wine in Atwater Village, which is housed in a small, brick-orange strip next to a Starbucks. The first floor is a narrow, rustic wine store displaying a small, careful, and economical selection of wines and spuds from throughout the world.
Then, in the back corner, down the dark stairwell and into the basement, is where the real appeal of 55 Degree emerges. Starting at 6pm on weekdays and 5pm on weekends, the store welcomes a young, casual and under-glorified crowd to their dim-lit underground den to try flights of wine, cheeses, and snacks (they also offer flights of beer on Sundays.) The back wall is made of a window looking in on the shallow but well-stocked storage area; and while the basement is a bit acoustically-challenged, it’s a perfectly cozy space for about twenty to thirty people to gather around barrels or wooden, rustic tables and unwind with a few decent, thoughtful drinks.
I took advantage of their special flight featuring three Portuguese wines that were decent, interesting and affordable. We also ordered a cheese plate to go along with the event. I’m not going to go into the wines mostly because, although everything was enjoyable, I didn’t try anything that really impressed me.
But going to 55 Degree reminded me that despite its reputation for being elitist and pretentious, wine tasting can actually play a crucial first step when someone begins to really understanding his or her palette. Working your way through a flight of very different wines, especially those that include both reds and whites, and genuinely taking the time to pay attention to and evaluate your experience with what you’re drinking, provides an amazing opportunity to learn how to satisfy and stimulate your taste buds with different flavors, textures, temperatures, etc.
Wine, even one-note, simple and playful wine like the glasses I had the other night, flirt with and awaken ribbons of sensations in your mouth. Beginning with the moment the drink firsts meets your tongue, as it coat the rest of your throat and then leaves its echo in your mouth after you swallowed, the taste continues to evolve and expand in different ways. And what you crave immediately afterward – something sweet, salty, crunchy, smooth, bready, crumbly, whatever—says worlds not just about the wine or about the food that you pair it with, but also about what is going on in your mouth throughout the experience.
We’ve got enough wine snobs and foodies in the hood. But there’s always room for folks who enjoy exploring the depth and complexity of our own palettes, who truly understand the appeal and possibilities of goat cheese and truffle oil and the tendency to put bacon on just about everything imaginable, and who can discern what’s merely a phase in current food crazes, and what is just downright good eating.