Beer, Wine & Spirits in Oxnard

Moving about the shelves of wine- and beer-making supplies at Simi Valley Home Brew are the business’s team of brew masters, vintners, cheese mongers, and industry experts whose passion is to share their expertise with beginners. They do so in two- to three-hour 101 classes, during which students receive hands-on training on how to ferment beer, bottle wine, and create mozzarella and ricotta from scratch.

The first chapter of Brett Escalera’s and Tom Daughters’ foray into the wine industry begin in 1999 when they released their first varietal under the Consilience label—a 1997 Santa Barbara County Syrah. Eight years later, they partnered with Tom's brother Ken to found the sister label, Tre Anelli. Comparatively speaking, the two labels are very different, with Consilience drawing upon the intensity and depth of Rhone varietals and Tre Anelli emulating flavors from Italy and Spain. Both, however, are produced with grapes sourced from Santa Barbara County's top vineyards. At their shop, Brett, Tom, and Ken host daily tastings and dramatic recreations of famous spit-takes within their spacious, dog-friendly tasting room.

In order to store the more than 600 varieties of wine that fill Uncorked Hermosa’s cozy storefront, the proprietors had to get creative; in addition to populating the overflowing racks that dominate the shop’s front space, bottles can be found nestling in cubbies wreathed by fairy lights and crowding on the lids of emptied casks. The bottles have traveled from far and not-so-far, their labels tracing their paths from Sonoma wineries and Italian vineyards. At the tasting bar, a knowledgeable sommelier keeps a close watch on them, curating the shop’s ever-evolving menu of handpicked wines and craft beers. Their time at the shop also earns the bottle some cred of their own; when taken to go, the shop’s wines enjoy free corkage at more than a dozen local restaurants.

American Sommelier unites consumers and professionals under the same vine-strung banner with a lineup of educational courses and monthly seminars, all with the goal to improve the community's understanding and appreciation for wine. In addition to its comprehensive curriculum, the association is also home to the Best Sommelier in America competition and an expansive selection of services that include job-placement assistance, insider wine tours, and cellar consultations. This combination of resources serves to create a forum where wine enthusiasts can assemble and discuss their passion as peers, much like the Founding Fathers did at their macaroni-and-cheese roundtables.