Beer, Wine & Spirits in West Hills

Winemaker Justin Tatum's quest for creating uniquely flavored wine blends has exhausted many barrels. He is the head winemaker at Malibu Rocky Oaks Estate Vineyards, and his personal collection of honors includes gold medals won by his 2008 cabernet and 2009 and 2010 syrah at the San Francisco International Wine Competition. At J. Hamilton Wines, he shares his insight and techniques during wine-blending classes, which take place in an intimate suite with a red clay–colored floor, rustic wooden walls, and barrels peeking out from behind red curtains, waiting to play their role on the palate. Options for custom sensory experiences stretch beyond the chance to walk out with a bottle or case of a one-of-a-kind blend—the company also creates personalized wine labels or private wine dinners, which include some food. After guests have left the tasting suite, they can apply Tatum's techniques at home with an innovative wine club that ships wines for at-home blending.

When Robb MacLeod's home ran out of room for his hundreds of batches of home brews—and the award ribbons they amassed—he turned to the casks of professional breweries. Now the head brewmaster at Alcatraz Brewing Company, MacLeod crafts signature and seasonal beers, such as Weiss Guy Wheat, Penitentiary Pilsner, and the caramel-laced Big House Red, which patrons can confidently imbibe as indignant wolves attempt to blow it down. In the brewery kitchen, chefs slather burgers with garlic puree, sage stuffing, and roasted peppers, smoke pork with dark ale, and hand-toss thin-crust pizza. Amiable waitstaff ferry plates and beer flights to Alcatraz's patio and around the San Francisco–themed dining room, which includes a to-scale replica of the Golden Gate Bridge and a stray wisp of ever-lingering fog.

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.