Wine connoisseurs assert that novice tasters should never pair red wine with fish, white wine with red meat, or excessive wine with jury duty. Lap up today's Groupon in moderate proportions: for $10, you get a Tuesday Sip & Swirl wine tasting and pairing from Vinoteque on Melrose (a $20.10 value).
Vinoteque on Melrose displays an assortment of acclaimed vintages and upscale bistro fare, providing palates with deft pairings of quaffs and bites. Sip & Swirl Tuesdays guide guests in an interactive wine voyage as they taste a trio of sweet nectars, hosted by a sommelier who imparts the history of each smushed grape's expedition from vineyard to glass. Past tastings have included variations of cabernet sauvignon, white wines of the Loire Valley, and selections from the north of Spain. Three accompanying appetizers from the seasonal French bistro menu of reimagined comfort food follow smile-producing pours, keeping mouths entertained without employing tongue-twisting limericks or taste-bud jugglers.
Presented every Tuesday at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., Sip & Swirls are held in Vinoteque's handsome dining room. Sample and savor amid red high-back chairs perched atop hardwood floors, minimalist bulbs strung from the ceiling, and walls lined with an eclectic collection of mirrors to check your glass-swirling form. Vinoteque hosts a maximum of 40 wine tasters per event, so call ahead to reserve your spot.
Reviews
LA.com, Gayot, and Los Angeles Times featured Vinoteque on Melrose. OpenTablers named it a Diner's Choice winner for its wine list. Nearly 140 Yelpers give Vinoteque four stars and 91% of Urbanspooners recommend it.
- They also have excellent cheese and meat platters that are incredible. This is a date night place or somewhere you take people to impress a bit. – joeshua w., Yelp, 2/28/11