An Afternoon at District Wine

Long Beach is a place ripe for exploring. A surprisingly large city that often gets overlooked thanks to its neighbor to the north it’s filled with hidden gems. Recently, I headed there with the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association for an afternoon of complimentary wine tasting at the charming District Wine.

District Wine is located in the heart of the East Village Arts District, an area that’s really come into to its own in recent years, and is owned by Angela and Mark Dunton, a couple passionate about wine and eager to share their knowledge with the public. It opened in 2010 and has become the perfect meetup of spot for locals and visitors alike.

On our visit, Mark personally led us through the extensive menu of food and wine and introduced us to some of the best items.

We started with a delicious sparkling rosé from the Gruet winery just outside of Albuquerque. It was light and refreshing and the perfect accompaniment to our seasonal salad.

The dishes are all made in house and consist of fresh, high quality ingredients. The tomatoes in the salad were sweet and ripe and paired well with the fresh mozzarella and balsamic dressing.

We then moved on to two reds and a continued array of delicious bites. The prosciutto bon bons (dates stuffed with chevre and prosciutto) were out of this world and the jalapeno jam and goat cheese was fantastic. I could easily eat a whole plateful on my own. They also paired wonderfully with the wines selected.

After the reds we tried a smooth Grenache Blanc and paired it with a couple of tasty flatbreads.

The Grenache Blanc is from Curran out of the Santa Ynez Valley and reminded me why I love the area so much.

Soon, it was time for dessert and a lemon cheesecake was paired with a Quady Essensia Orange Muscat.

I’m not a big cheesecake fan but this particular one was delicious. Made by a local baker it was the perfect dessert. And I loved the Orange Muscat. Its sweet citrus flavor paired beautifully with the cheesecake and served as a memorable end to our meal.

District Wine is a lovely place to to enjoy a drink and a bite. In addition to individual servings they also offer wine flights where you can enjoy a sampling of different varieties. If you’re throwing a dinner party you can purchase a bottle from their large reserve. They also have  a wine club that offers patrons two bottles of wine and half off wine tastings for $40 a month. With all those options District Wine is the perfect spot for any wine lover. I’m happy I discovered it and will be sure to return.