With an ocean view and a dog friendly patio, Pourtal Wine Bar is a very different wine tasting bar.
Inside, guests can sip wine in a luxuriant low-lit lounge surrounded by soy stained wooden floors, recycled glass counter tops, and bottles of wines from all corners of the world.
Just steps away from the Third Street Promenade, Pourtal Wine Bar offers everyone the ability to sample wines from unique regions for a fraction of the cost.
“We have a rotating selection of wines from all over the world featuring small producers that are mostly naturally made, meaning no use of pesticides and minimal intervention during the wine making process,” said Pourtal owner Steven Abronson.
“When you go to the supermarket or a lot of the larger grocery stores, a lot of the wines that you find there are actually quite manipulated wines.”
Abronson said he knew all of his winemakers.
“We know that they care about the land as much as they care about their wine,” he said.
Organic and unique are just two of the qualities Pourtal Wine Bar has to offer.
“Most of the wines are of small production and naturally made,” said wine director Rachel Bryan.
Bryan, who also doubles as food director, works with Chef Peter to come up with fun food and wine pairings.
Chef Peter throws together a delicious Persimmon Salad, sears a filet mignon slider perfectly, and creates a not-to-be-missed Chocolate and Blue Toast crustini.
Paired with a few cheeses, prosciutto, and salami, and the self-indulgence is complete.
“I am normally not a Zinfandel fan, but the 1982 (Sonoma California Joseph Swan) Zinfandel has an alcohol content of 13 percent,” Bryan said. “You can’t taste 30 year old wine everyday so it’s kind of nice and one of the reasons I included it in the selection.”
The reason that guests can drink expensive wine for a low price is simple.
“We price the wines by the ounce, which is basically what it would be for a fifth of a glass of wine,” Abronson said.
Abronson recommends putting $20 on a wine card in order to access Pourtal’s large selection of wines, which is a whole lot of fun.
Simply pick a wine to taste, insert the card into the corresponding slot for that bottle, push the button, and out comes an ounce of the selected wine.
“We rotate the themes every month,” said Abronson who just ended Pourtal’s “Cradle of Wine” wine tasting tour from the Middle East.
He said this month the wine bar was focusing on Australian wines.
“We have a lot of wines here that a lot of people have never heard of before,” he said.
Try a dry 2008 Brooks “Ara” Riesling and indulge in its flavors of spice, apple, and honey or its sister red wine – a 2009 Pinot Noir.
This small family-owned Riesling was picked for the Alice Waters menu and even included in President Obama’s inauguration dinner.
For that Oak taste, indulge in a Broadside “Margarita Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Paso Robles that will present a light oaky taste without the heavy oak price.
A Californian Red Poco a Poco Zinfandel 2009 boasts a taste of bing cherry and chocolate, and the 2010 Racines De La Terre Malbec from France goes great with some soft ripened cheese.
For dessert, an aged Ramos Pinto Tawny Port from Portugal will sweeten the mood with its undertones of nuts, cherries, plums, and raspberries, and the Cebada Blueberry Wine from Lompoc, CA. speaks for itself.
Pourtal Wine Bar
104 Santa Monica Blvd.
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday 4 p.m. to midnight
Saturday 2 p.m. to midnight
Sunday 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
310.393.7693
