Beyond serving one hundred varieties of California wine by the bottle, Corkbar knows that a drinker needs a good munch to go along with the refined slurp. One word: biscuit. Pop in at this new downtown wine bar after work, pre-Lakers game, or before a show at nearby Nokia complex, and order the biscuit—crispy and gently glazed with lemon on the outside, soft and crumbly in the middle. It’s the bomb.

Executive chef Albert Aviles, formerly of Bar Marmont, and chef de cuisine Byron Hogan refresh Corkbar’s food menu regularly, according to what’s looking good on the seasonal, regional, California farmer’s market. It doesn’t get much fresher; there’s no freezer, microwave, heat lamps, nor a deep fryer on the premises. Of course, the focus is on wine, and each dish matches texture and taste to enhance the wine selection’s fine notes. Not in the mood for shredded duck and brussels sprout salad with candied hazelnuts, Maytag blue cheese, frisée, and roasted apple-hazelnut vinaigrette ($15) or grilled cheese, made with fontina, sherry onion marmalade, and roasted tomatoes on sourdough bread ($9)? Opt for a cheese and charcuterie board ($10-19), try the banana pudding, or just sample a few artisanal wines.

Each wine carries a story, as Corkbar stocks up on bottles imbued with the personality of its maker. For instance, there’s Vines on the Marycrest from Paso Robles. Winemaker Victor Abascal takes advantage of the region’s dry, warm, days, cool nights, and limestone soils to grow premium Zinfandel and Rhône grape varieties. He named the wine after a manor of nuns he terrorized as a child, and unites his wine with a passion for music—each variety carries the namesake of a classic rock song. Abascal describes one of his wines, “My Generation,” as “a Zinfandel from our estate vineyard and the neighboring, Remo belli Vineyard, blended with the classic Rhone varietals. A huge, ripe super-tanker of a wine, round and full, this is a perfect example of the ‘new’ breed of Paso Robles wine.” Corkbar also carries “’Round Midnight,” which is, according to Abascal, “Sophisticated and bold, a classic Rhone style blend, balanced and fruit-forward. —Tastes of berries, cherries, rhubarb and hints of vanilla.”

Corkbar joins Downtown’s resurgence, in which taste matters and sophistication comes along for the laidback ride. Upscale but not haughty, connoisseurs and dabblers alike can enjoy fine wines without being sneered at for not holding pinkies in the air.

Corkbar
403 W. 12th St.
hours: 11:30a-2a

GetWize: Happy Hour is Monday through Friday from 4-7p, with $4 pints, $8 glasses of wine, and half off appetizers.