But I’m not. Funny, it was pointed out to me that domaine547.com appears as a successful example of social media in wine (juxtaposed against the Wine Spectator of all things) in this recent presentation (see slide #25). I guess they haven’t looked at the blog lately; it hasn’t been updated in weeks.

Really, in my internet-only days, I never understood why Brick and Mortar retailers didn’t take the time to blog. Now I know. They don’t have the time!

Seriously. Even in the downtime when there aren’t any customers — which, let’s face it, exists in decent quantity — there’s always something to be done at the store that takes priority…from the very lowly tasks, like sweeping, to the equally tedious but still mundane paying of bills, or putting price labels on bottles, to tasting wine with reps, it all has to get done. And I am here without support staff a fair amount of the time.

Suffice it to say, to all those out there giving speeches about social media and the importance of it to branding for wineries and wine stores, people, for the most part, get it. I know I get it! But finding the time is another story. And finding a voice? Even harder.

So at the moment, what I’m doing is tweeting (@domaineLA), because tweeting is very time un-intensive. A tweet takes a few seconds, and I think I get both my voice and my point (when I have one) across in these little quick spurts. I don’t know that it’s enough, but at least it’s something.

I really hope to get back to blogging soon. I swear, I do! But right now I have something very important to do, so you’ll have to excuse me while I go empty the trash can in the bathroom…

Umami Burger’s truck has been parked today on Citrus just north of Melrose, and in addition to a welcome expansion to my lunchtime options (and an unwelcome expansion of my belly), I’m pleased to report that Adam Fleischman, owner of the enterprise, made a most generous offer to me as I waited for my burger:

For any bottle purchased at domaineLA, Adam will waive corkage at the Umami Burger locations that are licensed to serve wine. This leaves out the original La Brea location, but includes Los Feliz and Cahuenga (and, perhaps, Santa Monica when it opens).

So, come get a bottle of wine and pop it open at Umami on the house. Make sure to tell me that you intend to do so when purchasing the wine, and I’ll mark the bottle so Umami knows where it came from.

Also, I have a similar arrangement with Susan Feniger’s Street, so if you have yet to try that restaurant out and want to bring your own, stop by and I’ll help you pair something with your pupusas. Again, let me know so I can mark the bottle.

Cheers to a great 2010 with lots of yummy, affordable food and wine for all.

The “about us” section below (in blue) is wrong. I need to amend it, and that involves some code and stuff that I don’t know how to do without the expertise of others currently unavailable. So, in the meantime, if you’re looking for domaineLA in the real world, rather than online, here’s where you can find the shop!

6801 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90038

View Larger Map

Between Melrose and La Brea, at Mansfield. Parking lot with 11 spaces as well as ample street parking on Mansfield as well as Melrose.

Hours are 11AM to 8PM daily, except for Sundays when we open from noon to 5PM. We will close early on New Year’s Eve, at 6PM.

Phone is (323) 932-0280 should you want to call.

Again, sorry for any confusion but we are both ONLINE and BRICK AND MORTAR now, so you can order online, pick-up in-store, or continue to have your wine shipped to you just as before.

Happy new year to all and I look forward to sharing lots of great wine with you in 2010. Cheers!

One of the first days I was open, a very nice gentleman who lives a few houses up from domaineLA stopped by and asked me to sign a petition requesting that this area be included in the new neighborhood designation “Melrose Village.” I was happy to oblige, and signed the petition, though I’m not sure I fully understand the general obsession that Angelenos seem to have with naming each and every neighborhood.

Yet, I’m going to go ahead and suggest that the stretch of Melrose Avenue I find myself in the heart of, anchored by Lou on Vine on the east and Caffe Angeli on the west — with Providence, Mozza, Street, Cube, the upcoming Tar Pit and the soon-to-be transplanted Hatfield’s in its dense epicenter – receive a name.

Why? I’m not sure. No good reason, really, except that naming things is fun. Also, I suppose it recognizes a general trend in the food and wine scene of Los Angeles that so many fantastic spots (my own excluded, humility, humility) have chosen to open up shop in, by the standards of LA sprawl, such a tiny geographic zone. 

I’ve come with a few ideas and put them in a poll format (polls, like naming things, are fun). Please add your own ideas, too, in the comments, and let’s name this little slice of foodie heaven!

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I’m very happy to let you know that I’ve designed the wine list for the new LudoBites event that begins this Wednesday, December 2nd, at art and cafe space Royal/T in Culver City. Yay!

Ludo Lefebvre is possibly the most innovative chef working in Los Angeles right now (hey, I’m not the only one who thinks so…), and certainly my favorite. So it’s an honor to be able to work with him, and with his wife/business partner Krissy Lefebvre — someone I could learn a few things from when it comes to business and marketing — on this project.

Ludo making his “Foie Gras Croques” at the domaineLA opening

In any case, some folks have been asking for a sneak peek of the wine list for LudoBites. So here it is…in a very abbreviated form (wines and prices, no descriptions just yet). NB, there may be a couple of changes in the coming week (an Albarino may make an appearance, for one). But for the time being, this is how things look:

SPARKLING

NV German Gilabert Cava, Spain, $30
NV Domaine des Roches Cremant de Bourgogne Rosé (Pinot Noir), France, $36

WHITE

2008 Infinity White Blend (Grenache Blanc/Viognier), US, $25
2007 Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet Classique, France, $30
2008 Terres Dorées Beaujolais Blanc Chardonnay, France, $34
2008 Leitz Dragonstone Riesling, Germany, $36

RED

2008 Bielsa Viñas Viejas Garnacha, Spain, $22
2008 Château d’Oupia “Les Hérétiques” Carignan, France, $25
2007 Maison Camille Giroud Bourgogne Rouge (Pinot Noir), France, $48
2007 Olivier Pithon “La Coulée” Red Blend (Grenache/Syrah/Carignan), France, $36
2007 La Fenetre A Coté Red Blend (Cabernet/Merlot), US, $37

DESSERT

NV Terres Dorées FRV100 (Sparkling Gamay), France (not sure whether this will be by the glass or by the bottle, so price forthcoming!)

I should note, the wines were chosen with a few things in mind. First, of course, they were selected to pair with Ludo’s dishes. Additionally, given a limited list (a dozen wines altogether), I wanted to represent a varied group of wine regions and an array of grape varieties. Finally, the aim was to keep the prices reasonable.

To elaborate on that last point, the pricing formula above is generally the retail bottle cost of each wine, plus about $15. This makes them equivalent to “bringing your own” and paying a typical corkage fee ($15) — and it’s in keeping with the “pop-up” style of LudoBites, which makes an “haute” experience both accessible and fun.

These wines, like LudoBites, hopefully offer something relatively serious but served with a light touch. I hope you enjoy them and look forward to your feedback.