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.