Buzzed in Paradise

It's becoming a tradition on Tuesdays for me to hit up Hollywood Vine, a wine and spirits bar on Harrison Street in downtown Hollywood. Although the words wine bar normally conjure up images of stuffy connoisseurs doing their best re-creations of dialogue cut from Sideways, you won't find much of that here. Sure, there are definitely some serious wine buffs who hang around, but the atmosphere is beyond relaxed. With more than 600 wines, plus a full selection of liquors, imported beer, and a food-pairing menu, Hollywood Vine is a one-stop shop for all your alcohol needs. If you've never been, I'd highly recommend stopping in.

Every Tuesday, Hollywood Vine offers a free tasting of four or five selected wines. If you like them, you're free to buy more by the glass or grab a bottle at a discounted price and take it home. More often than not, the place fills up with a variety of people, from 20-something hipsters to pushing-50 business folk united in a common quest to enjoy fine wine and casual conversation. HV is separated into two areas, one filled with tables, chairs, and a bar where you can hang out with a couple of glasses of wine and a cheese plate and the other filled with rows of fine wines and spirits for you to drool over while you decide which intoxicating agent to take home. My recommendation: Hang out and have a couple of glasses, then head over and grab a bottle to go, but not before asking for a recommendation from the helpful and cheery staff. You'll leave Hollywood Vine with a little extra knowledge and a new place to go on Tuesday nights.