Discover California Wine and Cheese in Monrovia

California Wine and Cheese is located just east of Pasadena in beautiful downtown Monrovia on Foothill Boulevard near Myrtle Street.

Downtown Monrovia is one of the most well established communities with a bountiful of shops and restaurants. One of those establishments is California Wine and Cheese. Owners, Tom and Janet Dugan opened CW&C back in August of 2006. They originally opened it with little knowledge of wine, but over the months Tom and Janet have learned a lot about wine from hosting their wine classes by wine experts and from tasting their own inventory with wine growers and customers alike.

The shop itself is very comfortable. The store is large in size, but not intimidating that one would feel out of place. Patrons can sit at the large bar area. Large enough for a group of people to mingle and enjoy a night of wine tasting and maybe some cheese. On the walls are displays of art from local talented artists. Usually, an art gallery auction is held once a month for the paintings.

CW&C is stocked with over 200 different types of wines, and Tom is very cordial host, will be happy to help you find what you are looking for, and even pour you a sample from their weekly tasting schedule. Unlike most wine bars, the wine tasting events are “whenever you show up,” said Dugan.

The one quality that CW&C has is they only carry California wines. Some people may not find this as a quality and think of this as a flaw, but there really isn’t anything wrong with that. In fact, many wines produced in other countries like France, Argentina, Spain, Italy, and Australia are grown and produced right here in California.

Add an assortment of rare and exotic cheeses from all over the world with a glass of sparkling wine or white wine, makes for a pleasant trip to Monrovia. CW&C has over 60 different cheeses including domestic cheeses from California, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin, and Vermont. Also, CW&C has a huge selection of international cheeses from Australia, Austria, Cyprus, England, France, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Spain.

During each wine tasting event held on every Friday evening, cheeses are prepared and set according to wine flight of the week for precise pairing to compliment each other, so each customer’s enjoyment is enhanced. So, come and enjoy a day or an evening of wine and cheese and discovery the many wines of California.
Website: California Wine and Cheese









(Just west of Myrtle Ave, north of Old Town Monrovia)

Wine Events for Inland Empire and San Gabriel Valley Area for the Week of July 14 to 19

For seasoned and new wine drinkers alike that want to experience the events of this week, here are the upcoming events for the Inland Empire area:

1. Event: “Flight Night - Ventana Vineyards”

Where: Azo Vino Art Gallery & Wine Bar

When: Beer tasting Wednesday, July 15, 6 to 9 p.m.
Flight Night Thursday, July 16 from 6 to 9 p.m
Wine & Live Music Saturday from 8 to 11 p.m.

Join Galen on Thursday flight night for wine from Ventana Vineyards and come by Saturday for wine, beer, with music by John Castillo & Zollie Polk

Located at: 144 W. Badillo St, Covina, CA

Phone: (626) 732-9827 Call ahead for reservations
Hours: Tues-Sat 2-11 p.m. Sunday 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Monday

2. Event: “Summer Values...Wine Tasting”

Where: At the San Dimas Wine Shop & Tasting Room

When: Tue., July 14 through Sun., July 19 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

This week the event says exactly that. Heidi presents six wines that are easy on the budget and perfect for summer entertaining. Price: $12.99 per person.

For more information, go to: San Dimas Wine Shop & Tasting Room

Located at: 225 W. Bonita Avenue, San Dimas, CA 91773

Phone: (909)971-94252

4. Event: Tax Free Wednesday and Wine Class Saturday
Where: California Wine and Cheese
When: Every Wednesday, and Wine Class on July 18 at 3 p.m.

Join Monrovia’s best wine & cheese bar for a tax free wine tasting event every Wednesday. This week, try wines from the Napa and Sonoma regions. On Saturday come back for a special wine class with Master Sommelier, Elizabeth Schweitizer.

For more information, go to: California Wine & Cheese

Located at: 115 W. Foothill Blvd, Monrovia, CA 91016
Phone: 626-358-6500

3. Event: “Sake Tasting at Kabuki Japanese Restaurant”
Where: Kabuki Restaurant
When: July 14 (Tuesday), Session one: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Session 2: 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Discover sake a whole new way on this sake and food pairing event with Master Sake Sommelier, Yuji Matsumoto and a chance to win prizes!
Price: $25 for 1, $40 for couple, $20 per person for 3 or more.

For more information, go to Kabuki Japanese Restaurant
Location: 12595 N. MainstreetRancho Cucamonga, CA 91739

Phone: (909) 646-8555

4. Event: “Reds, Whites, and The Blues”

Where: The Sycamore Inn

When: Thursday, July 16, 2009 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

This is The Sycamore Inn’s annual event of Red, Whites, and Blues. This year, enjoy 20 wines from a variety of wineries. Included are appetizers and music by blues Band , The Mama's Boys. Come early to get the best seats, this will be a sell out event.
Price: $25 (includes appetizers and music)

For more information, go to: Sycamore Inn

Located at: 8318 Foothill Blvd, Rancho Cucamonga, Ca 91730

Phone: (909) 982-1104

If you attend any of these events, please be sure to tell them, Michael J from Lifestyle Food & Wine sent you.

Wine Events for the San Gabriel/Inland Empire Area for the Week of June 7 thru July 12

For seasoned and new wine drinkers alike that want to experience the events of this week, here are the upcoming events for the Inland Empire area:

1. Event: “Broken Dreams - Open Cases‏”

Where: Azo Vino Art Gallery & Wine Bar

When: Beer tasting Wednesday, July 8, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Flight Night Thursday, July 9 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m
Wine & Live Music Saturday with Phil Settle from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Join Galen on Thursday flight night for Broken Dreams and Open Cases night with lite munchies and a special one night only raffle.
Come back on Saturday and enjoy wine and beer for live music by Phil Settle

Located at:

144 W. Badillo StCovina, CA

Phone: (626) 732-9827 Call ahead for reservations
Hours: Tues-Sat 2-11 p.m. Sunday 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Monday

2. Event: “Taft Street Winery...Wine Tasting”

Where: At the San Dimas Wine Shop & Tasting Room

When: Tue., July 7 through Sun., July 12 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

This week Heidi presents wines from Taft Street Winery. Taft makes excellent wines from the Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Dry Creek, and Alexander Valley appellations.

Price: $13.99 per person.

For more information, go to: San Dimas Wine Shop & Tasting Room

Located at: 225 W. Bonita Avenue, San Dimas, CA 91773

Phone: (909)971-94252.

3. Event: "Wine Club of the Month - Wine Tasting"

Where: Live online Wine Club of the Month and on location

When: Every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Wine Club of the Month is one of the oldest and most respected wine clubs in the nation. Established in 1972, Cellermaster, Paul Kalekiarian Jr. has been presenting wines ever since. Each month, WCOTM tests over 100 different wines to catalog the top wines of the month to present to wine club members. So, come on in at the Monrovia location or view online.

For more information, go to: Wine of the Month Club®

Located at: 907 S Magnolia Ave, Monrovia, CA 91016 Phone: 1-800-949-WINE (1-800-949-9463) Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST Mon thru Fri

If you attend any of these events, please be sure to tell them, Michael J from Lifestyle Food & Wine sent you.

Wine Events for the Inland Empire Area for the Week of June 30 thru July 5

For seasoned and new wine drinkers alike that want to experience the events of this week, here are the upcoming events for the Inland Empire area:

1. Event: “Summer Events”

Where: Azo Vino Art Gallery & Wine Bar

When: Beer tasting Wednesday, July 1, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Flight Night Thursday, June 25 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Take advantage of The Summer Evening Entertainment Series at Covina Park and join us before or after the event for a refreshing break. With 135 wines, 4 "ice cold" American and Belgian craft beers on tap, and 30 by the bottle you are sure to find a nice way to relax!

Events Location: Covina Park Bandshell, 301 North Fourth Avenue

Mondays: Starlight Concert Series – 7:30 p.m. (7:10 p.m. Talent Show Contest) June 22 – July 27

Tuesdays: Kid’s Night Out – 6:30 p.m. (movies in the park start at dusk) June 23 – July 28

Wednesdays: Celebration Series – Local church groups perform 7:30 p.m. July 1 – Aug.5 Thursdays: Covina Concert Band & Bingo – 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – June 25 – July 30

Event Contact: Melody Hynes, Parks & Recreation – mhynes@covinaca.gov

Now Back in Stock at Azo Vino!

337: Cabernet Sauvignon Lodi '07

Cline: Cashmere Syrah Granche Blend Sonoma '07

Rabbit Ridge: Allure d' Robles Rhone Blend Paso Robles '05

EarthQuake: Cabernet Sauvignon Lodi '07

We also have a wonderful stock of light, refreshing white wines for the weekend!Make sure to stock up for friends and family now. Mix and Match case discounts apply.

Located at: 144 W. Badillo StCovina, CA

Phone: (626) 732-9827 Call ahead for reservations
Hours: Tues-Sat 2-10 p.m. Sunday 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Monday

2. Event: “Beauty Contest Winners...Wine Tasting”

Where: San Dimas Wine Shop & Tasting Room

When: Tue., June 30 through Sun., July 5 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

This week Heidi presents 6 featured wines from her best selling wines. Wondering what the meaning of the title is? Come in and ask.
Price: $14.99 per person.

For more information, go to: San Dimas Wine Shop & Tasting Room

Located at:

225 W. Bonita Avenue, San Dimas, CA 91773

Phone: (909)971-94252.

2. Event: “Pizzaioli 14th Anniversary - Champagne and Sparkling Wine Tasting”
Where: Pizzaioli Ristorante Italiano
When: Tues, June 30, 2009, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

In celebration of their 14th anniversary, Pizzaioli will feature a selection of Champagne, Prosecco and Sparkling Wines.

For more information, go to: Pizzaioli

Location:
3920 Grand Avenue #A, Chino, CA 91710
Phone: (909) 590-5454

If you attend any of these events, please be sure to tell them, Michael J from Lifestyle Food & Wine sent you.

Wine Events for the Inland Empire Area for the Week of June 23 thru June 28

For seasoned and new wine drinkers alike that want to experience the events of this week, here are the upcoming events for the Inland Empire area:

1. Event: “Wine, Beer tasting & Live Music Week”

Where: Azo Vino Art Gallery & Wine Bar

When:

Beer Tasting Wednesday, June 24 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Flight Night Thursday, June 25 from 6 pm to 10 pm
Live Music with Lorenz Sat., June 19 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

AzoVINO is a 4000 sq ft Art Gallery, Wine Bar and Bottle shop located 22.9 miles east of Los Angeles. We represent over 115 artists and 160 Wine labels with an emphasis on West Coast Wines. We also offer Micro-brews on tap and over thirty by the bottle. Our offerings change monthly so please contact us with your e-mail address so that we can keep you informed of new offerings and upcoming events. The tasting room and gallery are also available for private events.

Join Galen Metz at Azo Vino for beer, wine, and music. This week, micro brews on tap from American craft to European bottled brews on Wednesday and six selected wines on Thursday evening. Saturday, listen to music by Lorenz.

Each event will include six different selections from the Azo Vino menu.

Price: $15.99 per person (discounts available for Wine Club members. Ask Galen for details).

Located at:144 W. Badillo StCovina, CA

Phone: (626) 732-9827 Call ahead for reservations
Hours: Tues-Sat 2-10 p.m. Sunday 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Monday

2. Event: "Over 90 pts Wines Less than $20 Weekend Tasting"
Where: Packing House Wine Merchants
When: Fri., June 26 through Sun., June 28 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Come join us for great scoring wines under $20!
Price: $15-$20 per person.

For more information, go to: Packing House Wine Merchants

Location:
540 W. First StreetClaremont, CA 91711

Phone: (909) 445-9463

If you feel like doing some local traveling to the coastal regions, go to the Santa Barbara Wine Festival. This is a one day event with the best of the Central Coast with wines from over 70 wineries. While you're there, also enjoy foods from bakeries, caterers, and chefs from the Simi Valley area.

For more on ticket information, location, and time, go to: Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

If you attend any of these events, please be sure to tell them, Michael J from Lifestyle Food & Wine sent you.

An hour at the San Dimas Shop and Tasting Room

I had the extreme pleasure of meeting Heidi Daniels and her assistant Bonnie at the San Dimas Shop & Tasting Room on an early Tuesday afternoon.

As I walked in, Heidi immediately invited me in and she was friendly enough to give me a quick tour of her establishment and handed me a wine tasting schedule. I was amazed of the assortment of wines from wall to wall. SDWS is a cute little wine bar with different wines from around the world, also with a good selection of non-commercial micro-brewed beers.

This weeks wine tasting event is called the “Battle of the Blends”. During this event, you are taken on a journey through an assortment of different wines from France, Carneros in California, South Africa, Australia, and Napa Valley in California. For a tasting fee of just $15.99, I was able to taste from all six regions.

My first pour was from Languedoc, France with a 2007 Domaine Auzias “Bonal” Cuvee Blanc. It is a blend of Chardonnay and Muscat Petit Grains. It is definitely a Chardonnay, but with a much greater sweetness from the Muscat grapes with tastes of peaches and apricot on the palate. The taste lingers like a Chardonnay, but with a much more pleasant finish. Retail price is $12.99.

The second pour was a 2006 Malibu Estate “Cielo” Malibu Rouge from Carneros, California. This wine is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc. This is peppery wine and goes along well with tri-tip and burgers. Retail price is $19.99.

The third pour was from a 2008 Boekenhoutskloof “The Wolftrap” from Cape of Good Hoe, South Africa. This dark red wine is a blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, and Viognier. It has deep of garnet colors, but is light on the palate with hints of vanilla from the French oak and spicy flavors and mellow tastes of blackberry and cherry and has a nice long wonderful finish. For the pedigree of this kind of wine, one can expect to pay over $30 per bottle. Surprisingly, it is reasonably priced for this kind of quality. Retail price is $17.99.

My fourth pour comes from Padthaway, Australia. It is my wine of the week, the 2007 Henry’s Drive “Pillar Box” red. This wine is a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. With its abundant cherry and French vanilla flavors, makes this a velvety smooth wine worth savoring by itself or with food. This bottle of wine is reasonably priced at $13.99.

The 2005 Mount St. Helena “Heritage Site” red was my fifth pour. This blend has Zinfandel, Syrah, Charbono, and Petite Sirah that comes from Napa Valley, California. Upon the first sip, the zinfandel grape is evident with tastes of leather, ripe plums, and a flowery bouquet to the nose. This juicy wine goes well with a porter house steak or barbequed tri-tip. Retail price is $15.99.

The final pour comes from Napa Valley was the 2005 Ceja Vineyards “Vino de Casa” red wine. This wine comes from a blend of Pinot Noir and Syrah grapes. This wine is full of ripe cherry flavor and the perfect balance of fruit and spice. For the quality, this bottle is reasonably priced at $21.99.

That was my tasting experience at the San Dimas Wine Shop & Tasting Room. It was an intimate and personal experience with the hosts of the wine bar. While I was there, I witnessed as Heidi brainstorming for the wine tasting that will be for next week and the following month. In the coming week is a “Blind Tasting” tour. For each wine presented will be in a brown bag to hide the wine to make the event a fun “guessing game” experience.

For anyone that is interested in experiencing an affordable wine tasting experience in a friendly, non-stuffy environment, I highly recommend this establishment. It is located in downtown San Dimas on Bonita Ave. It can be easily missed, so drive slowly and you will see the cute little store.

The Taste and Look of Azo Vino - A Wine Bar/Art Gallery Review

I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon at a wine bar & art gallery called, Azo Vino in Covina, CA. For those who don’t know where Covina is, it’s 22.9 miles east of Los Angeles in between the I-210 and the I-10 fwy.

The Azo Vino is nestled in downtown Covina. It can be easily missed, but once you find it, you’ll be glad you did. Of all that Covina has to offer, it is one of its missing treasures that must be discovered, especially if you are an art collector and wine drinker. Like many of the store owners in Covina, Galen Metz is one of the nicest and friendliest people you’ll get to encounter in this small city.

Metz originally opened Azo Vino as an art gallery back in September of 2001 and the business thrived when people were no longer traveling due to the terrorist attacks after 9-11. “They spent vacation money on art, not travel” Metz recalls. But in 2007, when the liquidity crisis struck at its peak to the economy, Metz needed a niche to bring in customers to keep the business afloat. Azo Vino became what it is today, an art gallery/wine bar. This part of the business is what kept this place open. “When times are good, people party. When times are bad, people drink” said Metz.

Azo Vino carries custom hand-blown glass art, beautiful paintings from area artsts, and carries a wide array of wines, and offers many ways to tour their catalog of wines. Some samples of the art work is on his website, but not all pieces are displayed in the website.

During every Thursday evening, Metz will take you on a journey through areas of different wine regions. Each Thursday is called, “Flight Night” in which Metz takes you on a tour of a specific region and he chooses what you taste for that evening. One evening it might be in Napa and a tour of white wines, or it might be a tour in Monterey with a taste of reds for that region. For a beginning wine drinker, this is the perfect place to make your debut to wine. Metz has dozen’s of different wines on hand and offers a menu of sorted wines and beers for customers to experiment or order individual wines or beers by the glass. Along with elegant music and two flat screen TV’s, it’s the sort of place to lounge and hang out with your friends, or even enjoy by yourself and read a book or do homework without being disturbed.

On the first Tuesday of every month, Azo Vino will host, “Movie Night”. Movies are pre-selected and shown to the patrons to enjoy on a large projected screen. As movies are shown, you can lounge in the 4,000 square foot gallery/wine bar or sit in at a table with friends and drink a glass of your favorite beverage.

Whether you’re a novice wine drinker or a wine connoisseur, or you prefer beer, and you want a second place to call home away from home, Azo Vino is the perfect place for you to enjoy alone or with friends, and even make new ones.