Last night was an exceptional evening of wine and food. AtlaMed sponsors an “East L.A. meets Napa” event to showcase Hispanic-owned California wineries and local L.A. restaurants while raising money to provide health care in underserved communities.
I came to know about this event by a series of not-so-random events. While at the Farmer’s Market on Thursday night I was introduced to one of the principals of Black Coyote Wines through a mutual friend. After a bit of conversation I managed to weasel my way into an invite. And to be honest, I didn’t know if I was going to be able to cash it in – since the day gig schedule has been a bit haphazard of late, and I didn’t know whether or not I was going to be able to get away in time. Fortunately the work day ended a bit early and I took the Metro Red Line into Union Station in time to see that things were just getting started.
Black Coyote Wines - Robledo Winery - AltaMed event near the courtyard at Union Station
There are many things I’d like to write about at length, the throngs of people, the bands, the assortment of food and wine – but time simply wouldn’t allow. Then again, to just posit that “you all should have been there” doesn’t seem right either. I would like to give a shout-out to Senor Fish and Cook’s Tortas – whose booths I got to check out toward the end of the event. The most popular spot seemed to be Porto’s, which is not a surprise since they’re one of the most well-known bakeries in L.A – and they really pulled out all the stops. There were dozens of other fine examples of cuisine – I just didn’t get a chance to experience all of them myself. After a round or two of checking out the mariachi bands (there was a really nice moment where two bands fully encircled the large fountain at the center of the plaza and played a traditional song – phenomenal! – but by the time I brought out the camera they had wrapped things up) I then settled behind the table to serve wine for the remainder of the evening.
And then there was the wine. The number of vendors and varieties of wine was pretty spectacular. I didn’t try any of the other wines, and attempted to resist sampling the vintage I was pouring. For one, I didn’t want to look like a mooch, and two, I honestly don’t have the palette to discern the difference between the merely good versus truly exceptional wines. It’s tantamount to wasting food – expensive food – and that to me is a sacrilege. I thought it better to indulge those that could truly appreciate it. But after a few hours of watching the aficionados, and their unguarded moments of surprise as they got their first taste of Black Coyote’s Cabernet Sauvignon reserve, my curiosity got the better of me. So before the last bottle was uncorked, I imbibed a small sample.
That was easily the biggest mistake of the evening, and probably one of the bigger mistakes of my life. Words fail me, and if you read this or my music blogs – you realize the significance of that. I was really, really hoping to be unimpressed – that all of the people’s fawning, posturing and pontificating around the table would have amounted to simple placebo effect – that they were experiencing the idea of a better wine, and not the wine itself. But I was confounded. There is a difference – at least with this wine – and now I’m afraid that I’ve been ruined for the more pedestrian stuff for the rest of my life. I commonly confess that I rarely spend less than $30 on hard spirits because I can’t take a cheap booze hangover – and that I rarely spend more than $30 on a bottle of wine because I can’t taste the difference. Now I’ve been robbed of being able to say that ever again (at least the latter part). Dammit – with one sip I’ve become a wine snob. Admittedly, I’m a snob on quite a few subjects – and now this gets added to that list – I’m done for.
But seriously, it was a really special evening, and kudos to AltaMed for putting it on for such a worthy cause. Not only was it nice to see the courtyards at Union Station spring to life for an evening, I felt privileged to have had that experience and meet some really nice folks along the way. The Red Line ride to Hollywood and Vine was crowded with people – from tourists in T-shirts to party-goers dressed to the nines. As I looked across the packed rail car I couldn’t help but think to myself “you all should have been there”. I spent the rest of the ride fighting the urge to follow Black Coyote Wines like a groupie shadowing a rock band from show to show. I can’t do that, can I?
An ensemble closes out their set
