Wine tasting in Barnsdall Park
The hidden gem: Sometimes it’s the worst destiny that can befall a Los Angeles institution. But judging by the sold-out crowd at Barnsdall Art Park’s Friday Wine Tasting last weekend, it’s possible to reverse fate. Approximately 450 people turned out to enjoy, looking like so many Greek gods in the golden light of a California sunset, with lavish picnics and chubby babies in tow.
FOR THE RECORD:
Friday Wine Tasting: An article in Friday’s Calendar about Barnsdall Art Park’s Friday Wine Tasting event said that purchasing a ticket included four flights of wine. It should have said that it included a four-glass flight of wine.
In the last couple of years, the Barnsdall Art Park Foundation has tasked itself with reintroducing the bucolic retreat perched at the top of Olive Hill to its neighbors in Los Feliz. Home to Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1921 Hollyhock House, as well as a gallery, theater and a junior arts center, the park was closed from 2000-03 for renovation. By the time it reopened to a changed neighborhood, Barnsdall, owned by the City of Los Angeles, had seemingly vanished from the collective consciousness.
In order to reclaim the park’s vibrancy, the board targeted a specific group. “We wanted to connect with the community of young artists that all live within a mile or two of the park,” Marshall Lewy, a board member and filmmaker, explained. The director of the 2007 film “Blue State” and community outreach chair was confident that after people got to the park, they’d love it.
So how does one ensnare the culturally omnivorous local artist? With boutique wines, staggering 360-degree views and a gorgeous sloping lawn on which to picnic or eat from Let’s Be Frank, one of the few food trucks on site. It’s a near-mathematical formula for seasonal pleasure, derived with the Silver Lake Wine shop, which has helmed the weekly event since its inception last summer.
Starting as a one-off, the Friday Wine Tasting quickly grew into the neighborhood’s biggest summer draw. This year has brought a couple of slight changes — tickets are available online only and the pricing has gone up from $15 to $20 — but the value and do-good intent of the event is undeniable. Half of the ticket price directly benefits the park, while the other half buys a four-glass flight of wine.
Silver Lake Wine caters their artisanal, boutique wines to the season, starting with a light white, a rose and then progressing into reds that are still breezy enough for hot-weather quaffing. Last weekend co-owner Randy Clement estimates that they went through approximately 350 bottles.
And while the wine does flow, the crowd stays mild and upbeat. Visitors can wander the grounds, stay fixed on their picnic blankets or take a tour of the Hollyhock for an additional $15. It’s the kind of laid-back, chicly bohemian vibe that oil heiress Aline Barnsdall, a passionate fan of the arts, had likely imagined for her grounds. “I always tell people that coming here is like going to your richest friend’s house when they’re not home,” Clement said. “It’s a huge cocktail party on the front lawn.”
Barnsdall Friday Wine Tasting
Where: Barnsdall Art Park, 4800 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 644-6269
When: Every Friday until Labor Day, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Price: $20; $15 extra for Hollyhock House tour. Tickets available online only at friday.barnsdall.org/
Sign up for The Wild
We’ll help you find the best places to hike, bike and run, as well as the perfect silent spots for meditation and yoga.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
