Catalina Diaz
LV Life Editor
Wine seekers chose between the red or the white at the sixth annual Wine Walk, hosted by the La Verne Chamber of Commerce, Saturday evening.
The downtown streets were filled with a swarm of wine enthusiasts, from families to couples on date night, and even decades-old friends who drove hours to experience the Walk together.
Guests 21 and over were gifted 12 tickets for wine tasting, a lanyard and a wine glass donning the Sip of La Verne Wine Walk and University of La Verne logos, to use during their visits to each location.
More than a dozen businesses participated in the event, many of which showcased local bands and music acts.
“We can sip a couple glasses of wine, and it compliments almost everything we eat,” Arizona resident Les Vallow said. “I drink red and my wife drinks white and we’re happy.”
Les and his wife, Diane Vallow from Sun City, Arizona, traveled six hours to La Verne to attend the Wine Walk with their friend of over 40 years, Lynda McGee.
The Vallows and McGee were visiting Pappas Artisanal, indulging in a brussels sprout salad prepared by the popular local restaurant, during their first stop on the Walk.
McGee, who prefers cabernet sauvignon, has experience in wine that dates back generations.
“Fun fact: my grandfather was the first one to bring a chardonnay grape branch to the state of California,” McGee said.
McGee’s grandfather founded Wente Vineyards in Livermore, California, in the 1800s, which is still owned and operated by her family.
Pappas was a food pit stop since they were not pouring wine, however visitors were guided upstairs to the Idea House and Co. to choose between their chardonnay or cabernet, and pair it with slices of waffles with peach compote topping.
A guitarist strummed light melodies in the adjoining room.
Like Pappas, other stops only offered food.
A new Asian restaurant, Cafe Wang, which is said to open in downtown La Verne this month, provided attendees with finger foods like popcorn chicken for their walk to the next location.
Residents, as well as those from neighboring cities, found that the event had more to offer than wine and tasty cuisine.
“We’ve learned about a lot of different restaurants that we weren’t aware of,” said Teresa Larson, of La Verne. “When we first went to the La Verne Wine Walk, we learned about Red Devil Pizza and different vendors.”
San Dimas, Claremont and Covina are just a few nearby cities that also offer wine walks, however each offers something different.
“Since we live in Covina, I like coming to wine walks because it gives us an idea of other options to eat for dinner dates,” said Rachel Warren, a production planner at GKN Aerospace.
Warren and her husband enjoyed a glass of Mendocino Red at Cactus Coffee before heading to their next location.
“I enjoy getting to see other businesses,” said Ivory Warren, an engineer at Northrop Grumman. “It’s nice to see shops that you would have never known were in the area.”
Catalina Diaz can be reached at catalina.diaz@laverne.edu.
