There are a number of great wine stores in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, but after three years of living here, I’m fully convinced that an Italian-focused wine retailer is going to win the day with LA wine drinkers.
Why do I think that?
Because Italian wine ticks all the right boxes for what’s hot in SoCal right now:
it’s often organic/natural because that’s how they’ve always done it
the prices are affordable
there’s a ton of off-the-radar stuff to dig into
and it’s incredibly-food friendly with any kind of diet.
But the real reason I’m going full-throttle on building Mission’s Italian wine department has to do with the fully-thriving Italian restaurant scene here in LA. You never hear anyone say it, but for my money Los Angeles has more great Italian restaurants than any city not named New York. I eat out for amazing Italian food here at least once a week, so I’m going to start sharing some of those destinations here for those of you wondering why you would ever start drinking Italian wine at this point in your life.
We’re starting today with Pizzana, which has both a West Hollywood and Brentwood location. I’ve been to both at least five times a piece and they’re equally fantastic. You’re definitely not going to find any whiskey on the menu, so you’d better be ready to drink Italian wine! Plus, what kind of lunatic wants Bourbon with pizza?!
If you’re going for a simple lunch, my recommendation is easy: get the little gem caesar with the truffle pizza. I would never tell anyone to get a salad unless it was something special, and this one is. The dressing has Calabrian chiles mixed into it, and there are super briny capers along with spongy, doughy, somewhat crispy croutons. You’re going to want white or rosé for this menu, so grab the daily rosato, or do a bottle of verdicchio, falangina, or even Prosecco.
If you’re bringing a bottle from Mission, I’d probably go with the 2020 Graci Etna Rosato $16.99 because there’s enough acidity to pair with the salad, but enough fruit to combat the kick. Plus, who doesn’t want to drink a wine made from grapes grown on the side of a giant volcano?
The star of Pizzana’s incredible arsenal in my opinion is the truffle pizza, simply called “Truffe.” For under $50, I don’t think there’s a more authentic and seriously-concentrated truffle dish this good anywhere. I’ve eaten truffles all over the world and I can think of few similar meals in California that have given me as much pleasure as this one.
Pizzana is hardly a secret. I’ve yet to visit the Brentwood location and not sit next to someone incredibly famous. That being said, if you don’t venture outside your neighborhood all that often, it’s worth planning a day around eating there. Plus, you’re going to realize quickly just how delicious and important a bottle of Italian wine is to a meal like this one.
-David Driscoll