Planning Commission Approves Wine-Tasting Bar

The West Hollywood Planning Commission gave the go-ahead for a beer and wine tasting bar to open at 903 Westbourne Drive (at Santa Monica Boulevard).

The bar, named V, intends to offer tastings of a rotating set of boutique wines from California growers as well as beers from the California micro-brewers. V would also offer the beers/wines for off-site sales.

Housed in a historic building that once housed the West Hollywood Library, the bar would offer one-ounce samples of the wines or beers with a maximum of five samples per person per visit.

Alternately, patrons could get a single five-ounce glass of wine or a single 12 oz. glass of beer in a visit. V would also offer catered food items that compliment the wines/beers such as cheese platters, fruit platters, nuts and chocolates.

About a dozen people spoke during public comment, all excited by the new business and the chance to be educated about wine and beer.

The Commission was equally excited by the presentation.

“This is something worth being enthusiastic about,” said Commissioner Alan Bernstein, noting that brining new types of businesses like this to the city was an especially good way to keep the city vibrant.

Commissioner Marc Yeber was also excited by the business and thought it would be a good fit for the city, but warned that it seemed to be “over ambitious.”

Yeber also reminded the commissioners that they all were excited about the first Pinkberry when it came before them in 2004. That first Pinkberry store on Huntley Drive caused many parking nightmares for residents as patrons dashed in to get frozen yogurt.

Yeber wanted city staff to be sure parking and other issues had been taken into consideration with this business. Staff said they had been.

The Commission approved the conditional use permit 6-0. Commissioner David Aghaei was absent.