Lou Wine Shop

Lou is a gift to the neighborhood. He's unpretentious, incredibly helpful, and adds a personal touch to everything. Lou supplied ~10 cases of wine for a large event - he asked for our menu, made recommended pairings, walked us through everything, and delivered flawlessly.

It’s fine. Fairly small. Walked in about 15 min before closing and wasn’t greeted even though three people were sitting at the checkout. I asked for Malbec and someone (presumably the owner) walked up and was nice and pointed them out. Go to Domaine on Melrose instead. Good selection and staff.

Fantastic spot with a great selection of natural wines. Friendly staff that had some excellent recommendations. They sell cheese and other snacks too, park in the lot, bada bing I'm in love and will definitely come back next time I'm in the mood to put this pinkie UP. Thanks Lou!

Had positive experiences at this store until the owner belittled a friend of mine from out of town. She asked about the store’s natural wines, and the owner pretended to not know what she was talking about. Apparently this “joke” was to emphasize the store’s natural wine selection, but it was so belligerent and condescending that my friend, who is a young woman, left in tears. So disappointed that this store continues the sexiest gatekeeping so common in wine.

Please support this fantastic shop. The owner is knowledgeable, friendly and generous with his time. Never a bad pick, always come back for more.

Extremely knowledgeable staff, A+ well curated (key word!) shop. They had so many great wines priced correctly. Yes, its mostly natural, but from very meticulous producers who serve vibrant, clean natural wines. Cheers 🥂

Great medium sized wine shop with unique selections and an educated helpful staff. Lou's combs the world and brings his favorite discoveries to the shop. Good selection at all price ranges with good value on all items we price checked. There will be lots of unfamiliar bottles for most of us and not every varietal is in stock every day, but if you tell them what you are looking for and a price range - you very well walk out with a new favorite bottle to add to your list.

Lou, both man and shop, is the real deal. Ok we live in a time now where bottles of organic-natural-massaged-to-death-grapes-who-were-slipped-from-their skin-in-a-seance-soundtracked-by-Beverly-Glenn-Copeland wine is abound, but it was not always so. I would imagine. I hear Lou has been here on the nat wine since…ok a while. Lou’s always has a couple decent bottles in the $-teens and a plethora in the $20s, without taking the absolute Mickey out of your wallet above $30–though there is that too. My only gentle, whisper of a suggestion, that, if fulfilled, would never have me frequenting another wine shop again: would be a slightly more adventurous tiptoe into the non wines…booze, booze in a can, beers, non-alcoholic dibbles and dabbles, some cheap salty chips or whatevers….be my Lou, be my Trader Joe’s, be my cap n cork, and quite literally halve my drive time on a Friday eve!

Best in town. Their recommendations have never let me down. Best shop in LA for biodynamic wine. I just wish they were aligned with a delivery service!

While waiting on line at a cafe, someone mentioned that Lou was their favorite wine shop. It took me a while to try this shop after hearing that recommendation, but once I visited I could see why she loves it! They offer a wide selection of wines, and you can even find beer and cider if that's more your speed. I've found the service to be friendly, answering questions I may have about specific wine selections or varietals. There's lot and nearby street parking available.

This place is a joke. Writing again since this business can't take criticism and keeps trying to take down my review. The woman who I'm assuming is Lou, is rude and condescending and seems to only be interested in helping clients of a certain demo. I walked in and was completely ignored and she rolled her eyes when I asked for help. It was a struggle trying to get her to ring me up and even during check out she continued to catch up and chat with another older couple. I felt extremely uncomfortable and unwanted in this store. If you actually want better service and better wine Go to Wine and Eggs, Cap n cork, even Gelsons!

Straight up my favorite spot to buy wine on the east side. That's it. That's the review.

This place is a little Silverlake gem. I discovered orange time about a year ago, and then natural wine afterwards, this place has the best of both worlds for me! I usually always rush in, run to the orange wine section, grab random bottles, and the knowledgeable cashier will tell me about my selection and if I need to swap something out. The cashier and wine selection changes, but they're all equally as good, cashiers always passionate and knowledgeable about my selections, and the selections always change so I always get to try something new. There isn't much I would change about this place, expect maybe having them extend their hours, 9PM close would be dreamy.

My friend and I were visiting LA for a weekend and decided to grab a couple of bottles of wine for our BYOB dinner at LASA and to have at our airbnb. We selected Lou after a recommendation from a sommelier. And I'm so glad we did. The customer service was excellent. We walked in and were immediately met by an employee who asked if we needed help. We did. We were looking for some unusual wines that we can't get at home (Austin and Nashville). The employee was extremely helpful, pointing out wines he thought fit what we were looking for and including wines in different price ranges. We really enjoyed both the wines we selected. If I lived in LA, I'd be at Lou all the time, and I'd know a lot more about wine because of this excellent wine shop!

Welcome to the Terroirdome. What a gem. I'm always happy with the bottles I bring home after a trip to Lou. Lou and Oscar stock an incredibly wide variety of natural wines that speaks to the richness, creativity and indie spirit of the natural wine scene. I've started to explore Brendan Tracey's punk rock wines (Oro Verde. Wow.), discovered Viteadovest (Terre Siciliane IGP Bianco...amazing), and then my latest love, Tauzher Vitovska. Get you a Slovenian girl, my friends keep telling me. If you're looking for something amazing and off the beaten path to drink with someone you love, a gift for a special person with great taste, or if you've just realized that what you've been buying at TJs isnt' that great....come to Lou wine. A whole new world awaits your palate.

Have known Lou for years now and can always recommend his shop. Truly a deep care and love for wine and a joy in sharing that experience with the world, he will always have extremely carefully curated and unique wines available at price points that most people can afford. Always helpful, knowledgeable, and fun, you cannot go wrong stopping into this store.

Matt B. and I used to live right up the street from Lou, and I miss being able to stroll in whenever we felt like it, to buy a bottle for a dinner or a party (or, as was often the case, a dinner party). We'd been to Lou's restaurant when that was still open and loved it, and were absolutely thrilled when he opened a wine shop in our neighborhood. It was a tremendously pleasant, convenient set-up while it lasted. Lou is a lovely shop, located in the roomy corner spot of that strip mall at Hillhurst and Franklin with the pet store and the juice place that used to be Robeks and is now maybe a Qwench. It has forgiving hours--11 to 8 every day but Sunday, when it's open from noon to 7--and I've never seen it particularly busy, though I haven't gone to any of the many regular tastings. The space is attractive and welcoming, with comfortable lighting and walls upon walls of wine bottles. The organization scheme is easy enough to follow, but I tend to depend on the staff. The people who work here are invariably friendly and knowledgeable, and I don't think I've ever come in without getting a good deal of guidance. Lou himself is a huge wine geek and an affable host, and everyone who works for him seems to have followed his lead. Most of the wines are in a pretty approachable price range, with a lot of interesting, delicious $20-40 bottles. We've gotten a couple fancier ones too for special occasions (I remember we picked up a great champagne once), but we usually come here when we're looking for a good easy bottle to take to someone's house. To that end, there is a nice selection of refrigerated wines. We moved out of Los Feliz last year, but still drop in from time to time. We were here over the weekend, to pick up a couple bottles for a barbecue, and we ran into a friend who lives way the hell on the Westside, who drove all the way over for a tasting. I guess we were lucky to have Lou as our neighborhood wine store for a while. It's probably one of the best places to buy wine in Los Angeles.

Lou's shop at the northeast corner of Franklin and Hillhurst is totally worth the trip. First, it awesomely has a parking lot in front where we were able to get a spot. Second, Lou has an amazing selection of wines that I have not find anywhere else, including MANY in the $15-$20 range. Third, Lou is incredibly knowledgeable about his product. I cannot wait to try these wines! I looked all over the city for skin contact whites and found very few stores that carry them but Lou has half a dozen and can talk all about them. Lou will give you as much or as little information as you want, so make sure to ASK questions. You will leave VERY happy. I can't wait to try them all!

Soft opening. This is not the Lou that was on Vine Street which was more of a gastropub with real food & wine pairings. It's more of a wine shop with tastings and occasional pop up restaurant offerings from local invited chefs. Chris Y. from Night Market will feature a fried chicken sandwich dinner with a Champagne wine pairing this coming Sunday, September 7, 2014. RSVP is required due to limited seating. Hope it's in the Thai style or at least with Thai flavours such as nampla/fish sauce, kaffir or lemon grass, galangal/ginger, etc. Hard opening seems more tentative according to Chef JD newly from Chicago, the Windy City, who is helping to open Lou Wine Shop. The initial hard opening days may NOT be the traditional closed on Mondays only according to owner Lou Amdur. Unfortunately for me, the infamous Pig Candy, which is candified bacon at the old Lou's, doesn't seem to be on the revival list. Parking at this mini-strip mall is limited, but there is two hour street parking on Hillhurst.

Finally found my illusive pet nat! Pleanty of champagne with formulation traditionnelle as well:) Great little wine box conveniently located in a Hollywood strip mall about 2 miles from Griffith Observatory. The cashier was super helpful, nice and unassuming. So refreshing to go to a wine shop and not feel like the salesperson has their nose turned up on you when asked a question. The wines are sorted into fun and logical categories such as; spaghetti, party, light reds, bold reds, textured and bright whites. Walked away with 5 bottles of wine for $150 making them each around $25! Would definitely come here again!

Really wanted to like this place but unfortunately when I came in the staff was really not interested or helpful. I found a couple bottles of orange wine that looked interesting based on online searches (since the staff didn't want to help) but when I went to check out the staff allowed someone else to cut me in line and served them ahead of me. If you want good, interesting wines, there are other shops who actually care.

Ya know....I am not sure what it takes to earn just a little gracious customer service from this place but I clearly didn't have it. First want to mention this: After this experience I took a look at the website and my encounter was NOT with the main owner, Lou. It was another man, late 30s possibly 40-ish guy. Can I get a hello in here? No, but I did get a cold response to my questions, and even a subtle eye roll. Yes, I saw that, Sir. I didn't even get to explain that I'm not really a wine taster but looking for a gift for a real one, and maybe learn a little about it myself. I'm not surprised to read that I'm not the only one with an off putting experience. I really hope the owner reads this because I was ready to spend a little money in there! I wish no ill will at this place. As an LA native, local to Los Feliz, I appreciate fun specialty stores. LA Natives are friendly! We're not like the rest of the transplants from the Midwest who come here with snotty Hollywood attitudes hoping to break into the industry or whatever. LA people are curious, and we like good times and friendly faces. Shape up or ship out!

I've experienced something similar to another yelper here. There is some favoritism reflected in their pours and attitudes. We've been there a number of times and noticed over time that my husband's pours were always less than mine. We lined the glasses up to make sure it was not our imagination. a few times it was so considerable, we had to show the pourer and he corrected. But no apologies. Look, we're all paying the same money. Every tasting, we buy something. Sometimes, much to my chagrin, a case. We often pay to taste the "extra" wine. My husband is an oenophile. I wish they'd be more generous and equal with their pours, and gracious with their smiles. Lou sends out great newsletters w/interesting stories, eclectic photos. The wine shop is beautiful. The resident poodle is beautiful. I wish they'd do another uni night. There's a lot to recommend here.

I've been shopping here for a little over a year now and I have yet to drink a wine from Lou that I didn't like. The staff really knows their stuff! One of my very few joys in life since COVID came around is to go to Lou and grab a bottle of something just based on their recommendation. The people at Lou have never steered me wrong.

I've been wanting to check this place out forever and I'm so glad I finally stepped inside! It's definitely a unique collection of wine, there wasn't a single bottle I recognized. For home consumption, I try to keep my bottles around $15-20, and I found a number of options in my price range. If you're willing to go up to $30-40, the store opens up even more. I was a little overwhelmed, and I ended up with a bottle of Massa "Terra" Timorasso, because a woman ahead of me picked it up and raved about it. Also, the price was right. When I was checking out, the man ringing me up told me that Timorasso is an ancient Piedmontese grape variety that was on the verge of extinction in the 1980s, but was revived by Walter Massa of Vigneti Massa. Cool! I brought it home, had a glass, and fell in love. If you like dry white wines, you'll love this. I found it in their refrigerated section. I wanted to poke around myself on my first visit, but next time I'll take the shopkeeper up on his offer for help. If you're in the mood for something specific, having someone vouch that an unknown-to-you wine will meet your expectations will certainly help you open up your wallet. I definitely want to come back for their wine tastings! I'm sure it'd be an education.

It is so helpful to be able to stroll into this shop and get expert advice on a good wine to enjoy. They offer wines in a variety of price points and unique wines as well. If you love tasting wines, you can sign up for their newsletter to learn about the tastings they offer. The pours are not as generous as Silver Lake Wine but are still fun to do, none the less. They are dog friendly and there is a small parking lot.

I like wine with a lot of character. I like wine sellers with a lot of character. This shop has both in spades. Lou is one of the most knowledgeable and passionate wine vendors I've ever met. He carries natural wine but is not stuck to only the hip wines (though he carries those too). What I mean is that he digs for interesting stuff that reawakens my palate when I'm bored of the same old thing. For me the point of wine is access to variety, the opportunity to have a different experience each time you drink. The best of these experiences can be mystical. Lou gets this and can bring you there if you're willing. Shaman, Virgil, whatever guide you want to choose he's your man. Also, during covid call ahead or they can help you from the door. Or order online. One of the few people in whose hands I feel safe to take such a large part in the selection process.

Wonderfully curated and tasteful wine selection here. Super funky and original wines from regions growing and making great wine, just waiting to be discovered. The perfect place to spice things up for your bored palate, or to find a unique bottle for that special occasion. Pick Lou's brain for his well traveled stories of adventures in wine counties around the globe. Expect to drop and pretty dime, but it will be well worth it.

Rating a recent wine tasting I went to... it was just ok. There was a flight of three red wines, none of the were very good. All were quite thin with high acidity. Also, none were sulfite-free. The shop carried a lot of brands that I've never heard of or seen elsewhere, so I will give it another try someday.

Lou Wine Shop is splendid. Reliable, extremely knowledgeable, and very courteous management and staff.

PSA OPEN FOR BUSINESS DURING COVID-19 despite the misleading auto generated Yelp heading! The best wine shop in town!

This place is absolutely fantastic--I was so excited to discover a wine shop of this quality in my new hood. This place is worth driving across LA for, but I get to just walk down the street! The owner Lou is super nice, is really passionate about wine, and carries an impressive selection. I love that they feature a lot of small production wines that are nearly impossible to track down elsewhere. Apparently they rotate a bunch of new selections in each week--so if you see something you like, snap it up! They have great taste in wine and I will definitely be coming in for the $12 tastings (such a steal!) and to stock up for dinner parties. The tasting was busy with lots of other people, but both Lou and JD were very friendly and managed to chat with everyone.

Great local wine place with an inventory that shows how thoughtful the owners are in making their selections -- they have quite a bit of tasty French regional wine around that magic $20 price point but if you're, say, a Dujac fan, they have some of their villages wines too. I love Syrah, and they turned me onto Balthazar. Their prices are in line with other large retailers, and their service is exellent. I've hit them up for storage boxes many times for my offsite and every time they cheerfully fill the back of my car up. Oh, and the small refrigerated gourmet section? Check that out. Will keep coming back.

Always love stopping in here! This is my go to wine shop for any occasion. I always gift wine and try to give Lou a few details about who the recipient is and he manages to pick out the perfect bottle for me every time. He knows his craft so well and makes wine very approachable for anyone is his shop.

Had a group of friends attending the Otello opera, at the Hollywood Bowl, which had Dudamel conducting, and was incredible by-the-way! My deep-pocketed, ritzy-bowl-box holding friend, and I came in to buy some wine,and knowing him a LOT of it! before the show, and were on a STRICT time table. Long story short: almost no one in the store, and yet TOTALLY ignored! I could say poor customer service, but in this case NO customer service! My friend did manage to drop close to $400 at Gelson's instead. I would like to support these independent stores, but not at the expense of rudeness!

Lou is the BEST wine shop on the east side! Maybe in LA? Who knows, I only go here. They're so friendly and knowledgeable. The owner knows his stuff and will always lead you in the right direction.

Unfortunately a bad experience leads me to write this review and subsequently not recommend this place. Visited the store four times, in these four visits spent $508.82. On our before last visit with my wife, bought a few bottles. Mainly red wine ($113.52). Some of these bottles were unfortunately bad (yes wine can go bad: too much oxygen, improper storage, oxidation, exposure to heat....etc.., not just bouchonné). This is understandable and acceptable to wine enthusiasts and usually also to wine store owners. We returned to the store with some of these bottles and requested for these bottles to be replaced/exchanged. We were shocked by the response: I quote " this wine is not bad, you bought it and it is yours now". We took our bottles from the counter and left the store. We'll never return. The bad wine went down the drain. There are options to purchase wine and have pleasant experiences (if you ever run into a bad bottle and need to return it). Silver Lake Wine and K&L are very good options.

Lou knows his wine. He has an excellent selection of unique natural wines at any price point.

Lou has the coolest selection of wine! I highly recommend this place. Everyone there is super knowledgeable and can help you pick out the perfect bottle. The tastings are totally worth it. Trying wines that you wouldn't normally be able to experience for a nominal price.

I love this place for wine tasting and really nice atmosphere . I would highly recommend this place to come and hang out.

We came in from out of town for a week in December and our first night there by sheer luck wound up stepping into Lou Wine Shop - now that's what I call a happy accident! We asked for some recommendations and were set up with a case of the most wonderfully distinct and exquisite wines, from full-bodied reds to dry whites and the most delightful orange wines I've ever tasted. Everyone with me was thoroughly impressed with the selection, and I'll now be booking my Airbnbs within proximity of Lou for any future LA visits! 10/10.

what a joke!!!! tonight tasting was so bad that I could've got a bottle of Charles shaw at Trader joes and save time and money and they advertise 6 wines only 5 deliver and the guys pouring were so despot that make you feel unwelcome. I won't be back.

If your looking for a snobby hipster wine store then this is your place. I'll give it a star for the owner trying to make a living but this place is something else. I've been to Wally's wine in Westwood and didn't get the look of not belonging there. Whatever selection, they only work with "smaller companies" and had zero opinion on recommending a decent wine. Needless to say, I won't return.

If you care anything about wine and want a bottle that has been selected by one of Los Angeles's best wine experts, head straight here. If you know your grapes inside and out, you'll be tickled to see the selection. That's not me at all. Lou interpreted my ramblings ("I want a red wine that is really earthy but won't scare me into thinking I've licked a steak 'cause it's so meaty and I'm a vegetarian.") and he selected some interesting, beautiful bottles of wine. I wish I lived closer to this shop. I'd be there all the time. Zero attitude. All love. Knowledge bombs about wine dropped non-stop. This is what Yelp is all about. So you can find out about a place like Lou Wine Shop & Tastings. While you are here, get on the mailing list, I love the emails so far.

Lou for the win again! He has the best in imported wines and champagnes directly from Europe.. my wife loves a Pèt-nat and he brings in the best.. I would suggest going during a tasting session. Thanks Lou!

Lou is holding Wine Court in the corner of the mini mall on Hillhurst and Franklin. Want to step off the beaten path, find your own way through the maze of wines and into the light of really quirky good stuff, just find your way to Lou. Want to get really crazy accurate, talk to Lou, he will come up with more than a few allegories to describe your wine. There are natural, organic, and biodynamic wines and orange wines too (what is that you ask, talk to Lou) Try a grape you have never heard of, there will be many available. Southern Italy is always a good deal, so we got a Primitivo from Gioia del Colle called Fatalone, which is the nickname of the grandfather who still seduces women as an old man. Certified Organic and something about a limestone outcropping and seashells in the hard as rock they call land that just happens to be great for grapes. There is always a story.... And a must have are the cans of Sardines from Europe. Just toast some good country bread, make a vinaigrette using the oil from the can with your vinegar and a touch of dijon mustard, sliver of raw onion and feel the joy.

I pretty much hate all people who know more than me, simply because I'm a hater and it's unreal that anyone would know that much about anything - but I could not hate Lou. I walked in, pretty much drawn by the idea of a hip place to buy a bottle of pinot in the hood - and was drawn in with interesting stories, non salesy descriptions of ciders, and a very casual atmosphere. This is COMPLETELY NECESSARY in a place like this - there is SO MUCH (that I have no idea about) to look at and pretend to contemplate over, while secretly looking for a clearance section. Lou was helpful, he was kind, he got me a proper selection of small batch ciders that I had no idea existed. I am STOKED that this is in the neighborhood and look forward to grabbing some hip shit to impress my friends with on the weekends.

We came here to grab some natural and funky wines for thanksgiving and Lou had us covered! Super knowledgeable about all types of wine and just an all around nice gent. Can't wait to taste the stuff he picked out for us

This place is the best. The staff is so kind, helpful, and non-judgmental. My experience at many wine stores has been one of condescension, and that's never been the case here. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable, the space is alluring and I've never bought a bad bottle of wine there. Much love to Lou Wine Shop

THE LOU HAS LANDED!! Lou has finally got a proper wine shop......with the required restrooms!.....what does that mean??....tastings!. His last shop on Virgil was cool, but this is the full deal!. There really isn't another shop like this in town.....and definitely not in Los Feliz. You're not likely to find many of the wines he carries at the big wine shops around town, and you definitely won't get the same service and knowledge you'll get with Lou. The tastings are fun and informative.....I've already picked up 5 different bottles, all were MORE then satisfying. I've followed Lou since he first opened his restaurant on vine years ago, and this new shop checks all the boxes........ If you're willing to venture outside what you would normally buy, and try something different, come out and support Lou and his new shop.

Neatly positioned in the corner of a mini mall at Franklin and Hillhurst, the new Lou Wine Shop offers a wide and highly individualized selection of wines from producers that deeply respect the terroir they come from. Expect a warm welcome, Lou is friendly and engaging and will happily takes you on a journey to the land of wine. Every bottle here is carefully chosen with love and curiosity. A genuine interest in you and what it is you are looking for along with a rather awe-inspiring depth of knowledge means that you end up with something special that fits the occasion. Saturday's tasting of wines by the brilliant Vigneti Massa was just a treat. 3 versions of Timorasso and a Freisa, wines almost impossible to find here or even outside of Piemonte.

Never judge a book by its cover! Tucked in the back of a nondescript strip mall between a tanning salon and a Chinese take-out restaurant, Lou is a gem. One of only a few natural wine stores in LA, the selection of unusual wines is second to none. The staff, led by Lou himself, is deeply knowledgeable and welcoming. Wine tastings on Fridays and Saturdays.

Just went to a tasting of Swiss cider maker Jacques Perritaz & the Trippy and profound Swiss hard ciders of Cidrerie du Vulcain. It was very casual and fun and the cider was delicious. We discussed the process with Jacques and the folks from Lou while tasting the ciders. The former bistro Lou was delicious so when the wine store opened we began going there. This was our first tasting there. It was great and we hope to go back for more.

The best wine shop in Los Angeles! I am so grateful for all the amazing wine experiences I have had picking up bottles here over the years and at their amazing tastings! This is such a rare gem, a wine shop with heart and exquisite taste. Great range of natural wine and something for weeks when I'm feeling extravagant and something for those times I'm on a budget. Always delicious!

Great wine shop. Laid back, great service and the tasting is run by a wine expert who gives you a concise introduction to each wine. I purchased one of the wines I tasted and enjoyed the experience. $12 for a flight of 3 wines is very reasonable.

Guess what? Things are slowly shaping up over at Lou. The selection is as great as ever and the business end is improving. Hooray! I love this place and I'm happy to see them doing well.

Hands down the best place for wine in LA. They have an incredible selection that seems to get better and better everytime I visit - and the staff is super helpful, knowledgeable, and passionate about wine. Asking questions in there is always a lot of fun and you'll never look at wine the same again after visiting the shop.