The Wine House, Los Angeles

The Wine House is one of Los Angeles’ most established wine retailers, operating out of an 18,000-square-foot facility at 2311 Cotner Ave. in West Los Angeles, near the 405 freeway. Food & Wine Magazine has named it one of the world’s best wine shops, and Wine Enthusiast included it on its list of best shops for rare wines in 2021. The store carries more than 6,000 domestic and imported wines, spirits, and beers, with a strong California selection alongside noteworthy holdings in Burgundy and Bordeaux. It also offers French, Italian, and California futures, on-premise wine storage, and a self-serve tasting area featuring rotating selections in enomatic machines.

Origin of the Wine Store

Bill Knight founded The Wine House in 1973 while working as vice president of investments at Security Pacific Bank and Bank of America, where he specialized in small business loans and financial operations. A passionate wine drinker with a particular affinity for Burgundy, Knight initially opened the shop as a side venture before transitioning fully into the wine trade. He was named a Market Watch Leader in 1993. Knight remains involved in the business today, walking to the store most days to handle administrative tasks. His sons Glen and Jim — both now buyers and co-owners — have led day-to-day operations for more than two decades. Glen oversees New World wine purchasing; Jim handles Old World. The store sells approximately 50,000 cases of wine, beer, and spirits annually across retail and e-commerce channels.

At The Wine House, we regularly circle the globe, metaphorically, of course, to give our guests a unique taste of wine and spirits from Scotland to Sonoma. Featuring a wonderful lineup of classes and events, The Wine House always has a program on the calendar that will pique your interest.

Bill Knight, Owner

Wine Tasting Classes

The Wine House has been running tasting classes since at least the 1980s, and they have built a loyal following over that time. The general class lineup covers a range of levels and interests, including introductory sessions, intermediate tastings, blind tasting workshops, and featured winemaker events that give participants direct access to producers. The classes are interactive by design, with an emphasis on palate development and direct engagement with the wines being poured. One recurring criticism from students is that some tasting classes can feel like promotional events for the brands being featured, rather than purely educational exercises.

WSET Courses

The Wine House is an authorized WSET franchisee offering courses from Level 1 through Level 4. Level 1 covers wine basics; Level 2 moves into major wine regions and grape varieties; Level 3 provides deeper study of viticulture, winemaking, and tasting analysis; and the Level 4 Diploma — the most advanced offering — is a multi-module program priced at $2,995 per module, requiring a $995 deposit and spanning three years of course registration. It includes study materials, online platform access, in-person and webinar sessions, and exam fees.

The WSET program has given The Wine House broad reach throughout the LA wine community. As Glen Knight has noted, when graduates move into industry positions, they regularly cite the store as a resource. “When they are getting their jobs in the community, they always mention Wine House as the place to go to get their wine,” he has said.

The Wine House also delivers Wine Scholar Guild programs, including the French Wine Scholar and Spanish Wine Scholar curricula.

Among the city’s sommeliers and other wine pros, this landmark offers a range of styles and price points, but its rare wine selection stands out. You can also purchase French, Italian, and California futures here, and it offers on-premise storage for those exceptional wines. Additionally, the knowledgeable staff can help you locate what you want and ensure you enjoy it at the best time.

Wine Enthusiast

Monica Marin

Much of the school’s reputation rests on its lead instructor, Monica Marin, who holds the WSET Diploma along with French Wine Scholar, Italian Wine Scholar, and Spanish Wine Scholar certifications. She was nominated as best WSET Educator in 2019, named Wine Scholar Guild FWS Instructor of the Year in 2019, SWS Instructor of the Year in 2021, and SWS Provider of the Year in 2023. Student reviews consistently highlight her ability to make technical material accessible, her use of humor to keep sessions engaging, and her depth of knowledge across multiple wine regions and programs.

Outside of Los Angeles

The Wine House has expanded its course offerings beyond its West LA home base. It partners with a wine shop in Santa Barbara to deliver WSET courses on the Central Coast, and has also run WSET programming at Broken Earth Winery in Paso Robles.

Wine House Kitchen

In fall 2022, The Wine House opened Wine House Kitchen on the second floor of the shop — the same space that previously housed Upstairs 2, a wine bar that closed in 2019. The restaurant had originally been planned for 2020 before delays pushed the opening back two years. Jim Knight brought in François Renaud — formerly of Terrine and Viale dei Romani — as general manager and beverage director to develop the concept.

The kitchen is led by chef Maiki Le, who previously served as executive chef of Upstairs 2 and sous chef at Momed Beverly Hills, and has also opened several Belcampo Meat Company locations. Under Renaud’s direction, the menu draws on Le’s background to offer California Modern cuisine with Vietnamese influence. 

Wine & Spirits Magazine highlighted the Faroe Island salmon imperial rolls and banh patê sô stuffed with guinea fowl as standout dishes and included Wine House Kitchen on its Top 30 LA list in 2023. Renaud has built a wine program with significant autonomy from the retail floor below — less than 20 percent of selections overlap with the store’s inventory. The space continues to serve as a venue for wine classes and private events.