12/28 - SURF, SIP & DINE SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA with Stephen Abronson of Pourtal Wine Tasting Bar, Todd Roberts of ZJ Boarding House & John Gordon of Ye Olde King's Head

Surf's Up!  It was Slow Living Santa Monica style as Slow Living Radio headed to Southern California to Surf, Sip & Dine Santa Monica with guests Stephen Abronson of Pourtal Wine Tasting Bar, Todd Roberts, avid surfer, instructor and owner of ZJ Boarding House and John Gordon, manager of the iconic Ye Olde King's Head.

Courtesy Pourtal Wine Bar

Pourtal Wine Bar is a playground for the wine enthusiast and the wine curious. Combining the traditional wine bar concept with a state-of-the-art self-service tasting room, Pourtal offers an exceptional wine experience that allows guests to explore at their own pace.

A thoughtful wine list, which includes everything from award-winning bottles to rare small-batch labels, features 40 wines by-the-taste via the innovative Enomatic machines — whose high-tech dispensing system keeps wines pristine pour after pour—and another 25+ wines available by the glass, in addition to many artisanal beers. Tasting Tours rotate frequently to always give you something new to explore and learn about.  

Courtesy Pourtal Wine Bar

Pourtal owner Stephen Abronson, who grew up in Malibu Canyon, got the idea for the wine bar years ago as a student at USC’s Graduate Film Program. After working in “the Industry” for a few years, Abronson made the bold move to step away and allow his interest in wine and his entrepreneurial spirit to dovetail. 
Three years ago he heard about the Enomatic wine system, popular in Italy but still a rarity in the U.S. and he trekked to the few west coast venues featuring the Enomatics and realized the untapped potential of these innovative systems. As further research, he took a job with one of L.A.’s largest wine retailers and worked at a wine bar on the Third Street Promenade where he observed local trends and interacted with local diners and drinkers to get their feedback on what the neighborhood really wanted and needed in wine bar. 
During this time, Stephen set out to find the perfect location for his new tasting room. When the Santa Monica Blvd. location, across the street from Bar Pinxto, next to Sushi Roku and Robata Bar, and two blocks from the Third Street Promenade became available, Abronson knew he’d found his spot. He hired acclaimed architect and designer Sat Garg of Santa Monica-based Akar Studios to remodel the eco-friendly interior and Peter Birmingham to create the wine program. Fade out, fade in... Pourtal has became Santa Monica's new hot spot neighborhood wine bar!




Ever since their humble beginnings as a hole-in-the-wall surf shop back in 1988, ZJ Boarding House has shared its passion for surfing with the local Ocean Park community and beyond. As the store grows both physically and in inventory, the same levels of knowledge and passion are applied to skateboarding and snowboarding.  Their dedication to riding boards, customer service and product knowledge has only increased over the years.  They pass on expertise and knowledge to customers and help them make the right decisions based on their skill level.

Steve Andrews & Todd Roberts of ZJ Boarding House
talk Santa Monica surfing

Pourtal's Stephen Abronson shares an Orgeon by Alsace
tasting with Todd Roberts

John Gordon of Ye Olde King's Head shares British-style 
Slow Living with Steve Andrews