The Original Farmers Market is a Los Angeles treasure. It was founded at the corner of 3rd and Fairfax in 1934 as a “village” in which local farmers could sell their wares. The site had previously been a 256-acre ranch, and when oil was discovered on it, in 1900, the owner, A.F. Gilmore, replaced his dairy cattle with oil derricks. The city of Los Angeles had yet to encroach on the property as the crude was brought forth from the ground.
When the development of Los Angeles caught up to the property no new derricks were permitted, and, eventually, the Gilmore expanse grew quiet. It stayed that way into the 1930s, until two entrepreneurs, Fred Beck and Roger Dahljelm, convinced Gilmore’s son, Earl Bell Gilmore, that a farmers market would be a great venture for the property. The rest is history.
The Gilmores still own the market, and today it’s home to more than 100 vendors, including grocers, restaurants (the famed Du-Par’s among them) and shops and businesses, from jewelry, clothing, and art stores to barbers, shoemakers, and houseware merchants.
I don’t get to the Original Farmers Market often enough, but I recently attended a wine dinner at a restaurant there, Ettore Vino & Cucina, and not only were the food and wines pleasing, but the visit has also served as a personal directive for me to take myself to 3rd and Fairfax on a regular basis.
Ettore Vino & Cucina is the restaurant and tasting room of Ettore Winery, which is located in Hopland, California. Ettore Biraghi and Sofia Rivier are the winemakers, and the estate, in Mendocino’s Sanel Valley, comprises 64 acres, of which 35 are planted with vines. The property is situated 500 to 600 feet above sea level, and gravelly, loamy soils dominate.
The occasion for my visit to Ettore Vino & Cucina was a winemaker dinner, presented by Biraghi and Rivier, along with Fabrizio de Falco, the restaurant’s managing director. Nine wines paired with a five-course menu was the plan, and I could not have been happier with the pairings if I had selected them myself.
First, the two wines that pleased me the most: the 2023 Ettore Pure Chardonnay ($18) and the 2021 Ettore Petit Verdot ($38). The former, an unoaked, 100 percent stainless steel wine that does undergo full malolactic conversion, was delightful with the prosciutto di Parma and gnocco fritto, while the latter, partnered with a hanger steak (diaframma in Italian), was the pairing of the evening.
What I like about this chardonnay is its vibrancy: one sip brightens the palate, and it is an excellent food wine. Lemon and jasmine on the nose, nice herbal notes as well. Medium acidity and body and an austere finish result in a wine that drinks above its price point. The alcohol level is 13.5 percent, and 1,296 cases were produced.
The petit verdot was for me the best wine of the evening; Biraghi and Rivier used fruit from vines planted 29 and 26 years ago to produce this wine, which is dark purple in color and full of body. Robust tannins, distinct violet and dark berry aromas, touches of spice (black pepper) and a fine herbaceousness combine to create a beautiful wine. A total of 168 cases were produced.
Ettore farms organically, and uses products certified by California Certified Organic Farmers, a nonprofit group that promotes organic agricultural practices through education, advocacy, and certification. Biraghi, who was born in Varese, Italy, and lives in Switzerland, and Rivier, who was raised in Argentina and trained in Switzerland and now resides in the Mendocino Valley, both put a premium on making low-intervention wines, and the phrase “made with organic grapes” is displayed prominently on the brand’s bottles. A major component of the duo’s winemaking is the Purovino method, which is designed to reduce or eliminate the addition of sulfites. Grapes are treated with ozone, which sanitizes them and helps manage oxidation. All fruit at Ettore is harvested by hand.
Biraghi first visited Mendocino in 2015, and had a hunch that its terroir would suit his goal of making low-intervention wines; his project was established in 2019, though the winery itself is more than 100 years old. The brand includes olive oil as well, made from trees on the Ettore property.
The other wines I tasted at the dinner included Ettore’s 2022 and 2019 Reserve Chardonnay ($22), 2022 and 2019 Rosso ($28), 2022 and 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Signature ($34), and the winery’s 2019 Merlot ($35). The Rosso bottles — a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and petit verdot — were paired on the menu with the tagliatelle alla Bolognese, to wonderful effect. Rich meat sauce, rich, full-bodied wines that cut through the bold dish, toothsome homemade pasta … nothing more needed.
If you are in Los Angeles I recommend adding a visit to the farmers market and booking a table for dinner at Ettore Vino & Cucina. You can purchase Ettore wines here, or ask for them at your favorite merchant.
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