LCA Wine & the Neptune School of Wine now open in SOCO in Costa Mesa, CA

Nancy Milby always had a passion for food and wine. Eventually, it became so great, she left her finance career to pursue it. In 2001, she founded Laguna Culinary Arts, a multi-faceted hands-on cooking school including attached café, cheese, and wine shop and spent the next 12 years building this operation in Laguna Beach. She also led small groups to France, Italy, and Spain for the ultimate food and wine vacations. She recently sold the cooking school and moved the wine operation. LCA Wine opened on July 18, 2014. 

Nancy Milby welcomed guests as they explored the new wine retail space to browse LCA’s selection of wines from all over the world. The color wheel of wine was on display from whites to rosés to reds. 

The space is open and the bottles are arranged on wooden racks for easy display and viewing.

The Neptune School of Wine shares the space with LCA Wine. It is headed by Master Sommelier Peter Neptune and is known as the premier school for wine education in southern California. Peter has been in the wine business for 39 years and was on hand during the tasting reception and available to answer any questions we had.

Light bites to go along with the wines were provided by:

Chef Laurent Brazier from La Cuisine Culinary Arts

Herb Goat Cheese Mousse on Puff Pastry Rounds – They were light and fluffy. The goat cheese mousse was amazing–light and creamy.

Heirloom Cherry Tomato & Ciliegine Mozzarella with Fresh Basil Balsamic Reduction – The cherry tomatoes were sweet and tasted fresh from the garden. The mozzarella was soft and creamy. The sweet and tartness of the balsamic reduction brought the flavors of the skewer together for a balanced flavor.

Chef Noah Blom from ARC Restaurant

Wild Mushroom Tarts with House Made Ricotta – The phyllo dough made a crispy and light shell. The ricotta was creamy and combined perfectly with the earthy flavor of the sautéed wild mushroom with their meaty texture.

Steak Roulade on Grilled Bleu Cheese Bread – This is little bite just blew my socks off! The roulade was cooked and seasoned perfectly. Bleu cheese works well with beef and the creamy, tanginess of the cheese brought out the sweetness in the beef. I still dream about it.

Duck Tacos in Romesco Sauce with Crème – The duck meat reminded me of pulled pork. Subtle duck flavors were present. The tortillas were great and tasted like a Mexican grandma made them.

Need the perfect wine for a dinner party? LCA Wine is the perfect place to go. Check out Neptune School of Wine’s website for class schedule to bring the inner sommelier out of you.

For more information:

LCA Wine

3315 Hyland Ave Ste H

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

+1-657-232-0920