It’s halfway through California Wine Month, and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse is halfway through it’s Month of Discovery. Celebrating the annual unveiling of the new Fleming’s 100, the award-winning list of 100 wines by the glass, which nearly 30 of those are $10 or less. Along with the wines, there is a smattering of dining specials this month at the LA Live restaurant.

The Memorable Meal is a Trio of Filets for $45 per guest. The Trio of Filets are presented side-by-side in a modern take on three classic preparations – Wellington, Oscar and Au Poivre. The Memorable Meal also includes salad, side dish and a trio of crème brûlées for dessert. For $10, guests may add a flight of paired wines from the new Fleming’s 100, selected by Director of Wine Marian Jansen op de Haar.

The Prime Burger Bar Menu, is an all-new, all-burger bar menu featuring five “Prime Burgers”. Sliced Filet Mignon Burger, Ahi Tuna Burger, Jumbo Lump Crab Cake Burger, Portobello Mushroom Burger, and the signature Fleming’s Prime Burger. Each burger is served with a mini Wedge Salad and two Fleming’s signature Onion Rings. On Wednesday’s at the bar you can get free slider versions of said burgers from 5-7pm. Unfortunatly, getting there at 6:30 on a Wednesday, the only slider that ever made it to our table was the Portobello Mushroom slider. Yup, just one, and we were promised more were on their way, but they never came.

The lone slider that made it's way to our table. The $6 glass of Vinum Petite Sirah made up for it.

They also have a “5 for $6 ‘til 7” menu, which offers 5 wines, 5 cocktails, and 5 appetizers for $6.00 each, until 7 pm nightly. The updated menu features new wine selections from the Fleming’s 100, as well as new cocktail offerings. In addition to the 5 full-sized portions of appetizers offered, guests can still enjoy the signature Fleming’s Prime Burger for just $6 as part of the menu. Which is a better deal than the wedge and two rings you get with the full $12 version.

Finally, on Wine Tuesdays, select any bottle of wine off the 100 list with 25% off, or enjoy your own bottle of wine with no corkage fees. Something to celebrate indeed.

Stick with the $6 happy hour version of this burger, the burger alone is worth it, the additional $6 for two onion rings and half a wedge isn't worth it.

The wedge that was included with the burger was good, the blue cheese dressing standard, but not worth the $6 premium over the happy hour menu burger.

The govenator has declared September California Wine Month for the fifth year in a row. This wonderful state of ours is the fourth largest wine producer in the world, makes 90 percent of American wine, and is responsible for $18.5 billion in retail wine sales in the U.S. California wine generates 820,000 jobs in the U.S., including 330,000 in California. I always do my fair share of supporting the wine makers and grape growers of California and I plan to embellish in that a little bit more this September.

What can you do to help celebrate? Here’s a list of a few things you can do to support the local wine industry.

Visit Wine Country

Taking a trip up to wine country is very relaxing and rewarding. Tell Keith at Saarloos Dig Lounge says hello.

There are several wine regions located around Los Angeles. Temecula, Santa Barbara, Paso Robles, and even a winery located right here in Los Angeles with San Antonio Winery. Check out my recent tour of the San Antonio Winery or my trip to Santa Barbara (part 1 and part two) for some great tips. You can also head north to Malibu and visit Rosenthal Estate Wines or Cornell Winery in Augora. You can also head a little further up the coast and check out Napa or the Sierra Foothills.

Imbibe at a Wine Bar

At Tasca, the selection of wine and great food make for a fun night out with friends.

There are several great wine bars around town. I gravitate to the locations that have Enomatic wine systems. These handy dandy wine dispensers are like gum ball machines for adults. Charge up your wine card and taste a varying amount of wines at different price points. You can also examine the label, cause let’s face it, a lot of us buy wine based on what the label looks like. Portal and Salute Wine Bar in Santa Monica, the tasting room at the Wine House, Ugo Wine Bar in Culver City, and Via Alloro in Beverly Hills all have these slick machines.

The fun doesn’t end there. A slew of wine restaurants and bars have popped up all over town the last couple of years. BottleRock has locations in Culver City and Downtown, Barbrix is a great newcomer located in Silverlake. 55 Degree Wine, Colorado Wine Company and Silverlake Wine all have great events on almost a daily basis. Pasadena has a few, Bodega, Winestyles, and Vertical Wine Bistro just to name a couple. Vinoteque recently moved to Melrose from Culver City and has seemed to really take off since the move. City Sip, Lou, Primitivo, Rustic Canyon, Tasca, The Must, Cork Bar, I could go on and on. There is no shortage of wine spots in this grape loving city.

Drink Wine at Dinner

Drago has a great selection of wine. But if you bring your own, be prepared for a $20 corkage. But you are still saving money even if you do.

It’s nearly sacrilegious to order a cocktail to go with a fine plate of succulent pasta, a fresh filet of sea bass, or a gorgeous hunk of red meat. Instead, enjoy a glass of fine wine to go with dinner. Whether your staying in or eating out, wine enhances a meal like no other beverage can.

Ordering wine out at dinner can get expensive quickly. You end up paying two to three times what you would if you just bought the bottle at the store and enjoyed it at home. But there are a few places in LA that don’t charge a corkage or have corkage free nights. Providence on Monday nights for example, or even Houston’s is free 7 nights a week. Colori Kitchen, Alegria, Girasole, Umami Burger, and most Patina restaurants come to mind too.

Here is an old list I put together. Keep in mind sometimes these policies change, and you should call ahead to make sure they still don’t have a corkage fee. It doesn’t make sense to bring a bottle of wine that is less than the corkage. If you pay a $20 corkage on a $10 bottle of wine, you’re paying $30 for the wine, which is close to the mark-up you pay in a restaurant (typically 2-3 times). Also, if you do plan to bring your own bottle, make sure they don’t already have that wine on their list. Some places look down on bringing your own bottle of wine if they already have it on their menu.

Educate Yourself

You know you like it, but could you tell me if that wine was fruit forward with notes of plum and black cherry? Learning about wine can be fun and doesn’t have to be complicated and pretentious. That’s the premise behind Ian Blackburn’s Learn About Wine classes in Downtown L.A. Their goal, to demystify wine for everyone from the casual drinker to the potential collector. They have a great array of classes available from Wine 101, to cooking classes, and wine pairing seminars. Not to mention, a lot of great events. If you’re not ready to take that classroom step I recommend the Wine Bouquet Kit by The Wine Enthusiast or the Ultimate Wine Tasting Kit by Wine Spectator.

Cook With Wine

Cooking with wine is my favorite kind of cooking. There’s nothing like drinking the same wine with dinner, that you used to prepare the dish. Talk about the perfect pairing. For the devoted, there is always the tried and true Mastering the Art of French Cooking. For you vegetarians out there The Complete Vegan Kitchen has a handful of recipes that use wine. Other good cookbooks include Cooking With Wine, The Gourmet’s Guide to Cooking with Wine, and a great book for cooking with any libation, Here’s To Good Food: Cooking With Beer, Wine, Liquor & Liqueurs.

Make Your Own Wine

I’ve always wanted to make my own wine, but haven’t had the proper real estate required to set up and ferment my own grapes. But, if you are so inclined and you have the space, there are some great resrouces out there for taking it on for yourself. Start with a little research and pick up From Vines to Wines: The Complete Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Your Own Wine. Then once you have a grip on what it will take to grow your own grapes (you can also order wine grapes), check out these wine making supply sites. This Reserve Du Chateau 4 Week Wine Kit from Amazon is a great way to kick start your wine making skills.

If you’ve got some other ideas for celebrating wine month, leave a comment below. Salud!