The Brief

Yes, our Northern California wine behemoth neighbors are usually top of mind as we shop for wines. But there are L.A. winemakers making magic locally, using grapes from Malibu's coastal hills, or century-old vines in Cucamonga, or small family vineyards in Agua Dulce.

It's more of a revival than an innovation, since L.A. was once the center of a booming wine industry. But after decades of disease, Prohibition and suburban sprawl, by the 1950s, the bulk of production had moved north to Napa and Sonoma.

Today, in Chinatown, Highland Park, Moorpark and Redlands, winemakers offer tasting rooms where you can try a particular pour and see what you like. Or you can just go with recommendations, like our guide below. Either way, grab a bottle or two to share this holiday. Most of these wines are priced from $20 to $50, and you’re not only getting something festive — you’re also supporting local businesses.

Angeleno Wine Company (Chinatown)

This Chinatown tasting room is only open Friday and the weekends — because on the other days it’s used to crush and bottle grapes grown in the SoCal region. "This entire area becomes our production space during the week," says Amy Luftig, who co-founded the company with Jasper Dickson.

One of their key partnerships is with Alonso Family Vineyard in Agua Dulce, just 45 minutes from downtown. Owner Juan Alonso started the vineyard in 1995, growing French and Spanish varietals, ignoring everyone who said the region couldn't produce quality grapes. You can spot a mural of him in the Angeleno Wine Co. tasting room.

"Juan is the heart and soul of Angeleno," Dickson says. "The character of his vineyard is what shines through in our wines."

What to try:

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• Alicante Bouschet, Alonso Family Vineyard or Galleano Vineyards ($35-40) - Alicante Bouschet is one of the few red grapes with red flesh inside, popular during Prohibition for its intensely dark color. Both versions of their alicante bouche are easy picks for holiday meals while also paying tribute to L.A. wine history.

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• Gold Line, orange wine, Alonso Family Vineyards ($35) Orange wine: it’s on all the hip menus. But what exactly is it? Orange wine is white wine made like red wine — white grapes fermented with their skins on (called "skin contact"), giving the wine an orange or amber color, more tannins, and bolder flavors. The Gold Line is one of the brightest and sweetest oranges I've tasted, perfect for those 80-degree winter days in SoCal. (And yes, it is named after the metro line).

• Bike Path, Alonso Family Vineyards($35) - Another Alonso Family Vineyard classic, and my personal favorite. As a red wine loyalist, I rarely reach for whites. But with chilled reds, I feel like I can have it with anything, even fish and chicken. It’s fresh and crisp while maintaining a body, perfect for lighter meals.

AJA Vineyards (Santa Monica)

If you find yourself in Santa Monica, skip the crowds at the pier and Ocean Avenue sports bars and head to AJA Vineyards tasting room. You may be greeted by the founders’ daughter, Amanda Rubin who can tell you about each wine with pride and enthusiasm.

Named for the originators of the winery Todd and Heather Greenbaum's three children, Alec, Jack and Amanda, AJA Vineyards farms 2 acres in the Malibu hills and also sources grapes from up and down the Malibu Coast.

Tasting flights of five wines start at $35, and Rubin makes it clear: no wine expertise required. "We really want to create a welcoming space so that when people come through the door, they don't feel intimidated. They don't feel like they have to be an expert on wine."

What to try:

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• 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, Eds’ Vineyard, Malibu ($37) Eds’ Vineyard, named for Amanda's grandfathers Edward and Edwin. Vibrant tropical fruit notes with perfect ripeness and acidity. Finished in neutral French oak, giving it deeper notes of smokey vanilla — an ideal fall white. For a brighter summer sipper, try the 2023 vintage.

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• 2019 FIVE Red Wine, Malibu ($65) Noted as Todd Greenbaum's favorite. A Bordeaux-inspired blend from their flagship vineyard in Malibu (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc). Rich and tannic, silky and warm. If you need a steak dinner wine, this is your pick

Cavaletti Vineyards (Moorpark)

Although Cavaletti Vineyards tasting room is in Moorpark in Ventura County, it's a staple in the L.A. wine scene — founder Patrick Kelley is a key part of the L.A. Vintners Association. They source grapes from unique, often overlooked vineyards primarily in Ventura, Los Angeles, and Santa Barbara Counties, focusing on organic farming and cool-climate sites near the coast or at high altitudes.

Co-winemaker Sterling Andrews describes one of their key sources, the Lopez Vineyard, as a hidden gem. Drive down the 210 freeway past Rancho Cucamonga: "You would never know," he says —100-year-old vines tucked behind commercial sprawl.

What to try:

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Brandon Killman

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• Lopez Vineyard Zinfandel, Rancho Cucamonga ($40) A great dessert-style wine, an entry-level class for those who skip the wine for dinner and save it for after a nice meal.

• Arianna Syrah, Ventura ($58) Named after owner Patrick Kelley's wife, and one that was recommended to me by Amanda Rubin from AJA. I had to give it a try. I took it to my family holiday party to share with a relative named Arianna who is married to a Josh. She was relieved to see her name on a bottle for a change, and delighted after tasting its deep fruit flavors.

Herrmann York Wine (Redlands)

Co-owner Garrett York and his brother Taylor started making wine in their garage with friend Dustin Hermann in 2020. "We learned by making mistakes rather than following advice," York says. "The lessons are more durable that way."

They practice minimal intervention winemaking, meaning they let the grapes do their thing — little to no additives, and trusting the fruit to become wine naturally. They source grapes from small, family-owned vineyards across SoCal, particularly the Inland Empire. "We believe the most exciting thing is allowing a place and variety to contribute something accidental and unique," York says.

These three wines below are included on their “Starchy Meal Deal”, discounted at $91 and curated to pair with your holiday meals.

What to try:

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Brandon Killman

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• 2024 Il Burino ($28) White blend of Clairette, Grenache Blanc, and Fiano from across Southern California. York says it’s reminiscent of whites from the Roussillon region of France.

• 2024 Los Empleados ($28) Light red blend of Grenache Blanc, Grenache Noir, Zinfandel, and Barbera. Juicy and herby, great chilled or at room temperature.

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Brandon Killman

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• 2023 Lopez Ranch Zinfandel ($33) - From the legendary Lopez Ranch in Cucamonga. Old vine, own-rooted, unirrigated, granite soils. Ripe but refined and sourced from a local legend.

Byron Blatty Wines (Highland Park)

Owner Mark Blatty brings Hollywood credentials to Highland Park winemaking — he's a producer for The Real Housewives franchise. I gifted the 2022 Rosé to my mom, an avid Bravo TV fan but not as much of an avid wine drinker like me. Tasting the wine with her, she described it as "lightweight" and "refreshing"— her kind of wine for a casual evening.

Blatty sources grapes from various family-owned, sustainably farmed vineyards throughout Los Angeles County, including sites in the Malibu Coast, Sierra Pelona Valley, and the high-elevation Leona Valley.

My personal favorite was the Tremor. The earthy scent on the nose had me intrigued immediately. "From the Antelope Valley, right up on the San Andreas Fault line — hence the name," says tasting room manager Al Amendola. "There tends to be more minerals in the soil."

What to try:

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• 2022 Rosé, Alonso Vineyards, Sierra Pelona Valley ($40) Perfect for Bravo fans and casual wine drinkers alike.
• 2019 Tremor, Antelope Valley / Malibu Coast ($60) 55% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 10% Petit Verdot. Spicy, smooth, with an earthy scent right away. This is one I'm saving for a special evening.
• 2022 Evenfall, Smith & Swayze Vineyards, Antelope Valley ($60) One of the most drinkable reds I've tasted — smooth with full-body flavors of dark cherry and raspberry. Pair it with a steak dinner.
  

The story first appeared on The LA Local.

Los Angeles residents were walking dark streets and passing broken lamps even as the LAPD quietly disbanded a specialized unit in July that tracked thieves stealing copper wire from streetlights. 

Known as the Heavy Metal Task Force, the unit launched in early 2024 to combat persistent copper wire theft from lamps lighting the Sixth Street Bridge connecting Boyle Heights to Downtown L.A.

Lt. Andrew Mathes confirmed to The LA Local this week that the unit was eliminated in July 2025 as the department and city tightened budgets. The L.A. Bureau of Street Lighting, the department responsible for maintaining the lights, also had its budget cut by about 5% in the current fiscal year as its backlog of reports continues to grow. 

The team led investigations that exposed organized wire theft, resulting in more than 300 arrests. And it conducted inspections of local scrapyards to make it harder for people to cash in on high copper resale prices.

“When you get an eye for it, copper is everywhere,” Mathes said. 

Public concerns about lights persist

Calls for repair of streetlights surged from about 35,000 in 2022, the year the Sixth Street Bridge was opened to the public, to 46,000 in 2024. There was only a slight dip in such calls in 2025.

The calls made to the city’s 311 line for non-emergency services include lamps that were hit by cars or could be malfunctioning due to age. But the jump in calls starting in 2022 also include a surge in thefts.

Reports of copper wire theft doubled from about 7,200 in fiscal year 2022-23 to nearly 16,000 in 2024-25, according to data from the L.A. City Controller. But starting last year, the monthly calls began trending down, from 1,500 in October 2024 to about 200 in May 2025. 

After previously leading a similar team on catalytic converter thefts, Mathes was tapped for leading the unit on heavy metal thefts in early 2024. The team was based in the LAPD’s Central Division near where such thefts had been focused.

“LA is the copper theft capital,” Mathes said. “It’s the worst of the worst here.”

At their most active, Mathes said, the unit was conducting two or three operations a week.

They inspected scrapyards for stolen metal and warned the owners of the penalties they could face for purchasing it. They found people impersonating construction workers removing reams of wire for resale. He’d find makeshift processing operations in decrepit RVs, with huge spools of wire spun by hand and toxic fire pits where people would melt away plastic shielding because the unwrapped copper fetches a higher price.

Mathes said they tracked a 70% reduction in such thefts in the Newton Division, south and east of downtown.

So what happens if there is no specialized unit? 

Mathes said it was fitting that the first and last arrests made by the heavy metal unit occurred near the iconic bridge on Sixth Street. 

The officers who served on the unit developed valuable experience, Mathes said. And soon before it disbanded, he said they redoubled efforts to prepare the members to continue the work in their new assignments. Central, Hollenbeck and Newton police divisions have a specialist for these kinds of investigations.

When asked about wire thefts growing in other parts of the city in 2025, he presumed it was because of the intensive work the unit was doing near downtown.

“They had to find new places to target,” Mathes said.

The Los Angeles County fires last year drove up insurance costs for many Californians. Now, a proposed settlement means some State Farm policyholders whose premiums rose won’t see additional increases, and others should even get refunds.

State Farm, the largest insurer in the state with about 20% market share, received approval for unprecedented emergency insurance rate increases in California last May. The company told the state that the billions of dollars it expected to pay out after the deadly fires placed it in financial peril.

The proposed deal among the state Insurance Department, consumer advocacy group Consumer Watchdog and State Farm, disclosed late last week, comes after months of public hearings convened by the insurance department and settlement talks.

Consumer Watchdog, which questioned the rate increases State Farm asked for, says the settlement saves the company’s California policyholders a total of $530 million. From the proposed settlement:

• Homeowners’ rate hikes will stay at the previously approved interim rate of 17% instead of the 30% the company sought.
• Condo owners who saw interim rate hikes of 15% will see their rates drop to an increase of 5.8%, and get refunds with interest dating back to June 1, 2025.
• Rental unit owners with interim rate hikes of 38% will see those increases drop to 32.8%, and receive refunds with interest. 
• Renter policyholders will see an increase of 15.65% vs. the interim rate hike of 15%.

In addition, State Farm has agreed not to cancel any new policies this year, and it won’t be canceling some policies it had planned not to renew in wildfire-affected areas. The insurance department characterized those provisions as important to the continued stability of the state’s insurance market, which has been beset with availability and affordability issues.

“When consumer advocates are able to challenge the data and present their own analysis, excessive requests are reduced and consumers are protected,” said Harvey Rosenfield in a statement. Rosenfield founded Consumer Watchdog and wrote Proposition 103, the voter-approved law that governs insurance in California.

State Farm has paid out more than $5 billion in claims from the L.A.-area fires so far, said spokesperson Tom Hartmann.

After consumer complaints and lawsuits, the insurance department is investigating the company’s handling of claims from the fires and expects results from that examination later this spring.

The agreement, which must be approved by an administrative law judge, also requires State Farm to undergo additional review of its rates in 2027. The company will be required to make a one time 2.5% premium discount available to renewing policyholders if its ratio of premiums to available cash reaches a certain level; Consumer Watchdog litigation director Will Pletcher said the deal will give the group more timely access to the company’s annual financial statements to help keep it accountable.

The insurance department expects the judge to decide on the settlement by April 7. Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara will then review the judge’s decision and have the final say.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.

Iran's state media issued what it said was a statement by Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, vowing to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and keep up attacks on U.S. bases in the region, as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran entered its 13th day.

It was purported to be the new leader's first statement since he succeeded his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli strike on the first day of the war.

The statement said Iran will avenge the blood of its "martyrs," including the victims of a March 1 attack on a girls school in the city of Minab, which Iranian officials say killed at least 165 people, many of them children. NPR has confirmed the U.S. military is investigating how it could have targeted the school.

The Iranian statement said the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for a fifth of the world's oil supply, should remain closed. It said Iran continues to believe in friendship with its neighbors but will continue targeting U.S. bases in the region.

"The lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must undoubtedly continue to be used.," the statement said, according to an English version published by Tasnim News Agency, run by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

It's unclear if the statement was from Mojtaba Khamenei himself. Another person was heard reading out the remarks on Iranian state media, with a photo of Khamenei posted on the TV screen, as it was broadcast around the world.

There's been speculation about the leader's current condition and whereabouts. An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly, told NPR that Khamenei was lightly injured early in the war.

This is a developing story that will be updated.

Here are other major updates about the conflict.

To jump to specific areas of coverage, use the links below:

Attacks on vessels | Oil stockpiles | Strikes across the Gulf | Israel-Hezbollah escalation | Iranian school attack

Two oil tankers hit in Iraqi waters

Two oil tankers were hit in Iraqi territorial waters near the southern port area of Basra, Iraqi officials said Thursday. It is the first oil-related strike reported in Iraq's waters during more than a week of war, in another sign of the conflict's escalation.

Iran, a critical ally of Iraq, took responsibility for attacking one of the tankers, which it said was owned by the U.S.

A port official said the attack targeted vessels near Basra's port approaches, and Iraq's security spokesman described it as sabotage.

Iraqi officials said one person was killed, and 38 crew members were rescued, with search operations continuing.

Iran has stepped up attacks on energy infrastructure and commercial shipping in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes, warning that the world should brace for oil prices to double.

— Jane Arraf

U.S. and allies to release record oil stockpiles  

The U.S. confirmed it will release 172 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as part of a coordinated International Energy Agency (IEA) release of 400 million barrels from emergency stockpiles.

The U.S. contribution amounts to roughly 40% of the total, to be released gradually over about four months.

The IEA's executive director, Fatih Birol, said the goal is to keep the supply of oil flowing as the conflict disrupts shipping routes and energy infrastructure. But analysts warn stockpile releases can only partially offset prolonged disruption in the Gulf, where roughly a fifth of global oil consumption normally transits the Strait of Hormuz.

On Wednesday, President Trump said the price spike is temporary and said the reserve release would push prices down.

According to the popular app Gas Buddy, the current average cost of regular unleaded is now up to $3.61 a gallon.

- Camila Domonoske

Iran continues attacks on Gulf States

Countries in the Gulf reported new incoming threats and interceptions Thursday, as Iran continued firing drones and missiles across the region – including at U.S. military bases.

The UAE's defense ministry said air defenses were responding to Iranian missile and drone attacks, and that sounds heard in parts of the country were from intercepts.

Kuwait's defense ministry said its air defenses intercepted ballistic missiles and drones that penetrated the northern and southern parts of the country's airspace.

Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed drones headed toward the Shaybah oil field.

The United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution on Wednesday condemning Iran for recent attacks across the Persian Gulf region, calling them a "breach of international law" and "a serious threat to international peace and security."

- Rebecca Rosman

Israel launches large strikes on Hezbollah sites in Beirut after rocket fire into Israel

People inspect homes damaged by a projectile launched from Lebanon, in Haniel central Israel, on Thursday.

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The militant group Hezbollah launched its biggest rocket attack against Israel since the start of the war with Iran. The Israeli military said the Iranian-backed group fired heavy volleys toward northern Israel overnight into Thursday, triggering interceptions and sending residents repeatedly into shelters.

The Israeli military responded by launching more attacks against what it said were Hezbollah launch sites and command infrastructure.

Huge booms were heard across the capital and large black smoke billowed from the Dahieh neighborhood in south Beirut, while an attack in central Beirut – where thousands of people are displaced – killed 8 people and injured 31, according to Lebanese officials.

Wide evacuation orders for south Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs have displaced at least 800,000 people so far, according to the Lebanese government.

Lebanon, which does not have diplomatic ties with Israel, has unusually called for direct talks with Israel to end the escalating fighting with Hezbollah. Israel has not officially responded.

Israeli strikes on Iran have continued, with Iran firing missiles at Israel intermittently, including overnight.

Israeli military officials say about half of the missiles Iran has launched at Israel have carried cluster warheads, which spread out into smaller bombs over a wider area – increasing the risk to civilians.

- Daniel Estrin, Hadeel Al-Shalchi and Rebecca Rosman

Pentagon: Preliminary assessment suggests U.S. likely responsible for strike on Iranian school

The Pentagon has opened a formal investigation into the missile strike on an Iranian girls school that killed at least 165 civilians, many of them children, after a preliminary assessment suggested the U.S. was at fault, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly. The investigation is expected to take months and will include interviews with all those involved, from planners and commanders to those who carried out the strike.

If a U.S. role in the attack is confirmed, it would rank among the military's most deadly incidents involving civilians in decades. Congress created a special Pentagon office to prevent the accidental targeting of civilians but it was dramatically scaled back by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth soon after he took office last year.

"This investigation is ongoing. As we have said, unlike the terrorist Iranian regime, the United States does not target civilians," said White House spokesperson Anna Kelly.

The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment.

NPR previously reported — based on commercial satellite imagery and independent expert analysis — that the strike was more extensive than initially reported and appeared consistent with a precision strike on a nearby military complex, raising questions about whether outdated targeting information contributed to the tragedy.

- Tom Bowman, Kat Lonsdorf, Geoff Brumfiel

Rebecca Rosman contributed to this report from Paris, Jane Arraf from Erbil, Iraq, Hadeel Al-Shalchi from Beirut, Daniel Estrin from Tel Aviv and Camila Domonoske, Tom Bowman, Kat Lonsdorf and Geoff Brumfiel from Washington.
Copyright 2026 NPR

The story first appeared on The LA Local.

If you’re a soccer fan — or just a fan of South Korean phenom Son Heung-min — you may have heard that the Los Angeles Football Club planned to put up a larger-than-life mural of the footballer in Koreatown last month. But the mural has yet to appear. 

LAFC planned to reveal the mural during the launch of their 2026/2027 jersey at The LINE Hotel. Now the reveal has been pushed back to sometime in June. 

The delay stems from issues with the city’s mural approval process, at least according to city officials. 

Gabriel Cifarelli, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, said they received a mural registration application for the site. But the department said it could not issue a notice to proceed because the application was “ineligible and incomplete” under the city’s mural ordinance and administrative rules.

“DCA staff offered the applicant advice and further guidance, and remains available for questions,” Cifarelli said. 

If a mural includes a team logo it is considered an advertisement and not original artwork, according to the city department. In that case, the permit must be issued through the city’s Building and Safety Department.

A new application has not been submitted through the mural program, Cifarelli said, and it was not immediately clear whether LAFC applied for a permit through the Building and Safety Department. 

LAFC spokesperson Danny Sanchez didn’t confirm if a new permit has been submitted.

“The mural unveil was rescheduled to June to better align with World Cup festivities,” Sanchez said. 

Dave Young Kim was commissioned to paint the mural and previously painted a Son mural on the side of the Crosby building in Koreatown in October, but that was only up for a few weeks.

He still plans to paint the mural on The LINE Hotel in June.

“I’m assuming at this point, LAFC is likely trying to line it up for a more opportune time,” said Kim. “The mural was originally supposed to line up with the launch of the new jersey so something similar.”

Leo Hernandez, 35, said he hopes the mural goes up before the World Cup.

“I didn’t know it was pushed back all the way to June,” he said. “I’ll be in Mexico for the World Cup.”

Hernandez, who goes by “El Soccer Guy” on Instagram and has nearly 50,000 followers, has been attending LAFC games since 2018. He said Son’s arrival to L.A. has brought a new wave of fans to the club.

“I’ve never seen so many Koreans,” he said. “He’s bringing a whole new community to LAFC. I don’t know if they love soccer or they love Son or both, but it’s amazing to see.”

“Son is starting to be my favorite on the team,” he added. “He’s so good. He wants the team to shine. And I love his positivity and energy.”