District Wine will be losing the defining part of its soul as longtime owner Angela Mesna has sold the business following 15 years of dedication to the Downtown.
“It is bittersweet to announce I am in the process of selling District Wine,” Angela wrote on social media. “To everyone who has come through these doors the past 15 years, you have had a profound impact on me, my family, and the staff here at District Wine. We are beyond grateful to our loyal customers who have become a second family and the amazing Long Beach community that has supported us through the best and the worst (pandemic I’m looking at you) times. This was an extremely difficult decision, but ultimately, it is time for me to move on to a new chapter of my life and focus my attention on my family and other opportunities.”
District Wine was always ahead of the curve.
If there is one thing to say: Angela was an essential cog in getting Long Beach to respect and appreciate wine. In my own youthful naïveté, where I would solely drink reds and dismiss whites rudely as PTA wine, Angela poured me an off-dry Reisling. Served, of course, with a side of her warmed nuts. I have been happily drinking every type of wine since.
This anecdote is connected to a larger picture District Wine has helped paint: It made Yelp!’s inaugural list of the 100 Best Places in the nation back in 2014. This is no small feat: during that time, Yelp! dominated food culture and discussion. And, with it, District Wine rightfully garnered a loyal, consistent following as one of the city’s most respected oenophile hangouts.
Pea tapenades and their locally famous warm nuts—a magical mixture that melded sweet, salty, and spicy—welcomed its early days while turns to flat breads, mac’n’cheese, and grilled cheeses layered with manchego, gruyère, and pork belly came to redefine the food offerings one could fine at a local wine bar.
Even more, Angela deserves to be upheld as a woman and business owner. Opening the space with her now ex-husband, Angela found a way to not just uphold her business but herself. Separations of any kind—let alone one intimately intertwined with the deeply personal and small business—can be messy. Angela is a prime example of someone whose resilience and tact is a master class in community leadership.
Will the wine bar remain with its new owner? Thank the grape gods, yes.
Luckily, District Wine is not going anywhere.
“The new owner has a true love for District Wine and this eclectic neighborhood we call home,” Angela said. “Her goal is to continue to build the legacy of District Wine and offer the same diverse wine selection, tapas, and welcoming atmosphere you have come to know and love. I will continue ownership and operation of District for the next few weeks as everything is finalized.”
As for Angela, the only way is onward and upward—with, as usual with her classiness, a hefty dose of gratitude.
“Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to serve you and be a part of your lives,” Angela wrote. “Your support, smiles, and shared memories have made District more than a place to eat and drink—it has become a gathering place for family, friends, celebration, and community. The memories made with you all will live in my heart forever.”
