Atwater Village Wine Shop Celebrates 50 Years

55 Degree Wine offers rare, small-batch wines in a cozy tasting room

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

55 Degree Wine, a family-owned wine shop in the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The store, founded by Andy Hasroun, specializes in hard-to-find Italian wines from small producers, along with a selection of Portuguese, Spanish, and California wines. Customers can browse the tightly-packed shelves or enjoy wine tastings in the shop's 55-degree cellar tasting room.

Why it matters

In a city dominated by big-box retailers and corporate wine stores, 55 Degree Wine has managed to thrive for five decades by focusing on rare, high-quality wines and cultivating a loyal community of oenophiles. The shop's longevity is a testament to the power of independent, mission-driven businesses to withstand industry changes and provide unique experiences for local customers.

The details

55 Degree Wine occupies a small space in an Atwater Village strip mall, but the shelves are packed floor-to-ceiling with over 90% Italian wines, along with a selection of Portuguese, Spanish, and Californian labels. Founder Andy Hasroun, who can often be found chatting with customers from behind the register, sources the wines from small producers making less than 1,000 cases per year. This ensures quality but also means popular bottles can be difficult to restock. The shop's 55-degree cellar tasting room hosts nightly wine tastings, with changing menus of wines and cheese.

  • 55 Degree Wine opened in the summer of 1975.
  • The shop is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

The players

Andy Hasroun

The founder of 55 Degree Wine, who can often be found chatting with customers from behind the register.

55 Degree Wine

A family-owned wine shop in the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles, specializing in rare, small-batch Italian wines along with a selection of Portuguese, Spanish, and Californian labels.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We have 90, 95% Italian wines in here. Some Portuguese, some from Spain, a little from all parts of the world. Mostly Italian, though.”

— Andy Hasroun, Founder (nowandzin.com)

“The good thing is that all the wines are of the quality you can expect only from a small producer. The bad thing is, when you come back to get more of a wine you loved, it may not be here.”

— Andy Hasroun, Founder (nowandzin.com)

What’s next

55 Degree Wine is hosting a 50th anniversary celebration this weekend, featuring live music, food, games, and more than 25 vendor booths.

The takeaway

In an era of corporate wine megastores, 55 Degree Wine has thrived for 50 years by staying true to its mission of providing rare, high-quality wines from small producers and fostering a community of passionate oenophiles in the heart of Atwater Village.