Chef Curtis Stone’s Gwen received a 2023 Michelin-star a few weeks ago when the awards were announced. Stone said he shares the award with his team at the restaurant and thanked them for their years of hard work.

Gwen is a collaborative dream come true for Stone and his brother Luke. Named after their beloved grandmother, who owned a farm outside Melbourne, Australia the brothers’ exposure to humane farm life instilled a deep respect for animals raised for food. They both worked in a butcher shop in their early years.

Gwen opened on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood in 2016. A European style butcher shop is at the heart of the restaurant, supplying sustainably and ethically raised beef for the restaurant and also serving the home cook with a wide selection of products.

A stunning Art Deco-style dining room with sparkling crystal chandeliers provides a romantic atmosphere. The elegant room has rich leather banquettes, dramatic lighting and touches of copper and pink marble.

Last month, I was invited by Cameron Hughes, the founder of de Négoce wine company and bottle shop, for an informative wine dinner at Gwen.

Hughes curates a huge selection of wines and offers them directly to consumers through its membership program.

“It has become the nation’s leading direct-to-consumer wine brand,” Hughes said. He is known in the wine industry as a visionary and a disruptor.

“The wine industry’s biggest secret is that wine doesn’t cost a lot to make. It costs a lot to sell,” he said.

On a table were various bottles with de Négoce labels. Each label had the varietal, year made, region and state listed.

“I want to sell really good wines that are accessible to all people,” said Hughes.

A 2021 IGT Terre Siclliane Nerello Mascalese rosé wine sells for $20, but Hughes sells it for half that price.

The medium acidity wine paired nicely with Gwen’s meaty charcuterie board and slices of olive oil and sea salt Stecca bread. I appreciated the thinly sliced Fiocco gently cured in rosewater and pink peppercorn. Thicker slices of duck speck and earthy porcini salami went well with a little spread of mustard on the bread. Brick red Spanish chorizo offered a salty, warm spice flavor and with a sip of wine, the acidity cut through the fat of the cured meat and balanced the flavors perfectly.

The name de Négoce is from négociant, the wine merchants who repackage bulk wine and sell the wines outside of traditional channels for the commercial market. Twenty years ago, Hughes was one of the original domestic pioneers of the négociant wine trade model and is also one of the wine industry’s fiercest consumer advocates.

Hughes partners with high-end producers early, before their wines are bottled or marketed. He provides them with much needed cash-flow for operations and secures the best possible price for de Négoce. He then bypasses distribution altogether, pre-selling the wines as “futures,” direct-to his consumers at prices 50 to 80 percent less than retail. Wine is delivered to members’ front doors.

Turning back to the dinner, when Gwen’s Market salad arrived at the table, I enjoyed the summer sliced stone fruit, vegetables and a mild almond vinaigrette with two wines, a de Négoce 2022 Riesling from Clare Valley, South Australia and a 2021 Santa Ynez Rosé of Grenache. The first was a bone-dry white wine with intense lime, spice and grapefruit notes and a long floral finish. The original wine price is $25, but on the de Négoce website it sells for $13.

The rosé is from a winemaker known for their significant contribution to the Central Coast wine scene for over 30 years.

We tasted a lovely 2021 Sonoma County Chardonnay that is normally priced at $55. Hughes couldn’t divulge who the legendary producer was, only that the vineyards are near the Napa Valley border. Even though it was a young wine, it was my favorite of the evening. Each sip offered an opulent bouquet of citrus, lychee, vanilla and peach while displaying some wood notes.

A glass of Santa Ynez Valley red blend was poured to enjoy with two side dishes – crispy duck fat fried potato cubes and wood-fired blistered snap peas. Those who ordered the Creekstone Farms New York Strip steak with onion jus, appreciated the wine’s texture and dark plum flavor.

We also received a pour from an ultra-premium Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir single vineyard wine.

A cheese plate arrived with honeycomb and sliced stone fruit was enjoyed with a pour of 2021 Perricone Siclia DOC. Selling for $20 a bottle, it’s currently $12 on de Négoce.

Little did I know I was going to hit the jackpot in the food and wine world that evening. In another part of the restaurant, winemaking pioneer Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon Vineyard was discussing and pairing his wines with a five-course Gwen dinner. He walked into our dining area to offer a glass of one of his finest wines to his friend Hughes.

Grahm established his Santa Cruz County winery in 1983, making naturally soulful and distinctive wines. During his dinner at Gwen, he poured Bonny Soon OVNI Sparking wine, and served a Picpoul to enjoy with a plate of Gwen’s charcuterie. He offered his Le Cigare Blanc and poured Sir Pinot Noir with the rabbit orecchiette. He paired his Ser Cabernet Pfeffer with a perfectly cooked Creekstone Flat Iron steak, and lastly poured glasses of Bonny Doon Le Cigar Orange wine with Gwen’s strawberry Baba su Rhum.

“I want to offer wines from regions across the globe … I’m a believer in the age-old philosophy of letting the wine do the talking, not the brand,” he said.

My Michelin-star meal by an award-winning team paired with an array of beautiful de Négoce wines was one of the best eats I’ve had in 2023.

To learn more about Cameron Hughes and de Négoce “futures” and discounted wines, visit denegoce.com. Gwen is open every day for dinner except on Mondays. Reservations can be made on Resy. $$$ gwenla.com. 6600 Sunset Blvd., (323)946-7500.

This article was featured in the Beverly Press on August 3, 2023.