🎨 Wines That Deserve Their Own Gallery 🍷

We all know the first rule of wine shopping: pretend you’re researching the winery's terroir and muttering about “tannins,” but really you just grab the bottle with the prettiest label. Good news! Ava’s has a few stunners that look just as good on your Instagram feed as they taste in your glass (or in your case, your artfully chipped IKEA stemware). A few of our faves:

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• Wild Things 2022 Old Vine Zinfandel – It’s wild, it’s zinfandel, it’s practically begging you to uncork it and quote Bob Ross. (“There are no mistakes, only happy little pours.”)
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• Domaine des Pothiers Cote Roannaise Diogène – This French beauty literally has a painting on the bottle. Which means if anyone asks what you’ve been collecting lately, you can just say art. Bonus: it costs way less than a trip to SFMOMA.
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• Ariel Cabernet Sauvignon – For the classy teetotalers, this non-alcoholic cabernet delivers sophistication without the stumble. And yes, the label is also gorgeous. Honestly, even if you just fill the empty bottle with tap water and leave it on your counter, your house will look 37% fancier.
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So whether you’re heading to the Art & Wine Festival this weekend or just want to sit at home and pretend your empty living room is a potential art gallery, these bottles let you sip like a true aesthete.

🎨 Still Life, but Snackable 🍎

If you’ve ever stared at a bowl of fruit and thought, “Wow, that belongs in a museum… right before I eat it,” you’re not alone. Grapes, peppers, apples, tomatoes, lemons — they’re basically nature’s way of saying, “Here, I made you a painting, but also… hydration and vitamins.”

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With the Art & Wine Festival about to turn Castro St into one big open-air gallery, nothing cools you down better than some crisp fruit from Ava’s. Forget the greasy teriyaki chicken or 18-lb "small" bag of caramel corn. Instead: A cluster of grapes? Instant refreshment. A lemon wedge in your water? You’re basically a spa person now. A crisp bell pepper snack? Michelangelo wishes he thought of that.

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But here’s where it gets fun AND rewarding: First, create your own still life masterpiece using Ava’s foods. Paint it, sketch it, photograph it, or arrange it and then devour it like a medieval king yelling “BRING ME MORE GRAPES!” while throwing turkey legs at his peasants. (Please don’t throw turkey legs at anyone on Castro St. We will deny knowing you.) Then, send us your creations! 📸 We’ll feature the best ones in a future newsletter (eternal fame, guaranteed).

🎨 Chocolate as Art 🍫

Some chocolate bars just sit quietly in the checkout aisle. Not these. These are works of art disguised as snacks, and they’ve strutted right into Ava’s.

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First up: the Ocean Dubai Chocolate Pistachio Kunafa. Picture Belgian milk chocolate hugging creamy pistachio and crispy kunafa (the shredded filo pastry that stars in Middle Eastern desserts). It’s crunchy, gooey, nutty—basically the edible lovechild of a dessert buffet and a modern art sculpture. You’ll want to frame it, but instead you’ll black out and realize you’ve eaten the whole thing.

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Then there’s L’Amourette Guayguasa Mantuanus (say that three times fast). This isn’t your average chocolate—it’s a San Francisco love letter to rare Criollo cacao from Venezuela, whipped into artisan bars by hand. It’s the kind of bar that makes you feel like you could taste the SF fog and jazz notes, all while deciding whether “criollo” sounds like a cobra dance or a flavor profile. (Hint: it’s just really fancy cacao.) Bonus: the packaging is so good, it has its own booth this weekend (next to the crunchy corn booth with the free samples… dibs on the ranch!)

Upcoming Events​
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• Every Wednesday, 5-7pm — 🎵 Music on Castro​
  ​Enjoy live performances right in Downtown Mountain View! Come for the tunes, stay for the vibes, and don’t forget to swing by Ava’s to grab dinner from Poké Bowl or Simply Sabor, or just pick up a box of cookies to munch on while you vibe to the music like a very classy raccoon. 🎶🍪🦝
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• Every Friday, 6-7:30pm — 🎵 Concerts on the Plaza​
  ​Didn’t get your full music fix on Wednesday? Perfect—because Friday night, Concerts on the Plaza is bringing the beats that make lawn chairs bounce and dads attempt the moonwalk. 💃🕺 Stop by Ava’s first for a snack, a chilled drink, or a quick wine tasting to fuel your feet and unlock those secret dance moves.
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• Sep 6-7 — 🍷 MV Art & Wine Festival 🎨​
  ​Sip, stroll, repeat — the Art & Wine Festival is back! Swing by Ava’s for free tasty samples, then leave with some snacks cheaper than an $8 bottle of water (seriously, who’s buying those?)
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• Fri, Sep 12, 5-7pm (ish) — 🍺 Beer Tasting​
  ​Free beer tasting with the legendary Anderson Valley Brewing—because nothing says “community bonding” like sipping craft brews near the kale. 🍻 Come for the beer, stay for the awkward eye contact with your neighbors over a crisp IPA.