Drive Well, Drink Well
Luxury Vehicles, Wine, and the Art of the Good Life

There is a certain kind of Saturday that begins with a drive through the hills above Burbank, windows down, something worth listening to on the stereo, and ends with a well-chosen bottle opened at the right moment. It requires nothing elaborate. It requires only that the things involved are genuinely good and that you are paying enough attention to notice.

Luxury vehicles and fine wine occupy adjacent territory in the geography of considered pleasures. Both involve craftsmanship accumulated over generations. Both reward the person who takes the time to understand what they are experiencing. And both have undergone enough change in recent years that knowing where to look matters more than it used to.

The Vehicles Worth Talking About

The luxury vehicle market has fractured in interesting ways. The traditional European hierarchy, German sedans at the top, Italian exotics for the aspirational, British grand tourers for the quietly wealthy, remains intact but has been complicated by new entrants that have redrawn some of the lines.

The Grand Tourer

For drivers who spend meaningful time on California highways and mountain roads, the grand tourer format remains one of the more satisfying vehicle propositions available. A Porsche 911, a BMW 8 Series, a Mercedes-Benz SL, these are cars designed for exactly the kind of driving that Southern California makes possible. They are comfortable enough for a long run up the coast and engaging enough that the drive itself becomes the destination. The 911 in particular has maintained its position as a benchmark against which everything else in the category is measured, a feat of engineering consistency that spans six decades.

The Electric Redefinition

The luxury electric vehicle conversation has matured considerably. The early adopter phase is over, and the vehicles now available at the premium end of the market are making a genuine case on performance terms rather than simply environmental ones. The Porsche Taycan, the Mercedes EQS, and the Lucid Air have demonstrated that electrification does not require a compromise in the qualities that define a luxury driving experience. The Lucid Air in particular, designed and built in California, has earned serious attention from drivers who would not have considered an electric vehicle several years ago.

The Defender Moment

Land Rover's Defender has undergone one of the more successful reinventions in recent automotive history. The new generation retains the character and capability of the original while delivering the comfort, technology, and reliability that contemporary buyers require. In Southern California, where the distance between urban streets and serious off-road terrain is often measured in minutes, the Defender's breadth of ability has found a receptive audience. It is a vehicle that makes equal sense on Magnolia Boulevard and in the San Gabriel Mountains.

Classic and Collector

The market for well-maintained classic vehicles in Southern California remains active and shows no sign of cooling. Air-cooled Porsche 911s, early Mercedes-Benz SL roadsters, and pristine examples of 1960s and 70s American muscle continue to appreciate in ways that make them increasingly interesting as collector objects alongside their value as driving machines. For buyers entering this market, condition and documented history matter more than almost any other factor.

Wine Worth Opening

The wine world has been in productive motion. Regions that were overlooked a decade ago have found their footing, familiar regions have produced vintages worth paying attention to, and the conversation around what constitutes value at the premium end of the market has shifted in ways that benefit the informed buyer.

California's Continued Case

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at the top of the market remains one of the more compelling arguments for domestic wine on the world stage. Producers like Opus One, Caymus Special Selection, and the cult wines of Screaming Eagle and Harlan Estate have established a tier of California wine that competes seriously with first-growth Bordeaux in both quality and price. For buyers at this level, allocation lists and mailing list membership are the primary access points, and patience is required.

Below that tier, Sonoma County continues to produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that consistently overdelivers relative to its price. The Sta. Rita Hills AVA in Santa Barbara County has emerged as one of the most interesting addresses in California for Pinot Noir with genuine terroir expression.

The Santa Ynez Advantage

For Burbank residents, Santa Ynez Valley wine country is two hours up the coast and represents one of the more enjoyable day trips available. The wineries of Los Olivos and the surrounding area produce Rhone varietals and Burgundian styles that have developed serious reputations, and the tasting room culture there is more relaxed and personal than Napa's has become.

Spirits Worth the Pour

The premium spirits market has matured in ways that reward the curious. Japanese whisky has established itself as a category with genuine depth, with producers like Nikka and Suntory consistently producing expressions that hold their own against the best of Scotland. Single malt Scotch from smaller independent bottlers offers extraordinary value for those willing to look beyond the major distillery names. Aged tequila, specifically extra-anejo expressions rested for three years or more, has found a serious audience among drinkers who approach it with the same attention they would give a fine cognac or whisky.

Mezcal continues its upward trajectory in the premium spirits conversation. The category's emphasis on artisanal production, distinct terroir, and traditional methods resonates with the same audience that has driven the growth of natural wine.

The Cellar Question

For anyone building a serious wine collection, storage is a decision worth getting right early. A properly conditioned cellar, whether a dedicated room, a built-in unit, or a professionally installed freestanding cabinet, maintains the temperature and humidity that allow wine to age correctly. The difference between a bottle stored well and one that has experienced temperature swings is not theoretical. It is tasted in the glass.

For Burbank homes, where summers run hot, passive storage is rarely adequate for anything intended to age more than a year or two. A dedicated wine cooling unit calibrated to 55 degrees Fahrenheit and 60 to 70 percent humidity is the standard recommendation for serious collectors. The investment is modest relative to the value of what it protects.

On the Matter of Enjoyment

Both fine vehicles and fine wine can become collector's traps, things acquired and maintained and never actually used. A car that never leaves the garage and a bottle that is perpetually waiting for the right occasion share the same problem: they are not doing what they were made to do.

The Saturday drive through the hills and the bottle opened on a Wednesday evening without a particular reason are not indulgences. They are the point. The good life, at its best, is not a destination. It is a practice.

Burbank Reserve is Burbank Hills Living's guide to the elevated, the exceptional, and the worth-every-penny.