Our Story
About Helen's Wines
Helen's Wines is a curated wine shop founded in 2015 by sommelier Helen Johannesen alongside her partners, chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo of Jon & Vinny's. With five Los Angeles locations - Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Fairfax, Slauson, Studio City - plus Miami with Calabasas slated to open this summer. Helen's is built around naturally-driven, organically farmed wines from small-production vineyards and winemakers with integrity.
Our Philosophy
The story of wine begins with the farmer and ends with the consumer. It’s super important where and how it’s made. Most of the wine world is conventionally farmed and mass-produced - engineered to taste the same every year. We believe wine should evolve, reflect its vintage, and be made with purity. That's why we focus on organic farming, low-intervention winemaking, and celebrate small producers who let nature lead. It’s about skill and story, not just marketing.
The Shop
Walk into any Jon & Vinny’s and you'll find allocated bottles, limited releases, favorite gems, and new finds in constant rotation - at every price point. Helen's is a non-judgment zone and we welcome you every day of the week with open arms to learn and experience the beauty of this incredible agricultural product made by some really special people.
About Helen
Helen Johannesen was born in New York City and began her career in restaurants while attending college in Madison, WI, where her time at the farm-to-table standout L'Etoile sparked her inspiration to continue growing in food and wine. After moving to Los Angeles, she spent two years managing at Craft before joining chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo in 2009. Today she is a founding partner of Jon & Vinny's Italian and the namesake behind Helen's Wines.
A celebrated sommelier and entrepreneur, Helen is known for making wine education accessible, fun, and engaging. She was named Wine Enthusiast's Sommelier of the Year in 2016 and is the newest member of the American Express Culinary Collective, curating the wine list for Sidecar by the Centurion Lounge at Centurion Lounges nationwide.