I've just discovered a secret oasis in the sparkling water aisle of a local grocery store in Little Armenia. I've driven past this place many times but never paid it any attention. At my side is Martin Riese, certified water sommelier. He points to bottles of international brands I've never heard of. Riese highlights some notable selections: Ararat (from Armenia), Gerolsteiner (from Germany), Jermuk Borjomi (from Georgia) and Tehuacan (from Mexico), which he's never seen before – a rarity for the H20 obsessive.
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No, we're not at Erewhon, Lassen's, or any other upscale, trendy market. Rather, we're standing in a Jon's Fresh Marketplace, a family-run grocery chain in LA. According to Riese, it's the best place to buy rare, affordable drinking water in LA. In addition to the general Crystal Geyser and Arrowhead waters, the store offers more than a dozen water brands from at least eight countries.
Riese should know where to buy the best water. He created his first “water menu” in Berlin in 2005 and was certified as a water sommelier by the German Water Trade Association since 2011. He spends his days consulting beverage brands, educating people about water via his popular TikTok and hosting monthly Zoom Water tastings It costs $105 and includes the cost of water and participation for up to four people. The German native came to the U.S. in 2011 but didn't discover Jons until he moved to Van Nuys in 2022 and found one right next to his house.
Water sommelier Martin Riese points out the absurdity of the label “Naturally calorie-free” on a water bottle.
Riese tries a sample of mineral water that he bought from Jons.
“I want to make people aware that there are other options than the normal stuff you can literally find in Pavilions or Ralphs,” Riese says. “They always have the same brands. I went in [to Jons] and I couldn't believe that you could actually buy this amazing portfolio in a store.”
Jons was founded in 1977 by John and Jack Berberian, Armenian immigrants, with Los Angeles' large foreign population in mind.
“They were eager to help other new immigrants adjust to their new lives by preparing some of the foods and ingredients they were familiar with [available]”, says Dave Harriman, retail director of shelf-stable foods. The company has long claimed that Jon's was the first grocery store in LA to offer international foods.
Armenian mineral water brand Ararat at Jons.
This merchandising approach extends to water selection, particularly the sparkling aisle. According to Riese, most “bottled water” available in American grocery stores is simply filtered tap water, essentially what you can make at home with your Brita. For sommeliers like him, spring or mineral water are preferable because they come from a natural source; they are rich in calcium, magnesium and sodium. Depending on the water, there are different concentrations that affect not only the taste but also the health benefits. Unlike most American waters European The water labels that Jons carries list the exact mineral composition of each product on the bottle.
Riese explains that there are more than 60 brands of water in Germany that are so rich in minerals that they go beyond mere hydration and are classified as medicinal products by the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety.
“It's a government-approved drug, but it's nothing more than bottled water,” he said. “For example, a Gerolsteiner – which you can find at Jons – has the same amount of calcium as a glass of milk.”
Another highlight on Jons shelves is Borjomi, a Georgian seltzer that's only available in LA at international grocery stores like Jons and Super King. Romano Chobanu, sales manager for the water brand, calls it a “unique water” with a “specific taste that's different from other mineral waters like Italy.” It's high in sodium and is used as a hangover cure in Eastern Europe: “After you have a party or something, you drink Borjomi,” he said. (A strategy Riese endorses.)
A Jons customer said he drank Jermuk mineral water in Armenia.
Water sommelier Martin Riese creates a water taste comparison of various mineral water brands available at Jons.
For just over $10, Martin and I buy five waters for an impromptu tasting at an electric box out front, using tiny red Solo cups typically used for alcohol shots. Riese ranks them from lowest to highest mineral content, starting with Poland Springs, then Ararat, followed by Gerolsteiner, Borjomi and Jermuk (also from Armenia). As we move from right to left, the flavor notes become more complex and the saltiness intensifies. Checking in with my inner water sommelier, I identify Borjomi, the aforementioned hangover-helper, as my favorite, and find the taste of Poland Springs off-putting compared to the others.
Riese comments colorfully, the way a wine sommelier might detail the notes of a Pinot Grigio, suggesting that certain waters pair best with certain foods. “Your food will taste different just because of the water,” he says, adding that Saratoga (from New York), also available at Jons, pairs beautifully with sushi because of its low mineral content.
The best part is that all of this was far more affordable than a wine tasting—or even what you'd find at other upscale grocery stores.
“I sometimes have the feeling that Americans love to be deceived,” says Riese, with the caveat that he loves America. “I don't know what it is. But they love the idea that if something is more expensive, it is immediately a better product. And that is absolutely not true. Especially when it comes to water.”
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