Washington, DC Wine Must-Dos

WINE TALK
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Good choice. Last time we had dinner there the foods was excellent and the wine off the list was quite reasonably priced. I also recommend Tabard for Sunday brunch.

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June 1st is the VA wine festival at Bull Run. A Huge Va wine event 45 min outside the city.

When I lived downtown, I always loved drinking beer on the rooftop of the Reef in Adams Morgan.

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This is good advice. Also worth mentioning, all of these except Calvert-Woodley are within a couple hundred yards of the Cleveland Park Metro stop. I think CW is one stop north, but it is still walkable.

You may want to mention what types of wines you like to drink as there are plenty of winos who get together for dinners in the area. In general, like most other places I would imagine, the only real rules are bring something appropriate for the theme and don’t be a bore and most likely you will be welcomed back. Most of the wine crowd here are a fairly affable group.

Notable wine shop not listed would be Wide World of Wines.

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Thanks for all the advice, everyone. It sounds like it’s going to be a great food and wine summer. Dino seems like an obvious choice based on what I’ve read in the DC BYOB thread and here. You guys provide some other interesting suggestions too.

Kenneth, I’m new enough to wine that I still drink just about everything. I tend to like high acid, old world or quirky bottles. I’m trying to break into Burgundy but don’t have nearly the budget to make an honorable contribution to a Burgundy event. I love just about everything I’ve had from Weygandt and they import one of my favorite roses, so I’m pretty excited about the proximity to their store.

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I’d love to participate, but I’m probably not the best person to plan an offline given that I don’t know who’s from the area or really any venues. I’d be happy to bring something from a trip to MacArthur or Weygandt!

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I guess this is why I only get invited to wine tastings I organize. [swearing.gif]

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Dukem for Ethiopian on U Street in DC. Great food.

Jewel of India - In Maryland. Best Indian I have had in the DC area.

Dog Fish is the best local micro brew IMO. However, DC Brau and 3 Stars are making some great beers.

Side Bar in Silver Spring - Great for cocktails and a great happy hour. Like the Gibson on U Street but better crowd and much cheaper.

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I would be interested in attending and I can help plan. What dates are you thinking?

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I’ll help organize if this is doable. I work 1 block from Chinablock.

The suggestions here so far are great. I live and work here, and even I am learning stuff from this thread. [welldone.gif] Not much to add in terms of wine shops and food recos. Wolf Trap is an excellent suggestion, and a wine-consumption locale I fail to take enough advantage of. Such a great concert venue.

Proof is one of my nearby favorites; by-the-glass list tends to be very good (though not the best lately, IMO).

For beer, check out Churchkey, http://www.churchkeydc.com/, Birch and Barley http://birchandbarley.com/ and Brasserie Beck http://www.beckdc.com/

If you want to explore Baltimore, let me know. [cheers.gif]

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I haven’t lived in the DC area for about 2 years now, but when I was there I had one of the best meals of my life at Komi. No menus, they just start bringing you course after course of delicious Greek Mediterranean options. Some menu highlights for me included a homemade hot dog (paired with a fantastic beer, which I thought was inventive given that it was part of the wine pairing), saganaki in the form of a bite-sized crouton, and, of course, the roast goat. They also had some really nice Greek wines if you go with the wine pairing. I think one of their chefs just won a James Beard award too.

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Sorry I missed this before. Virginia wine is something I’m interested in checking out. I read articles on a couple wineries down there a while back that I need to dig up. Also love the wine biography of Thomas Jefferson and the region’s wine history. My family took a trip through all the historical sites years ago and I’m hoping to revisit a few with my girlfriend when she comes out for July, and maybe pepper in some wine stops.

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I’m most free in June. I’ll be out of town May 31-June 2 and June 20-23, but should otherwise be pretty open evenings/weekends.

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Wow, is that place still around? What is the story? Is it worth a visit? I used to visit when I lived in the district, but that was so long ago Marion Barry was still mayor…

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Shoot me a PM if you want one area dude’s 2 cents. Some very good stuff an hour or so West of DC, but Charlottesville is arguably the nucleus of the scene, and it’s just 2 hours south. We’ve also got Monticello/Montpelier/Ash Lawn, if U.S. history is of interest.

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Have dinner at Black salt for seafood and head next door to Mac Arthurs for a great selection and really good pricing. http://www.blacksaltrestaurant.com/

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The prices don’t make it a place for everyday dining though.

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Indeed, the Van Ness/UDC stop–it’s within yards of the exit.

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The one place I always have to o, if I have time, is Pizzaria Paradiso. I used to live across the street from the original one on P Street, which has since moved just up the street. It has my favorite pizza in the whole world (Atomica, swap in prosciutto for the sausage), and the beer selection is second to none.

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Loire - Get to know Phil at MacArthurs.
Beaujolais - Get to know Warren at Weygandt.

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+1 but I’d add the Rhone, Beaujolais, and Germany to Phil’s realm of expertise. He’s practically been my sensei for those regions.