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No Kisses bar — The bar at No Kisses emits a hot pink glow.

16 Essential Wine Bars in D.C.

Where to find glasses or bottles of natural wine, fun flights, women-owned labels, and more

by Vinciane Ngomsi and Tierney Plumb Updated Nov 15, 2022, 2:36pm EST

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The bar at No Kisses emits a hot pink glow.

| Rey Lopez/Eater D.C.

by Vinciane Ngomsi and Tierney Plumb Updated Nov 15, 2022, 2:36pm EST

D.C.’s taste for fine food and drink — and the expense accounts that fund much of it — fuels a close relationship with wine. At several dedicated wine bars around town, oenophiles can browse lists featuring bottles from all sorts of categories. Some of these businesses, like No Kisses Bar, focus solely on natural wines. Logan Circle’s longstanding Cork Wine Bar & Market is the still the place to go for Old World grapes. Other standouts include Maxwell Park, with locations in Shaw and Navy Yard; Lulu’s Winegarden off U Street NW, for a mix of European and Latin American bottles, all priced at $55; and French-leaning Primrose in Brookland. Navy Yard go-to District Winery serves a rosé made on-site. For a map of restaurants with outstanding wine lists, go here. Want to buy a bottle of bubbly? Go here. And for a day trip to some of the area’s best wineries, go here.

Whether the goal is exploring new tastes or simply scoring a reliable glass of pinot noir or chardonnay, D.C. has a wine bar to fit most occasions.

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Era Wine Bar

Located just past the D.C. border in Mount Rainier, Maryland, Era Wine Bar showcases grapes from underrepresented regions and a section of delicious small plates. The nearly year-old brick corner fixture offers wines by the glass in 3-, 6-, or 9-ounce pours, over 100 bottles for dine-in or to-go, and splurge-worthy bottles poured carefully with a Coravin wine tool. Era comes from first-time restaurateurs Michelle and Ka-ton Grant, a well-traveled duo who’ve called the neighborhood home since 2018. Much of the list highlights small producers, organic and biodynamic styles, and women-owned wineries. There’s also a membership club and concierge service for military and foreign service members.

Open in Google Maps

3300 Rhode Island Ave, Mt Rainier, MD 20712

Visit Website

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Era Wine Bar (@erawinebar)

St. Vincent Wine

Tucked away in Park View, St. Vincent’s sprawling 4,000-square-foot patio is an ideal spot to wind down with huge selection of wines, cocktails, and charcuterie. Modeled after popular New Orleans hangout Bacchanal, there’s also an online store loaded with options available for pickup. The 2-year-old fixture with a wood-framed cocktail bar up top hosts live music out back on weekends.

Open in Google Maps

3212 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010

Visit Website

Wine shelves at St. Vincent — At St. Vincent in Park View, customers can shop for bottles inside or order from the broad backyard.

Also featured in:

No Kisses Bar

For fans of natural wines — a category that points to little no additives and includes lots of fruity or funky flavors — should head over to No Kisses bar in Park View. Fluorescent, color-changing ceiling tiles and plush, forest green banquettes give off a groovy, moody vibe. The bar (open Friday and Saturday nights) shares a backyard garden and an extensive online bottle shop with next-door sibling spot Sonny’s Pizza.

Open in Google Maps

3120 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010

Visit Website

No Kisses ceiling

Also featured in:

14 Negronis to Knock Back Right Now in D.C.

Primrose

This Brookland bistro features an off-beat wine list and a Eurocentric menu that frequently hosts pop-ups for other cuisines. Selections are primarily curated from France and also include a couple of pours from owner Sebastian Zutant’s proprietary Lightwell Survey label, based out of Waynesboro, Virginia.

Open in Google Maps

3000 12th St NE, Washington, DC 20017

Visit Website

Dining Review - Primrose

Also featured in:

Lulu’s Wine Garden

After running Vinoteca off U Street NW for 12 years, Paul Carlson rebranded it to this laid-back spot with a Southwestern vibe and food menu from chef Cable Smith (Royal) that features queso and tostadas, a French onion dip toast, and roasted beet salad. A list of nearly 50 bottles, all priced at $55, pulls from vineyard across Europe, Virginia, California, Mexico, and Argentina. Lulu’s has one of the more impressive setups in town for streetside seating, too.

Open in Google Maps

1940 11th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Visit Website

The renovation at Lulu’s winegarden included communal tables repurposed from the Vinoteca bar and breezeway blocks that line the walls. — Communal tables at Lulu’s Winegarden

Also featured in:

Etabli

Bloomingdale’s cozy, wood-fired replacement to Tyber Creek offers playful flights like “Pinot Noir You’re a Star” and “Sweater Weather” for around $20. There’s also a popular monthly wine club with selections handpicked by owners Kathleen Davis and Thomas Boisvert.

Open in Google Maps

84 T St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Visit Website

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by établi (@etablidc)

Also featured in:

Where to Eat Deviled Eggs Around D.C.

Cork Wine Bar & Market

Cork Wine Bar has consolidated its operations into two-story market space at 14th and S Streets NW, though its focus on promoting Old World wines from across Europe remains unchanged. There’s a wide choice of wines by the glass, starting at around $10. Dinner includes both hot and cold plates designed to pair with the wine list.

Open in Google Maps

1805 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Visit Website

Cork Wine Bar & Market

Also featured in:

La Jambe (Multiple locations)

Parisian energy radiates throughout La Jambe, from its airy decor to its all-French wine menu. Prices for glasses and bottles range from affordable to indulgent and touch on known varietals like Burgundy Pinot Noirs to fun finds like fortified wines from the Jura region. A light menu of French meats, cheeses, and bar snacks is also available. La Jambe also has a stall in Union Market.

Open in Google Maps

1550 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Visit Website

Apéro

Longtime local sommelier Elli Benchimol unveiled her dream Champagne-and-caviar bar in Georgetown last year. Tucked inside a historic row home, Apéro serves pastries and espresso drinks by day and bubbles and elegant drinking snacks by night. A wine list that largely swings French plays up grower Champagnes, which are made by the estate that owns the vineyards. By-the-glass options start at $11.

Open in Google Maps

2622 P St NW, Washington, DC 20007

Visit Website

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Apéro DC (@aperodc)

Also featured in:

Maxwell Park (Multiple locations)

Sommelier Brent Kroll’s Shaw wine bar quickly become neighborhood go-to for its cheeky rotating menus filled with under-the-radar wines. Each month features a special theme menu in addition to some core picks. Past examples have included wines for the outdoors and woman-owned brands. Wines are individually temperature controlled. A second location sits next to Middle Eastern hot spot Albi in Navy Yard. Kroll will soon bring Shaw a bubbly haven called Pop Fizz Bar.

Open in Google Maps

1336 9th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Visit Website

Maxwell Park

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Bottles Wine Garden

Curiously hidden past a frosted door in a West End hotel lobby, Bottles Wine Garden popped open in May with a devotion to women-owned wineries. Certified sommelier Erika Parjus and fellow Centrolina alum Angie Duran cater to serious oenophiles and novices alike with carefully curated picks from pioneering wineries around the world. Guests can order at their chosen seats or the bar, with a compact selection of five by-the-glass options and 20-some bottles. Fun menu emojis denote female-owned; organic; biodynamic; and minimal intervention wines.

Open in Google Maps

2500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037

Visit Website

A secluded 70-seat patio out back is framed in green foliage.

Also featured in:

18 Destinations for a Late Summer Cocktail Around D.C.

The Pursuit Wine Bar & Kitchen

At this H Street NE fixture, which relocated in 2019, owners Shawn Ross and Adam Kelinsky feature wine flights ($20 to $28) and bottles from all over the world. A food menu boasting homemade pastas and panini. New American tasting room Irregardless also offers a strong Virginia vino list across the street.

Open in Google Maps

1025 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002

Visit Website

The wine wall at Pursuit

Also featured in:

Where to Find Champagne, Cava, and Other Bottles of Bubbles in D.C.

Flight Wine Bar

Flight is a retreat away from the bustle of Chinatown. There are 28 available flights, naturally, all three pours each. In addition, there are more than 40 wines by the glass. The bar also hosts regular wine education and tasting classes. Dinner includes wine bar staples like olives and caprese salad along with a couple of heartier options.

777 6th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Visit Website

flight — Flight Wine Bar

Also featured in:

The Eastern

This well-appointed, midcentury modern bar from the owners of nearby Barrel does a lot in a tiny space. The wine list guides customers by familiar tastes, including recommendations from Austria, Argentina, or Greece, “If you like Chilled Reds.” Casual bar bites include pimento cheese dip, charcuterie like a “gin and juice lamb salami,” and tuna tartare in an orange ginger glaze.

360 7th St SE, Washington, DC 20003

Visit Website

The mid-century modern bar at the Eastern — The midcentury modern bar at the Eastern

Also featured in:

District Winery

This Navy Yard winery and restaurant includes both tours and tastings. Choose from a seasonal pick, a winemaker’s choice tasting, or a custom flight. Don’t miss out on the D.C.-made dry rosé, either. Grapes are sourced from New York, California, and Washington. The winery’s newly retooled restaurant relies on its 2017 vintage to build dishes like coq au vin and grape strudel.

Open in Google Maps

385 Water St SE, Washington, DC 20003

Visit Website

District Winery DC bottles — District Winery

Also featured in:

BARCA Pier & Wine Bar

Inspired by beach bars (chiringuitos) along Spain’s Mediterranean coastline, Old Town’s scenic drinking perch makes use of retrofitted industrial freight containers floating atop the Potomac River. A marble bar splashed with oceanic and aquamarine tones is the spot to sip wines by the bottle and glass, with $7 pours during its weekday wine happy hour (4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.). The ambitious, pandemic-born project comes from Alexandria Restaurant Partners (Mia’s Italian Kitchen, the Majestic, and Vola’s Dockside Grill).

Open in Google Maps

2 Pioneer Mill Way, Alexandria, VA 22314

Visit Website

Barca Pier & Wine Bar breathes new life into the site of a former shipping pier on the Potomac.

Also featured in:

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Era Wine Bar

3300 Rhode Island Ave, Mt Rainier, MD 20712

Located just past the D.C. border in Mount Rainier, Maryland, Era Wine Bar showcases grapes from underrepresented regions and a section of delicious small plates. The nearly year-old brick corner fixture offers wines by the glass in 3-, 6-, or 9-ounce pours, over 100 bottles for dine-in or to-go, and splurge-worthy bottles poured carefully with a Coravin wine tool. Era comes from first-time restaurateurs Michelle and Ka-ton Grant, a well-traveled duo who’ve called the neighborhood home since 2018. Much of the list highlights small producers, organic and biodynamic styles, and women-owned wineries. There’s also a membership club and concierge service for military and foreign service members.

Open in Google Maps

3300 Rhode Island Ave, Mt Rainier, MD 20712

Visit Website

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Era Wine Bar (@erawinebar)

St. Vincent Wine

3212 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010

Tucked away in Park View, St. Vincent’s sprawling 4,000-square-foot patio is an ideal spot to wind down with huge selection of wines, cocktails, and charcuterie. Modeled after popular New Orleans hangout Bacchanal, there’s also an online store loaded with options available for pickup. The 2-year-old fixture with a wood-framed cocktail bar up top hosts live music out back on weekends.

Open in Google Maps

3212 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010

Visit Website

Wine shelves at St. Vincent — At St. Vincent in Park View, customers can shop for bottles inside or order from the broad backyard.

No Kisses Bar

3120 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010

For fans of natural wines — a category that points to little no additives and includes lots of fruity or funky flavors — should head over to No Kisses bar in Park View. Fluorescent, color-changing ceiling tiles and plush, forest green banquettes give off a groovy, moody vibe. The bar (open Friday and Saturday nights) shares a backyard garden and an extensive online bottle shop with next-door sibling spot Sonny’s Pizza.

Open in Google Maps

3120 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010

Visit Website

No Kisses ceiling

Primrose

3000 12th St NE, Washington, DC 20017

This Brookland bistro features an off-beat wine list and a Eurocentric menu that frequently hosts pop-ups for other cuisines. Selections are primarily curated from France and also include a couple of pours from owner Sebastian Zutant’s proprietary Lightwell Survey label, based out of Waynesboro, Virginia.

Open in Google Maps

3000 12th St NE, Washington, DC 20017

Visit Website

Dining Review - Primrose

Lulu’s Wine Garden

1940 11th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

After running Vinoteca off U Street NW for 12 years, Paul Carlson rebranded it to this laid-back spot with a Southwestern vibe and food menu from chef Cable Smith (Royal) that features queso and tostadas, a French onion dip toast, and roasted beet salad. A list of nearly 50 bottles, all priced at $55, pulls from vineyard across Europe, Virginia, California, Mexico, and Argentina. Lulu’s has one of the more impressive setups in town for streetside seating, too.

Open in Google Maps

1940 11th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Visit Website

The renovation at Lulu’s winegarden included communal tables repurposed from the Vinoteca bar and breezeway blocks that line the walls. — Communal tables at Lulu’s Winegarden

Etabli

84 T St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Bloomingdale’s cozy, wood-fired replacement to Tyber Creek offers playful flights like “Pinot Noir You’re a Star” and “Sweater Weather” for around $20. There’s also a popular monthly wine club with selections handpicked by owners Kathleen Davis and Thomas Boisvert.

Open in Google Maps

84 T St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Visit Website

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by établi (@etablidc)

Cork Wine Bar & Market

1805 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Cork Wine Bar has consolidated its operations into two-story market space at 14th and S Streets NW, though its focus on promoting Old World wines from across Europe remains unchanged. There’s a wide choice of wines by the glass, starting at around $10. Dinner includes both hot and cold plates designed to pair with the wine list.

Open in Google Maps

1805 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Visit Website

Cork Wine Bar & Market

La Jambe (Multiple locations)

1550 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Parisian energy radiates throughout La Jambe, from its airy decor to its all-French wine menu. Prices for glasses and bottles range from affordable to indulgent and touch on known varietals like Burgundy Pinot Noirs to fun finds like fortified wines from the Jura region. A light menu of French meats, cheeses, and bar snacks is also available. La Jambe also has a stall in Union Market.

Open in Google Maps

1550 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Visit Website

Apéro

2622 P St NW, Washington, DC 20007

Longtime local sommelier Elli Benchimol unveiled her dream Champagne-and-caviar bar in Georgetown last year. Tucked inside a historic row home, Apéro serves pastries and espresso drinks by day and bubbles and elegant drinking snacks by night. A wine list that largely swings French plays up grower Champagnes, which are made by the estate that owns the vineyards. By-the-glass options start at $11.

Open in Google Maps

2622 P St NW, Washington, DC 20007

Visit Website

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Apéro DC (@aperodc)

Maxwell Park (Multiple locations)

1336 9th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Sommelier Brent Kroll’s Shaw wine bar quickly become neighborhood go-to for its cheeky rotating menus filled with under-the-radar wines. Each month features a special theme menu in addition to some core picks. Past examples have included wines for the outdoors and woman-owned brands. Wines are individually temperature controlled. A second location sits next to Middle Eastern hot spot Albi in Navy Yard. Kroll will soon bring Shaw a bubbly haven called Pop Fizz Bar.

Open in Google Maps

1336 9th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Visit Website

Maxwell Park

Bottles Wine Garden

2500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037

Curiously hidden past a frosted door in a West End hotel lobby, Bottles Wine Garden popped open in May with a devotion to women-owned wineries. Certified sommelier Erika Parjus and fellow Centrolina alum Angie Duran cater to serious oenophiles and novices alike with carefully curated picks from pioneering wineries around the world. Guests can order at their chosen seats or the bar, with a compact selection of five by-the-glass options and 20-some bottles. Fun menu emojis denote female-owned; organic; biodynamic; and minimal intervention wines.

Open in Google Maps

2500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037

Visit Website

A secluded 70-seat patio out back is framed in green foliage.

The Pursuit Wine Bar & Kitchen

1025 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002

At this H Street NE fixture, which relocated in 2019, owners Shawn Ross and Adam Kelinsky feature wine flights ($20 to $28) and bottles from all over the world. A food menu boasting homemade pastas and panini. New American tasting room Irregardless also offers a strong Virginia vino list across the street.

Open in Google Maps

1025 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002

Visit Website

The wine wall at Pursuit

Flight Wine Bar

777 6th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Flight is a retreat away from the bustle of Chinatown. There are 28 available flights, naturally, all three pours each. In addition, there are more than 40 wines by the glass. The bar also hosts regular wine education and tasting classes. Dinner includes wine bar staples like olives and caprese salad along with a couple of heartier options.

777 6th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Visit Website

flight — Flight Wine Bar

The Eastern

360 7th St SE, Washington, DC 20003

This well-appointed, midcentury modern bar from the owners of nearby Barrel does a lot in a tiny space. The wine list guides customers by familiar tastes, including recommendations from Austria, Argentina, or Greece, “If you like Chilled Reds.” Casual bar bites include pimento cheese dip, charcuterie like a “gin and juice lamb salami,” and tuna tartare in an orange ginger glaze.

360 7th St SE, Washington, DC 20003

Visit Website

The mid-century modern bar at the Eastern — The midcentury modern bar at the Eastern

District Winery

385 Water St SE, Washington, DC 20003

This Navy Yard winery and restaurant includes both tours and tastings. Choose from a seasonal pick, a winemaker’s choice tasting, or a custom flight. Don’t miss out on the D.C.-made dry rosé, either. Grapes are sourced from New York, California, and Washington. The winery’s newly retooled restaurant relies on its 2017 vintage to build dishes like coq au vin and grape strudel.

Open in Google Maps

385 Water St SE, Washington, DC 20003

Visit Website

District Winery DC bottles — District Winery

Related Maps

BARCA Pier & Wine Bar

2 Pioneer Mill Way, Alexandria, VA 22314

Inspired by beach bars (chiringuitos) along Spain’s Mediterranean coastline, Old Town’s scenic drinking perch makes use of retrofitted industrial freight containers floating atop the Potomac River. A marble bar splashed with oceanic and aquamarine tones is the spot to sip wines by the bottle and glass, with $7 pours during its weekday wine happy hour (4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.). The ambitious, pandemic-born project comes from Alexandria Restaurant Partners (Mia’s Italian Kitchen, the Majestic, and Vola’s Dockside Grill).

Open in Google Maps

2 Pioneer Mill Way, Alexandria, VA 22314

Visit Website

Barca Pier & Wine Bar breathes new life into the site of a former shipping pier on the Potomac.

Related Maps