Five O'Clock Meeting: Victuals at Vinoteca
Just one variety of the many sliders available at a bargain during Vinoteca's happy hour.
It was really hard to decide what was the true star of the evening: the wine or the food offerings for happy hour. Vinoteca's reduced-price wines number 20, and include some truly delicious and unique offerings ... but then there's the sliders (pardon my drool). The sliders are an indecisive eater's dream: There are six different varieties, and mixing and matching is strongly encouraged. For $7, you get two sliders and a small salad, and can choose from beef with cheddar, lamb with feta and eggplant, bison with gruyere and caramelized onions, venison with brie and poblano (additional $1), tuna with chili mayo or grilled portobello. None--and I'm pretty sure we tried all of them--were disappointing. Despite the fact that the kitchen was turning out sliders faster hotcakes, there was no compromise on the trimmings or how well they were cooked.
An order of house made duck and pork paté was also a hit: The large portion of flavorful paté accompanied by crunchy flatbread, a house-made pickle and mustard was a deal at $6. Other food offerings include shrimp and grits ($14), liver mousse crostini ($5) and pork and duck rillettes ($6).
The happy hour wines by-the-glass are also thoughtfully chosen to include something for everyone. They are, unsurprisingly, mainly selected from the lower end of the full list—wines at Vinoteca range from $28 to $280 bottles, and almost everything on the 100-bottle list is offered by the glass—but this takes little away from a happy hour visit. The selection includes old world and new world alike, with a lot of wines from Italy, but also several from California, South Africa and Argentina. Some favorite whites included the 2007 Remo Farina Bianco di Custoza (dry Italian white with added body and depth due to the blend of the grapes) and the 2007 Kesselstatt Riesling from Germany ("scrumptious without being cloyingly sweet," according to one sipper).
For reds, crowd-pleasers were many: The Mendoza Malbec (2003) from Argentina was solidly enjoyable, and the Girone dei Folli Montepulciano (2006) and the Four Vines zinfandel (2005) were also highlights. The dark horse of the night, however, was Fairvalley's Pinotage from the coastal region of South Africa (2006). The almost smoky oak flavor balances well with berry tones, and light tannins make for a very smooth finish. Definitely worth a try if you haven't given Pinotage a go before—much like happy hour at Vinoteca.
Vinoteca
1940 11th Street NW
4:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Sun. & Tues.-Thurs., 4:30 p.m.-3 a.m. Fri. & Sat.
Happy Hour 5-7 p.m.
(202) 332-WINE