Results tagged “wine”

Look, it's no secret that Maryland's laws governing booze are ludicrous, featuring a rigidity rivaled only by Pennsylvania and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. One particularly Puritanical section of the law does not allow tax-paying, law-abiding Marylanders to have wine shipped to their homes. Thankfully, there appear to be more level-headed individuals among those who produce and enjoy a good Pinot than in the state's General Assembly.

Are you a fan of D.C.'s myriad wine bars, but find you always end up spending too much money when you head to one for happy hour? Problem solved at Vinoteca just off U St. NW, which continues to offer its phenomenal $5-a-glass happy hour five days a week. Far from the stuffy snobbery that can sometimes accompany wine-centric establishments, Vinoteca offers a vibrant atmosphere at its brightly-colored bar area, including a healthy, but manageable, din of conversation from patrons and an upbeat soundtrack. Happy hour at Vinoteca, which during a recent mid-week visit was full but not overcrowded, runs from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, and Tuesday through Friday.

For both wine connoisseurs and revelers alike, the Thursday before Thanksgiving has taken on a heightened significance in the United States over the past several years: the release of the Beaujolais Nouveau wine from the Burgundy region of France. The very young red wine is made from the gamay grape and aged less than a year before its cork is pulled, which, by law, cannot occur until the third Thursday in November. (Note: Not surprisingly, French people take this very seriously. I have seen a French friend of mine ready to come to blows upon hearing that a restaurant in New York was serving the beaujolais nouveau ahead of time. So watch out!)

Maybe you've got a 20-year old bottle of Burgundy chilling in your wine cellar that you want to drink for a special dinner out. Or, you just want to order something nice off the wine list. Up until now, D.C. ABC regulations dictated that you can't carry any remainder out of the restaurant. So of course, most folks would either try to finish the whole thing, leave it behind, or stealthily hand it off to some other lucky diner. This leaves you with the options of dangerous, wasteful, or illegal.

Just when people thought the Target in Columbia Heights had everything, there's talk of it getting even more.

After pouring in Boston and now moving onto New York, the traveling Wine Expo was held this past weekend here in D.C. A full line-up of wine tastings, food demos, and seminars filled the halls of the Ronald Reagan building all weekend long. Wine lovers, consumers, people in the trade and some miscellaneous drunk people all came out in the name of wine. The entire weekend kicked off Friday night with the Grand Cru tasting. Those willing to shell out $175 were granted a more personal visit to many of the exhibitors as well as sample many exclusive wines. Food samples and demonstrations included B.L.T. Steak, 1789, Dino, Proof, Equinox and PS-7, to name a few.

Maryland, like most other states, has some arcane laws still on the books (cf. Virginia's code outlawing the mixing of wine or beer with spirits), but none irks area oenophiles more than the one that prohibits the shipping of wine into or out of the state. The Post reports today that a bill proposed by two Montgomery County legislators would finally change all that.

It's a very good time to be a wine drinker in D.C. With spring not too far away, wine bars have been popping up like daisies around town. Newcomers include Proof in Chinatown, Vinoteca at 11th/U, and Veritas in Dupont Circle. Just last night, another contender entered the fray: Cork officially opened its doors on 14th between R and S. The wine list is 40 strong by the glass, and around 130 by the bottle. Prices are generally in the $8-$11 range for glasses, although there are a few outliers at $6 and $14. Cork also offers flights of three wines for $9-$13 - my chenin blanc flight was an interesting tour through the grape's intricacies, with sugar and acidity levels varying between glasses. At the moment, the beer list has only five bottles, but it includes standouts such as the Smuttynose IPA and Floris Wit-Blanche. As for the food, I arrived as the kitchen was closing so I missed out on a chance to try the menu, but the presence of Chef Ron Tonaka, former sous chef of CityZen and Citronelle, makes me confident that the food will be an attraction here. The menu is small, but includes some typical wine bar fare such as charcuterie and duck confit, as well as more adventurous selections, each notated with wine recommendations.

Believe it or not, it’s that time of year…. again. A time to sit back and reflect, but also to look to the future. But speaking in wine terms, it’s the time of year to pick out that bottle (or bottles) of bubbly to ring in the New Year. As much as we love our champagne, vintage champagne no less, it’s not always the practical choice. Unless you plan on not drinking what so ever before midnight, so that you can fully appreciate an expensive bottle of fizz, we suggest looking to sparkling alternatives. In this final 2007 edition of Buyin' Oeno, we’ll look into why champagne can be so expensive, but also splash into what other more reasonable options are out there.

Good holiday news for District oenophiles: via the Examiner, the D.C. Council is considering legislation that would boost the amount of wine you can could have shipped to you from outside the city to two cases per month, per home or business. Currently an individual is limited to only one quart of wine per month if you don't have a manufacturer's, wholesaler's or retailer's license.

With classical art not always well-represented in the District, the new exhibit at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Wine, Worship and Sacrifice: The Golden Graves of Ancient Vani, is a great opportunity to see some pieces from the sixth century B.C.E. to the mid-first century B.C.E. Colchis, now the country of Georgia.

It is truly the most wonderful time of year — for caterers, that is. D.C. knows how to feast. Between all the holiday/non-denominational/winter solstice parties for every single nonprofit/government/lobby/press room in town and our own personal holiday events, the humble art of bringing a homemade dish to any event has fallen by the wayside. Personally, I’ll be bringing a dozen Krispy Kreme jelly doughnuts to a Hanukkah party this weekend. On the other hand, there...

The cold weather - and holiday festivities - descended upon Gothamist. The Rockefeller Christmas tree was lit, Broadway stagehand finally ended their strike, and NASCAR decided to run their victory lap through Times Square. There were disturbing photographs revealing the working conditions in which many city manholes are produced and ninjas were also a hot topic, either robbing homes or entering into alibis. But the city was really rocked by how Rudy Giuliani's visits...

Written by DCist Contributor Eric Denman As the commercialization of Chinatown persists, the number of restaurants and bars continues to increase. For every existing grungy Chinese takeout place, there is a new sports bar, burger joint, or wine bar. Proof, which opened in July, is the newest entry in the Chinatown wine bar field, and it opened a mere block from the established José Andrés outpost Zaytinya (which has been open since 2002). Both places...

As wine professionals, this is the time of year when we go into overdrive helping you, the consumer, fulfill all of your wine needs for parties and gift giving. As wine lovers, we relish being able to share our love of wine with others. We know that buying wine anytime can be an overwhelming an experience, but possibly more so now that you have to cover your family, friends, co-workers, and a mystery person whose...

Rather than bringing a bottle of a nameless, never-tried bottle of Pinot Noir to your holiday parties, bring something the hosts will actually remember that it was you who brought it. Bring something that they'll be thankful for the morning after two too many egg nogs or a night of putting up with the relatives in town for Hanukkah. Bring them Joe. Two pounds of coffee is the new bottle of wine. Don't be an...

We know it’s not quite Thanksgiving yet, but our mouths are already watering with the thought of all that turkey and stuffing goodness. Alongside those thoughts are ones of what wines to pair with our cornucopia of delights. With all the different flavors and components on the table it may seem impossible to choose just one white and one red. But do you really want to get into the intricacies of pairing different wines with...

Editors Note: We enjoyed the tour diaries J. Tom Hnatow wrote for us as part of These United States' last tour, so we asked him if he wouldn't mind doing it again as the band embark on their first ever intercontinental tour of the UK and Europe. He graciously agreed. This is the fourth and final installment of this series. The Paris entry: Thursday October 25th After our marathon, 14-hour, pre-dawn-to-post-dusk trek from Bath to...

>> D.C. firefighters were called to a rowhouse fire in Columbia Heights this afternoon. The blaze broke out about 5:15 p.m. in the 1300 block of Otis Place, NW. [AP/WJLA] >> As if Adams Morgan could somehow be ruined by the introduction of beer and wine sales at a grocery store? Have they been to Adams Morgan? [Examiner] >> SmarTrip cards are now available at more Giant stores. [Free Ride] >> "Good lord, have...

Editors Note: We enjoyed the tour diaries J. Tom Hnatow wrote for us as part of These United States' last tour, so we asked him if he wouldn't mind doing it again as the band embark on their first ever intercontinental tour of the UK and Europe. He graciously agreed. This is the third installment of an ongoing series. Tuesday, October 23, 2007 A leisurely breakfast, then off to Bath. Bath is stunningly beautiful. And...

Nowadays, it seems like every place under the sun is producing wine. Indeed, it's probably because they are. Whenever someone says that they have a bottle from North Carolina or Mexico or China, there is no second guessing them anymore. Whether or not these odd regional wines are actually drinkable is another story. We've made it our mission to always give a bottle try- no matter where's it from- because you never know when or...

Written by DCist Contributor Eric Denman On U street NW between 13th and 14th, nestled between Polly's and a nail salon, Axis is settling into a rhythm and starting to be a very solid contender in an increasingly crowded strip. The wine list, which averages $12 $8 by the glass, is respectable, but the real reason to come here is for the tap list. Although it doesn't boast a huge variety of obscure seasonals, the...

For some, finding that perfect wine and food pairing can be an overwhelming and intimidating task. Sure, you can always fall back on that “trusty” rule of white wine with white meat and red wine with red meat, but is that really the best that you can come up with? How about replacing those two thoughts with two new ones that are just as easy to remember? Next time you are trying to pick a...

FRIDAY: >> Do the right thing and head to 9:30 Club for a show hosted by the strange gathering of the likes of Gypsy Eyes Records, The Federal Reserve and haberdasherie Propper Topper for a benefit for the DC Public Library Foundation. Kitty Hawk, Vandaveer, Revival, These United States and many more make up the crowded bill. 7:30 p.m., $20. >> The Brunettes (pictured right) perform sickly sweet but addictive pop duets, and they'll be...

Good morning, Washington. If you're the kind of person who delights in reading angry product reviews on consumer web sites, head over here and read some of the comments about the Presidential Inn on New York Ave. Highlights include "I have never been so disgusted with a place in all my life," "I can't even believe that it is running legally," and, tellingly, "upon my departure I noticed small red bumps all over my body."...

>> There are so many festivals going on this weekend, we don't feel bad mentioning them a few times to make sure you get your butt off the couch to check out as many of them as you can. We'll have more on always anticipated Crafty Bastards later today, which is Sunday in Adams Morgan. The National Book Festival, where this writer is going to nerd it up, is Saturday on the Mall. Practice your...

California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has declared September “California Wine Month” for the third consecutive year. Since September is almost over we thought we would get into the spirit and raise a glass to the California wine industry (not that we think they need their own month). We would have celebrated sooner but we were busy getting tipsy off our own local Virginia Wines, as you may recall. The Wine Institute, a.k.a. the self-proclaimed “Voice for...

Neither Mozart nor Hockey Themed Washington works hard to burnish its dining credentials. D.C. fat cats who are literally fat need somewhere to eat, and they're not going to throw down lobbyist dollars for just any slop. No. D.C. is a dining destination, beckoning the up-and-coming chefs and their myriad foodie followers. People are noticing, too. From the New York Times to the National Geographic Traveler, we're a getting noticed -- enough so that a...

Protest over national vs. regional chains, the never-ending debate over the place of cars and bicycles in our metropolises, professional sports scandals, remembering a solemn day, and being issued a search warrant - it all happened across our sites this week! Another banner week at Chicagoist started off with daily reports from food writer Lisa Shames on her attempt to eat only locally grown and raised foodstuffs all week as part of a farmers market...

Are wine bars the next bistro? Following closely on the heels of Proof and Sonoma, Veritas Wine Bar will be opening next Monday, September 17. The list is largely composed of Euro-style California wines, with over 50 available by the glass starting at $8 and going up to $28. Also available are various red and white flights, chosen by varietal, region or cutesy names like "m&m&m" and "Mick's picks". Three deadly zins, anyone? The web...