Natural wine is taking the wine industry by a storm. At this point wine experts can agree this is not just a trend but is actually the future of the wine industry. There is no one definition of natural wine, rather it is a movement that winemakers have started where they are using simple or ancient ways of making wine. This often includes wines using naturally occurring yeast or wines made without added sulfates. This has become popular because it is a way of making wine with less of a negative environmental impact and it results in really fun and unique wines.
Read on to discover three fun spots in Washington D.C. where you can enjoy great natural wines.
St. Vincent Natural Wine (Addams Morgan)
3212 Georgia Ave. NW Washington, DC 20010
If you like cool people, good wine and fun times you will love St. Vincent Wine. They have a small Wine by the Glass list with 5-6 hand selected natural wines. They also offer a few delicious bites and a bottle list filled with great natural wines for a variety of wine making regions. The energy is always fun but never overwhelming. If you can make it on a Monday night, there is a great live jazz band. Make this bar a stop on your next night out in DC and you will not regret it.
Maxwell Park (Shaw)
1336 9th St. NW Washington, DC 20001
Maxwell Park is a crowd pleaser and a very fun establishment to celebrate. They offer more than 50 wines by the glass, and they rotate depending on each month’s theme. One of the recent themes “Anything But Napa” was reminding everyone of the time Napa became the standard for wine making in the USA; today there are even more noteworthy wine making regions just in the US and Maxwell celebrated that by serving wines coming from anywhere except Napa Valley. You will find so many interesting and delicious natural wines at Maxwell Park. If you’re in DC, make time to stop in here for at least one glass of wine.
Grand Cata (Shaw/Le Cosecha)
Flagship Store
1550 7th street NW, Washington, DC, 20001
Le Cosecha Shop
1280 4th street NE, Washington, DC, 20002
Grand Cata specializes in Latin American wine and also features natural wines from other wine making regions. There are two locations to check out. The flagship store in Shaw has a wide variety of bottles to shop through. This location is a must visit since they started offering their 3 for $25 tasting. This includes three wines to taste through and one of Grand Cata’s wine experts will talk you through each one. It is a 30-minute mini class and a fun learning experience. The Le Cosecha location is a great stop because they offer a smaller selection of bottles to shop through and they have a small bar where you can have a few snacks and enjoy some wine by the glass or a bottle. If you like really good natural wine, you need to go to Grand Cata.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of enjoying natural wine in Washington, DC now is the time to do it. Here you have three great places to get a glass or bottle of delicious wine. Whether you are visiting DC or a local put these three places on your must visit list. You will leave these spots with good memories, slight buzz, and a deeper appreciation for natural wine retailers.
