Dio Wine Bar in Washington DC is the H Street NE natural-wine room from Stacy Kelsey, the city's most explicitly natural-wine bar, with rotating glasses from low-intervention producers worldwide.
Food program: Cheese and charcuterie boards
Tip: The wine bar runs an open-bottle policy; ask what is already pulled and pay by the glass for the value.
Address: 904 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002, Washington DC
The Dabney Cellar in Washington DC is the basement wine bar below The Dabney in Shaw, with a tight Mid-Atlantic-and-German list, snacks from upstairs and a quieter feel than the main room.
Signature pour: Mid-Atlantic riesling by the glass
Wine focus: Mid-Atlantic and German wines
Food: Snacks from the upstairs kitchen
Tip: Snag a seat at the wine bar for the upstairs kitchen menu without the dining-room reservation pressure.
Bistrot Lepic Wine Bar in Washington DC is the Georgetown wine bar above the French bistro Bistrot Lepic on Wisconsin Avenue, a small French-only room with weekly wine tastings on Wednesdays.
Signature pour: Burgundy by the glass
Wine focus: French regional wines
Food: French small plates
Tip: Wednesday wine tastings from 19:00 are $30 for five pours; reserve a week ahead via the website.
Iron Gate in Washington DC is the Dupont Circle Greek-Mediterranean dining room and wine bar on N Street, a former carriage-house with a Mediterranean wine focus and a wood-fire mezze kitchen.
Signature pour: Assyrtiko by the glass
Wine focus: Greek and Mediterranean wines
Food: Wood-fire mezze and small plates
Tip: The covered garden patio is the city's prettiest spring-and-summer wine bar seat; book the late slot for the lower light.
barmini by Jose Andres in Washington DC is the cocktail laboratory next to Minibar on E Street, a 100-cocktail menu with a deep sherry and Spanish wine program from the same kitchen.
Signature pour: Manzanilla sherry flight
Wine focus: Cocktail laboratory with sherry and wine focus
Food: Pintxos and tapas
Tip: Bartender's choice is the play; describe a flavour and let the staff build. Reservations are required.
Sospeso in Washington DC is the Dupont Circle 17th Street Italian wine and cicchetti bar from Brent Kroll of Maxwell Park, with a small Italian-only natural list and cured-meat plates.
Signature pour: Lambrusco by the glass
Wine focus: Italian natural wines
Food: Cicchetti and small Italian plates
Tip: The wine flight is themed weekly; ask the bar what tonight's set is. Walk-ins fill the bar by 19:30.
Cork Wine Bar and Market in Washington DC is Diane Gross's 14th Street Logan Circle wine bar and bottle shop since 2008, the city's anchor natural wine room with 50 bottles by the glass.
Signature pour: Grower Champagne flight
Wine focus: Old World by the glass, deep grower Champagne
Food: Cheese and charcuterie, small plates
Tip: The retail shop next door sells the bottles you drink in the bar at retail price plus a $15 corkage; the best value list in DC.
