Spain's Greatest Hits, Every Wednesday Half Price
Washington · Spanish · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed April 7, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Barcelona Wine Bar’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list lands on the table and immediately tells you this place takes Spain seriously — not in a dusty, pretentious way, but in a 'we actually know what we're doing' way. Two hundred-plus bottles, almost all Iberian, with names that make any Spain-head sit up straight. This isn't a wine list that happened by accident.
From Vega Sicilia Unico to Alvaro Palacios' L'Ermita, the ceiling here is genuinely impressive — these are benchmark Spanish wines that most American restaurants don't bother with. The depth across regions is real: Rioja gets its proper due with López de Heredia and CVNE Imperial Gran Reserva sitting alongside Muga's Prado Enea, while Galicia shows up strong with Do Ferreiro and Pazo de Señorans Albariños from Rías Baixas. Priorat, Ribera del Duero, Cava, Sherry — the list covers the full map without feeling scattered. The one caveat is that outside of Spain, you're mostly on your own, so if someone at your table insists on Burgundy, good luck.
Forty to sixty pours by the glass is an absurd number in the best possible way — this is a by-the-glass program that functions like a full list at most restaurants. Glass prices run $10–$20, which is reasonable for this market, and the range spans everything from Txakolina and Cava to aged Riojas and Lustau Sherries. The sheer breadth means you can effectively drink your way across Spain without committing to a bottle.
Bodegas Borsao Garnacha 2022 — $12
Twelve dollars for a glass of honest, fruit-forward Garnacha from Campo de Borja? That's the kind of pour that makes you order a second round of patatas bravas just to keep the glass company. It punches well above its price point and is exactly why Wednesday half-price night exists.
Lustau Amontillado Sherry
Most tables walk right past this on the menu, which is a shame. Lustau's Amontillado is one of the most versatile, complex pours on the list — nutty, saline, with enough structure to stand up to jamón ibérico and enough finesse to drink solo. At $15 a glass, it's also one of the best deals on the menu.
Cava Freixenet Cordon Negro
Freixenet Cordon Negro is a fine supermarket Cava, but when Raventós i Blanc is on this list, there's no reason to order the grocery store option. Save the $11 and put it toward something that actually shows off what Cava can be.
Rias Baixas Albariño Martín Códax 2023 + Gambas al ajillo
Albariño's bright acidity and saline edge were practically engineered for garlic shrimp. The wine cuts through the olive oil, echoes the oceanic sweetness of the gambas, and refreshes your palate between bites. It's a textbook match and at $16 a glass, an easy call.
Wednesday — Half-price wine night every Wednesday — applies to the wine list and makes an already fair-priced list a genuine steal.
The Bottom Line
Barcelona Wine Bar is the rare restaurant wine list that earns its Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator without feeling like it's trying to impress Wine Spectator — it's just a genuinely great, deeply Spanish list with fair prices and a by-the-glass program that's worth the trip alone. Hit it on a Wednesday and you're essentially drinking for free.
· Washington · Mediterranean
Zaytinya's wine list is one of the more focused and honest Greek programs you'll find at a mid-to-high scale restaurant in D.C. The by-the-glass selection is wide, the pricing doesn't insult you, and the Greek variety depth is genuinely impressive. If you've been waiting for a reason to finally figure out what Xinomavro tastes like, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Washington · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão's wine list is exactly what a national Brazilian steakhouse chain's wine list looks like: functional, familiar, and priced for margin rather than your benefit. The by-the-glass count is impressive on paper, but most of the options are labels you've seen at your grocery store for a fraction of what they're charging here. If you're coming for the meat — and you should be — stick to the Catena Malbec and enjoy the show.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Washington · Washington · Steak House
A 20-wine by-the-glass list with every pour between $14 and $30, split across four sparkling, six white, two rosé and eight red. With a steak, start with the $26 Clos Duval Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon or the $22 Monte Antico Supremus; for the cheapest glass, take the $14 Dr. Loosen Riesling. Pour sizes aren't posted and the page is undated, so confirm today's wines. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown DC · Washington · Steakhouse
A steakhouse beverage menu with 30 wines by the glass and a bottle list that is mostly California, with some France, Italy and Portugal. Start with the $9/glass happy hour Bonanza Cabernet if you arrive in the window, or the Eroica Riesling, the only Riesling on the glass list, and ask for prices because regular wine prices aren't posted. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Georgetown · Washington · Seafood, Steakhouse
An unpriced list that is easier to read for what it offers than for what it costs. If you want Bordeaux, ask for the 2020 Margaux de Brane Cantenac, or look at the Brunello di Montalcino in Sommelier's Selections, and get the price before you commit. This unrated guide covers the posted Beverage Menu, not service, storage or markups.
Washington · Washington · Latin, Vegetarian
A wide-ranging list with 14 wines by the glass from $17 to $95 and a bottle book that runs from $60 to $1,275. Start with the $17 Eichinger Grüner Veltliner or the $20 Pêcheur Trousseau, and ask for the Natural Wines section if you want something low-intervention. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
King · Portland · Spanish
A Spanish tapas-bar wine page with glass and bottle prices from 13/50 and a ten-sherry list. Start with the Pago del Cielo Celeste Verdejo at 13 a glass, try the chilled Vara y Pulgar Tintilla at 17 if you want something different, and order the Miquel Pons Cava with the croquetas. The page says the posted menu may differ from the restaurant's, so confirm prices. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Washington · Washington · Spanish
A glass-focused, Spain-leaning wine menu with a full sherry section and no bottle list posted. Start with the $17 Valtravieso Crianza or the $25 La Vizcaína Mencía, and order the $12 Manzanilla Fina with the jamón if you want to see how the sherry list works. Confirm prices, since the menu is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks selection, not service, storage or markups.
Atlanta · Atlanta · Spanish
Buena Vida doesn't have the deepest list in Atlanta, but they've done real work curating twenty bottles that actually match the food and the spirit of the place — and with 18 pours available by the glass at fair prices, it's one of the more inviting wine setups on the tapas scene. Send your friends here.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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