Bond 45 - National Harbor

The list at Bond 45 reads exactly like what you'd expect from a buzzy harbor-district steakhouse — Napa Cabs, Italian whites, a Sonoma name-drop or two. It's not going to surprise you, but it's not going to embarrass you either. This is a wine list built for people who know what they want before they sit down.

The 80-120 bottle range covers the obvious bases: California red muscle (Turnbull, Chappellet), Italian whites anchoring the lighter end (Casalini and Zenato Pinot Grigio), and a token Côtes du Rhône rosé for the table that can't agree. There's a Cascina D'Of Nebbiolo from Langhe that hints at some genuine interest in northern Italy beyond just pasta wines, and a Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc that's a quality pick even if it's slightly out of place on a steak menu. Oregon shows up in the region notes but doesn't make a big appearance in the named bottles, and if you're hunting for Burgundy, aged Barolo, or anything south of Rome, keep hunting.

The glass program is slim — at least five options in that $13–$14 range — and reads more like a placeholder than a curated experience. You've got the Casalini Pinot Grigio, the Ferme de Gicon rosé, and the Between the Vines Pinot Noir holding down the pours. Nothing wrong with any of them, but at $13–$14 a glass, you're not getting a story, you're getting a drink.