A Cheese Shop That Actually Gets Wine
Shirlington · Arlington · Cheese bar / Wine bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 19, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Cheesetique – Shirlington’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Cheesetique, you expect the wine list to be an afterthought — a few safe bottles propped up next to the Gruyère. Instead, you get a genuinely curated 23-label list that clearly had someone with taste making decisions. It's compact, yes, but it earns its square footage.
The list punches above its size by covering real ground: Lini910 Lambrusco from Emilia-Romagna, a Drouhin Mâcon-Villages, Failla Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, and a Bonpas Châteauneuf-du-Pape all on the same menu is not something you stumble into by accident. There are a few filler picks — the Stella Pinot Grigio has no business being here — but they're outnumbered by genuinely interesting choices. The white wine section is the strongest leg of the list, with solid Old World representation from Sancerre, White Bordeaux, and Albariño alongside New World options that don't embarrass themselves. Reds are slimmer but cover the bases: a Willamette Pinot, a Super Tuscan, a Côtes du Rhône, and the obligatory Cab.
Twenty-two of twenty-three bottles are available by the glass, which is essentially the whole list — a genuinely generous pour program that makes this a legitimate spot for exploration. Glass prices run $12–$33, which keeps casual Tuesday-night experimentation accessible without feeling like a trap. Rotation appears limited; this reads more like a seasonal-refresh list than one that changes constantly, so don't expect a surprise every visit.
Lini910 Lambrusco Rosso — $42
Lambrusco at this price point from one of the category's benchmark producers is a straight-up win. It's food-friendly, fizzy, and genuinely fun — exactly what you want when you're working through a cheese board. Most people walk past it without a second look, which is their loss.
Château Le Prieur White Bordeaux
White Bordeaux is one of the most underrated categories in the store, and at $49 this is a quiet overachiever on a list that trends toward the obvious whites. Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc blends have texture and weight that generic Sauv Blancs can't touch, and nobody at the table is going to have seen it coming.
Bonpas Châteauneuf-du-Pape
At $98 it's the most expensive bottle on the list, and Bonpas is a négociant label — not a domaine bottling that justifies that ceiling. You're paying for the appellation name more than what's in the glass. The Failla Pinot at $69 is a far better use of your dinner budget.
Failla Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir + A curated cheese board with aged selections
Failla's Sonoma Coast Pinot has the acidity and red-fruit brightness to cut through rich, funky aged cheeses without bullying them off the board. It's the kind of wine that makes everything taste better without announcing itself — exactly what you need when the cheese is the star.
The Bottom Line
Cheesetique shouldn't have a wine list this good, and that's exactly why it's worth your time. Come for the cheese, stay because the Lambrusco and the White Bordeaux gave you no reason to leave.
Crystal City · Arlington · Wine Shop / Tasting Bar
Crystal City Wine Shop is the kind of low-key, staff-driven wine spot that most neighborhoods desperately want and rarely get — especially one with the nerve to stock Ukrainian bottles in the shadow of the Pentagon. We'd send a curious friend here without hesitation; just don't come in expecting a full restaurant experience.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
Clarendon · Arlington · New American
CIRCA Clarendon isn't trying to be a wine destination and doesn't pretend otherwise — but the all-BTG format, fair prices, and a few genuinely interesting whites make it a solid call when you want wine that works without overthinking it. Send a friend here, just steer them away from the Unshackled.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Arlington · Wine Bar / Bottle Shop
Flight Wine Shop is doing something genuinely rare in the DC suburbs: a tightly curated, fairly priced bottle shop that treats obscure regions and natural producers as the main event, not a novelty section. If you're tired of the same ten wines and want a shop that will actually teach you something, this is your spot.
Deep & Eclectic
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Arlington · Wine Bar / Café
Oby Lee is not a destination for serious wine drinkers, but it is a genuinely fun, low-pressure spot where the prices are fair and the vibe is unapologetically playful. Send your friends who think they don't like wine — they'll order a mango slushy and have a great time.
Plays It Safe
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Ballston · Arlington · Neapolitan Pizza
Pupatella isn't trying to be a destination wine program, and it doesn't need to be — it's a pizza place with a focused, fairly priced, Italian-centric list that actually makes sense with the food. Send a friend here for the pizza and tell them to order the Lambrusco.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Arlington · Arlington · Wine Bar
Screwtop is doing something genuinely unusual in the DC suburbs: a deep, eclectic by-the-glass list priced fairly and organized with actual personality. If you want to drink something you've never tried before in a low-pressure setting, this is exactly the place to send a friend.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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