Cooks & Soldiers

This Basque-inspired pintxos restaurant has a wine list that reads like a love letter to Spain and the Iberian Peninsula. They use a Coravin system to pour premium wines by the glass without opening the bottle, meaning you can try rare selections like Pesquera Crianza Ribera del Duero or Listan Negro from the Canary Islands in 3-ounce pours. The by-the-glass list covers Albarino, Mencia from Ribera Sacra, Garnacha from Priorat, aged Rioja Gran Reservas, and deep cuts from Navarra and Yecla. Bottle prices are reasonable, with many Spanish selections in the $40 to $65 range.

Shareable pintxos and Basque-style grilled meats. The cocktail program also leans Iberian, featuring Amontillado sherry shrubs and Cava-based drinks. The format encourages ordering multiple small plates and matching each with a different Coravin pour, which is exactly the kind of wine exploration that turns a dinner into an education.

The Coravin system is the reason this restaurant earns a Rager badge. Rare Spanish wines by the 3-ounce pour means you can taste across regions and price points in a single evening without committing to full bottles. Order four pintxos and four different Coravin pours. That is the move.