Josephine

The wine list at Josephine reads like someone actually loves French wine — not just knows how to spell it. It's tight, intentional, and skews hard toward the regions that matter: Burgundy, Loire, Alsace, Champagne. This isn't a list built to impress; it's built to drink.

Don't come here looking for a world tour — this is a proudly French cellar with zero apologies. Burgundy anchors the list with producers like Domaine de la Denante (Bourgogne Rouge at $17) and Domaine du Colombier (Chablis at $19), both of which punch above their price class. The Loire gets proper representation via Augustini's Sancerre at $18, and Alsace shows up with Schoenheitz — a producer most DC-area restaurants wouldn't know how to spell, let alone stock. The gaps are real: no Spain, no Italy, minimal New World — but that's the whole point.

Eighteen-plus options by the glass at $8–$19 is genuinely impressive for a neighborhood bistro, and the range holds up across regions and styles. A Crémant d'Alsace at $9 by the glass is the kind of move that earns loyalty — that's Champagne-adjacent quality at a price that doesn't require a moment of hesitation. The ceiling at $19 (hello, Chablis) keeps things accessible without dumbing down the selection.