Your passport to wines you've never heard of
· Washington · Middle Eastern / North African · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 11, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Maydan’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Maydan stops you cold — in the best way. This isn't the usual parade of Chardonnay and Cabernet; instead, you're looking at Georgian Saperavi, Lebanese skin-contact, Armenian sparkling, and a Palestinian white grape most Americans couldn't name on a bet. It's a curated statement, and the statement is: your comfort zone is boring.
Nineteen labels, every single one poured by the glass, and almost all of them tethered thematically to the restaurant's Middle Eastern and North African identity. Georgia shows up with Baia's Wine Tsolikouri and Dakishvili Family Saperavi. Lebanon brings Mersel's skin-contact Phoenix and their collaboration rosé, Love Letter by Laila. Armenia checks in with Keush's méthode traditionnelle bubbly. The one outlier — te Pā Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand — sticks out like a tourist who wandered into the wrong neighborhood, but it's there as a safe harbor for the unadventurous. The gaps are real: no deep cellar, no vintage depth, and the bottle ceiling of $105 means this is a by-the-glass program wearing a full wine list's hat.
Here's the actual superpower: every wine on the list is available by the glass, ranging from $8 to $22. That means you can run a personal tasting flight across three continents without committing to a bottle — and at a place this food-forward, that flexibility is exactly right. The amber and skin-contact category is a particular standout; the Mersel Phoenix Skin Contact 2022 and the Monemvasia Tsimbidi Kydonitsa are wines most people will never encounter anywhere else in DC.
Dakishvili Family Saperavi 2021 — $14/glass
Georgian Saperavi at this price point is a steal — the grape delivers dark fruit and serious structure that would cost you twice as much if it carried a French label. Order it with anything coming off the fire.
Keush 'Origins' Méthode Traditionnelle Brut
Armenian sparkling wine made in the traditional method — most tables walk right past it for the Cremant, which is a mistake. Keush is a serious producer working at high altitude in the Areni region, and this bottle is a genuine conversation starter that also happens to drink extremely well.
te Pā Sauvignon Blanc 2023
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is a fine wine in the right context, but here it reads as the list's one concession to guests who won't take a risk. You came to Maydan — if you're ordering the most predictable white on the menu, you're wasting your evening.
Alain Graillot-Thalvin Syrocco 2021 + Lamb from the wood fire
Graillot's Moroccan Syrah — yes, that Graillot — was practically engineered for smoke and char. The wine's dark olive, dried herb, and pepper notes lock into spiced roasted lamb in a way that makes the whole table pay attention.
The Bottom Line
Maydan's wine list is one of the most geographically coherent and genuinely adventurous in Washington, DC — it matches the kitchen's ambition and then some. If you're willing to let go of the familiar, this is one of the best by-the-glass programs in the city for opening your eyes to what the wine world looks like beyond Europe.
Washington · Washington · Seafood
Oceanaire is a safe, well-executed wine destination for California Chardonnay lovers who want reliable bottles with their seafood without too many surprises. Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence since 2017 is well-earned for what it is — just know this list was built for comfort, not adventure.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
Georgetown · Washington · French
Lutèce is a strong place to explore French wine with a firm budget in mind. The posted list runs from a $64 Southern Rhône red to $600 Champagne, so tell Chris Ray what you want to spend and let that guide the conversation. Confirm prices and availability when you book or arrive.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Washington, DC · Washington · Steakhouse
STK DC is a vibe restaurant that treats wine as an accessory, not a feature. If you're here for the scene, the cocktails will serve you better than the list ever will.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Washington · Restaurant
Moon Rabbit's wine list is doing something rare: it's short enough to read in two minutes and interesting enough to talk about for twenty. If you care about well-chosen, adventurous bottles at prices that won't wreck your dinner bill, send your people here.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Washington · Washington · Spanish
Xiquet is doing something genuinely rare in D.C. — a tightly edited, Spain-first wine program inside a room that actually earns it. Four sommeliers and a Wood Spectator Award of Excellence since 2023 confirm this isn't an accident; just know you're paying for the setting as much as the bottle.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Washington · Washington · Italian
Via Sophia is doing something genuinely focused in a city full of lists that try to please everyone — an all-Italy program with real depth, fair pricing, and a sommelier who actually cares. Send your friends here, tell them to ignore the Sassicaia, and order the Amarone.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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