Plant-Based Latin Meets Serious French Bottles
Washington · Washington · Latin, Vegetarian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 11, 2026
Wingman Metrics
A plant-based Latin American restaurant with a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and a genuine soft spot for Champagne — that's not a combination you see every day on V Street. The list is compact but it's clearly been curated with intention, not just filled in by a distributor rep. France anchors the whole thing, which only makes the arepa sampler more interesting.
At 80 to 120 bottles, this isn't a sprawling cellar, but the list punches above its weight class. Champagne is the obvious star — Veuve Clicquot Brut NV and Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs both make appearances, giving you a range from crowd-pleasing to genuinely elegant. Louis Jadot handles the Burgundy side of France, and Domaine Weinbach brings some real Alsace credibility to a list that could easily have coasted on safe picks. The Latin American thread — Catena Zapata Malbec from Mendoza, Spanish Albariño — ties back to the kitchen's roots without feeling like a gimmick.
Ten to sixteen options by the glass is a respectable spread for a restaurant this size, and the $12 to $18 price range stays honest. We'd like to see more rotation and a little more adventurousness in the glass pours — right now the by-the-glass program feels like it plays it safer than the bottle list does.
Catena Zapata Malbec (Mendoza) — $40-$50
Catena Zapata is one of Argentina's most reliable names and tends to get marked up aggressively elsewhere. Here it lands at a price that actually makes sense — solid structure, ripe fruit, and it holds its own against the bold flavors coming out of the kitchen.
Domaine Weinbach Alsace
Most tables at Mita are going to reach for the Champagne or the Malbec and call it a night. Don't. Weinbach is one of Alsace's benchmark producers, and their whites — whether it's a Riesling or Pinot Gris — bring an aromatic complexity that plays surprisingly well against herb-forward, plant-based Latin cooking.
Veuve Clicquot Brut NV
Veuve is fine — it's always fine — but when Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs is sitting right there on the same list, paying restaurant markup for the yellow label feels like leaving money on the table. Step up or step sideways.
Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs + Watermelon Crudo
The watermelon crudo has that bright, acidic, almost citrus-electric quality that Blanc de Blancs was basically born to match. All Chardonnay, crisp and precise — it cuts through any richness and amplifies the freshness of the dish without overpowering it.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Mita is doing something genuinely unusual — serious French wine in a plant-based Latin dining room — and it mostly works. If you're the kind of person who gets excited by Alsace on a vegetarian menu, this is your spot.
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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.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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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
Georgetown · Washington · French
Lutèce earns its Wine Spectator nod with a tightly curated French list that goes deeper than the cozy Georgetown bistro setting might suggest. The pricing skews steep once you move past the Loire and Alsace sections, but if you drink strategically — and let Chris point the way — this is a genuinely rewarding wine experience.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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
Washington · Washington · Seafood
Truluck's is a dependable, well-run wine program that earns its Wine Spectator nod without doing anything surprising — California loyalists and Napa Cab fans will be perfectly happy here. If you want adventure, bring your own recommendations; if you want reliable execution with your stone crab, this delivers.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.