Art gallery vibes, Iberian wine instincts
Shirlington · Arlington · Global small plates / tapas-style fusion · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 27, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Palette 22’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Palette 22, the wine list feels like a natural extension of the art on the walls — deliberately curated, a little offbeat, and clearly not assembled by someone who just pulled a distributor catalog and called it a day. The Spain-forward lean is refreshing in a DC-area scene that defaults to California Cab and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. It's not a deep cellar, but it has a point of view.
The list runs 30-60 bottles with a serious commitment to the Iberian Peninsula — think Albariño from Rías Baixas, Tempranillo blends from Rioja, and Cava for bubbles without the Champagne markup. Austria shows up with a Grüner Veltliner that feels genuinely intentional rather than token. France, Italy, and South America round things out, though those sections feel less considered than the Spanish anchor. The gaps are real — no real depth in Burgundy or anything natural — but the list earns its stripes by knowing what it is and committing.
Ten to eighteen pours by the glass is generous for a small-plates format, and it's the right call — this is a grazing menu that wants you mixing and matching all night. The Albariño and Cava are your workhorses here, built for the bright, acidic, globally-inflected small plates coming out of the kitchen. Rotation isn't aggressive, but what's on the board is well-matched to the food.
Albariño, Rías Baixas — $12
Rías Baixas Albariño by the glass is almost always a smart order, and here it punches above its price point — briny, citrusy, and built to run laps around a table full of small plates.
Grüner Veltliner, Austria
Most people at Palette 22 are reaching for Spanish bottles, and rightfully so, but the Austrian Grüner is a sleeper. That white pepper and green herb character plays surprisingly well against the Kung Pao Cauliflower's heat and the kitchen's broader Asian-inflected flavors.
Tempranillo blend, Rioja
Rioja Tempranillo is fine, but it's also the safe, expected anchor on every mid-range Spanish-leaning list in America. In a room built for exploration, defaulting to a generic Rioja red feels like ordering a Caesar salad. There are more interesting moves here.
Cava + Shrimp & Grits Fritters
Cava's high acid and fine bubble cut right through the richness of the fried fritter while the yeasty, biscuity character echoes the grits underneath. It's the kind of pairing that makes the whole table stop mid-conversation.
The Bottom Line
Palette 22 is the rare suburban small-plates spot that actually thought about its wine list instead of just populating it. The Spanish focus is a genuine strength, the by-the-glass selection gives you room to explore, and the prices won't make you regret the third pour.
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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