Paris called. It wants its wine list back.
Washington · Washington · French · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Pastis lands like a well-worn Michelin guide — heavy, purposeful, and very French. Burgundy and Bordeaux are clearly the religion here, and the list is written like a love letter to both. This is a program built by someone who actually cares, not someone who just called a distributor and said 'send whatever.'
With 300 to 500 bottles anchored almost entirely in France, Pastis keeps its focus tight and its ambition high. The Burgundy section is where this list earns its stripes — Domaine Leroy, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaine Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet, and Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet are not names you stumble across on a Wednesday night in most cities, let alone Northeast DC. Bordeaux holds its own with Château Léoville-Las Cases, Ducru-Beaucaillou, and Pichon Baron representing the Left Bank with real credibility. If you're hunting outside France, you may find the list thin — this is not the place to explore the Rhône Valley, let alone anything from Italy or the New World.
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is a generous program, and given the cellar depth here, there's a real opportunity to sip something serious without committing to a full bottle. We'd expect the glass list to rotate classics from Burgundy and Bordeaux, which means even casual diners can access wines that most restaurants would never open mid-service. Ask Dave Segall or his team what's pouring — they'll steer you right.
Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin — $45
In a list stacked with Leroy and DRC, Jadot's Gevrey-Chambertin is the entry point that actually delivers. Solid village-level Pinot from a reliable négociant, and at the lower end of this list's price range, it's the move for anyone who wants a taste of Burgundy without the sticker shock.
Domaine Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet
Everyone at this table is chasing the DRC, which means Ramonet's Chassagne-Montrachet often gets overlooked. That's a mistake. Ramonet is one of the great white Burgundy producers, and Chassagne-Montrachet is a village that punches well above what most people expect. It's serious wine that doesn't require a special occasion budget to justify.
Château Pichon Baron
A great wine, no argument there — but at a French bistro in DC, the markup on trophy Bordeaux like Pichon Baron is going to reflect the name on the label more than the juice in the glass. If you're not celebrating a promotion or a milestone birthday, there are better value plays on this list.
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou + Duck Confit
Ducru-Beaucaillou's Cabernet-dominant blend has the structure and dark fruit to stand up to the rich, fatty depth of a proper duck confit without steamrolling it. It's a classic bistro moment — the kind of pairing that makes you set your phone down and just eat.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Pastis is playing a different game than most DC restaurants — a focused, France-first program with genuine depth in Burgundy and Bordeaux, a knowledgeable floor team, and the glassware to back it up. If French wine is your thing, this list is absolutely worth the reservation.
· Washington · Middle Eastern / North African
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
· 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
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
College Hill · Wichita · French
Georges is doing something genuinely impressive for its market — a focused, honest French wine list in a city where that's not a given. It's not a deep cellar and the BTG program could use more energy, but as a neighborhood bistro wine experience, it punches well above its zip code.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Skaneateles / Greater Syracuse · Syracuse · French
Joelle's isn't trying to be a wine destination — it's a French bistro that takes its wine list seriously enough to match the food, and that's exactly what it delivers. If you're eating here and drinking French, you'll leave satisfied.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Montrose · Houston · French
The Marigold Club is Houston's most interesting new wine room for anyone who thinks Champagne is a food group and France is the only country that matters — in the best possible way. Go on a Sunday, order the Delamotte, eat the Duck Wellington, and tip generously.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
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