A café that actually thought about wine
Clarendon · Arlington · Coffee shop and café with pastries and light café fare · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 27, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Simona Café’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You walk in expecting espresso and a croissant, and then the menu casually mentions a Klee Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley and a Portuguese Alentejo red. For a neighborhood coffee shop, that's a genuine surprise. Nobody told Simona Café it wasn't allowed to try.
Six wines isn't a wine list — it's a wine edit, and the distinction matters. Rather than stocking the usual Malbec-Pinot Grigio-Cab trifecta, Simona pulls from Oregon, Portugal, Abruzzo, Rías Baixas, and Languedoc, which is more geographic range than some actual restaurants manage. The Klee Pinot Noir from Willamette and the 'Carta' by Fita Preta from Alentejo are genuinely interesting choices that suggest someone here was paying attention when they built this list. The unnamed Cabernet Sauvignon is the one placeholder that feels phoned in — no producer, no vintage, just vibes.
All six bottles are available by the glass, which means you're not locked into a bottle at a café lunch. At $13–$15 a pour, the pricing is honest and consistent with DC-area restaurant norms. No rotation program to speak of — what's on the list is what's on the list, full stop.
Pecorino, Terre di Chieti IGT, Abruzzo, Italy — $13/glass, $46/bottle
Pecorino is criminally underrated as a white — it's got texture and a savory edge that punches well above its price. Finding it at a café in Clarendon at $13 a glass is the kind of small win worth celebrating.
'Carta' by Fita Preta, Alentejo, Portugal 2020
Fita Preta is a legitimate Alentejo producer making structured, food-friendly reds that most people walk right past because they don't recognize the name. That's exactly why you should order it.
Unnamed Cabernet Sauvignon
No producer, no vintage, no region beyond 'probably domestic.' When a list won't tell you what's in the bottle, that's the list telling you something. Skip it and go back to the Alentejo red.
Albariño, Rías Baixas DO, Spain + NOVA smoked salmon focaccia
Albariño's brightness and saline edge are practically designed for smoked salmon. The acidity cuts through the richness of the fish while the coastal character in both the wine and the dish play off each other without either one overreaching.
The Bottom Line
Simona Café has no business having a wine list this thoughtful — and that's exactly the point. It's a coffee shop that earns a second visit once the sun goes down.
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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