Spain's greatest hits, all under one roof
Washington · Washington · Spanish · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Bazaar by José Andrés’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at The Bazaar lands like the food: ambitious, Iberian, and not apologizing for any of it. You open it and immediately understand this place takes Spain seriously — not just Rioja and done, but the full peninsula from Bierzo to Priorat to Jerez. Jeff Norton is on staff as sommelier, and you can feel that hand in the curation.
With 350 to 450 bottles and Spain as the obvious north star, the list punches well above its weight in the right places. Vega Sicilia Unico and Álvaro Palacios L'Ermita are both present, which tells you this program isn't flinching at the top end. But the depth isn't just trophy wine — Telmo Rodríguez bottlings and Descendientes de J. Palacios Corullón from Bierzo give curious drinkers real reasons to explore. The sherry section via Emilio Lustau is a genuine standout in a city where sherry still gets chronically ignored.
Thirty to fifty by-the-glass options is a serious commitment, and the range spans $14 to $30 a pour — which means you can work through Spain's regions without cracking a bottle. The Gramona III Lustros Cava showing up by the glass would be the right call for the liquid olive course. Rotation frequency is unclear, but the breadth suggests this isn't just a static afterthought.
CVNE Imperial Gran Reserva (Rioja) — $90–$120 (bottle est.)
Imperial Gran Reserva is one of Rioja's most consistently overdelivering wines — classic structure, age-worthy tannin, and a producer with over a century of credibility. At a restaurant where bottles climb into the hundreds quickly, this is the anchor play that keeps your budget intact without sacrificing the experience.
Descendientes de J. Palacios Corullón (Bierzo)
Most tables here are going straight for Rioja or the splurge bottles. Corullón is Mencía grown on steep slate slopes in Bierzo — it drinks like a cooler-climate Pinot with more grip and way more intrigue. Most people skip it because they don't recognize the region. That's your gain.
Álvaro Palacios L'Ermita (Priorat)
L'Ermita is a genuine icon and there's nothing wrong with the wine itself — but at restaurant markup on one of Spain's most allocated and expensive bottles, you're paying a significant premium over retail for the privilege of drinking it here. Unless someone else is signing the check, this is a bottle better sourced elsewhere.
Emilio Lustau Sherry + Jamon Ibérico de Bellota carving station
Fino or Manzanilla from Lustau and a plate of Bellota ham is one of the most classically correct combinations in all of Spanish eating. The saline, yeasty cut of the sherry slices right through the fat of the ham and resets your palate after every bite. This is the pairing that makes the whole meal make sense.
The Bottom Line
The Bazaar earns its Wine Spectator credential honestly — this is one of the most focused and genuinely exciting Spanish wine programs in Washington, backed by real expertise and a list that rewards curious drinkers. Markups keep it from being a pure steal, but if you're eating here, the wine belongs on the table.
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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
· 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
Downtown Bethesda · Bethesda · Spanish
Spanish Diner Bethesda is a wildcard: a laid-back all-day spot with a wine list that has no business being this interesting. The markups keep it from being a destination wine play, but if you're in Bethesda and want to drink actual Spain with your tapas, this is your move.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Bethesda · Bethesda · Spanish
Jaleo Bethesda is the rare restaurant where the wine list actually matches the food program — Spanish through and through, fairly priced, and staffed by people who can walk you through it. Come on a Wednesday, order a bottle of Tondonia, and let someone else drive home.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
King · Portland · Spanish
Urdaneta isn't trying to run a wine bar — it's trying to run a great Spanish tapas spot, and the wine list earns its keep by staying honest to that mission. If you care about drinking something that actually makes sense with your food, this list delivers.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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