Clarendon's Dependable Pour, No Drama Included
Clarendon · Arlington · American Gastropub · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 27, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Liberty Tavern – The Liberty's Bar’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at The Liberty's Bar lands exactly where you'd want it for a busy Clarendon tavern — broad enough to satisfy a table with opinions, focused enough that you're not scrolling for ten minutes. It's not trying to be a wine bar, and that honesty actually works in its favor. The price points are accessible and the range covers enough ground to make a real choice rather than defaulting to the house pour.
The list leans pan-European with a healthy domestic backbone — you've got a Mirafiore Barolo from Serralunga d'Alba alongside a Pico Maccario Nizza Barbera, a Red Tail Ridge Riesling from the Finger Lakes, and a Red Newt Cabernet Franc from the same region. The restaurant even has a house Pinot Noir under its own label. What genuinely surprises is the fortified and dessert wine section: Blandy's Bual Madeira, a Gonzalez Byass Oloroso, two expressions of Pedro Ximenez and Cream Sherry, plus Portal Tawny at 10 and 20 years — that's not something you typically find at a gastropub in Clarendon. The Château de Crézancy Sancerre and Peitan Albariño round out the whites with solid, crowd-pleasing credibility. Gaps exist — no serious Burgundy, no German Riesling depth — but for what this place is, the range punches above its weight.
Glass pours run $12–$20, with options like the Beatrice Pinot Grigio at $12, the Château de Crézancy Sancerre at $20, the Mirafiore Barolo at $20, and Roederer Estate Brut at $20. That's a genuinely strong pour-by-the-glass lineup — getting a Barolo or an Anderson Valley Brut by the glass at $20 in a neighborhood tavern is not nothing. The list doesn't appear to rotate frequently, but the anchors are well-chosen.
Mirafiore Barolo Serralunga d'Alba 2021 — $20/glass
A Barolo from Serralunga d'Alba — one of the most respected crus in Piedmont — at $20 a glass is the kind of deal that makes you order a second pour before finishing your first. This is the pick, full stop.
Gonzalez Byass Alfonso Oloroso Sherry
Nobody at a Clarendon tavern is ordering Oloroso Sherry. That's their loss. Dry, nutty, and complex in a way that makes most red wines look one-dimensional, this is the adventurous move that will make you look very smart to anyone at your table.
Di Lenardo 'Pass the Cookies' Verduzzo 2019
At $48 for a 375mL of sweet Friulian white, you're paying full-bottle prices for a half-bottle of a niche dessert wine. The Portal 20 Year Tawny or the Vin Santo are better dessert finishers for your money here.
Pico Maccario Nizza Barbera 2021 + Tuscan Grilled Steak
Barbera's high acidity and dark cherry fruit cut through the fat of a grilled steak without overpowering the char. The Nizza designation means this is a more serious, structured Barbera — it can handle a proper piece of beef, and it makes the whole thing taste like you're eating in Piedmont instead of Arlington.
The Bottom Line
The Liberty's Bar isn't going to win any awards for adventurousness, but a Barolo and an Oloroso Sherry on a gastropub list in Clarendon at fair prices? We'd send a friend here without hesitation. Order the Barolo by the glass and let everyone else drink the house red.
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
Broadway at the Beach · Myrtle Beach · American Gastropub
Liberty Tap Room is a solid spot for cold beer, a burger, and a game on the screen — but the wine list is an afterthought and the pricing reflects zero effort to earn your wine dollars. Come for the beer, skip the bottle.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · La Crosse · American Gastropub
The Crow is a legitimately fun bar — just come for the bourbon and craft beer, not the wine. If you need a glass, grab the Elmaro Rosa to support a local producer and call it a night.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
College Area / Mount Royal · Duluth · American Gastropub
Tavern on the Hill is not a destination wine spot, but it's a fair, unpretentious list that earns its keep in a fun room. If you're in the neighborhood and want a decent glass with your pizza, you won't leave disappointed — just don't come in expecting anything beyond the basics.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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