Spanish fire, serious wine, Northwest D.C.
Washington · Washington · Spanish · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 11, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Xiquet by Danny Lledó’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The list at Xiquet reads like a love letter to the Iberian Peninsula — Ribera del Duero heavyweights, Rioja gran reservas, and a few curveballs from Bierzo and Málaga that tell you someone here actually cares. It's not a massive list, but it's focused in a way that big sprawling books rarely are. You're here for Spanish wine, and they're not letting you forget it.
Spain dominates, as it should — Vega Sicilia Unico, Pingus, and Álvaro Palacios L'Ermita anchor the prestige end, while Raúl Pérez Ultreia from Bierzo and Telmo Rodríguez's Molino Real from Málaga show genuine curiosity beyond the headline appellations. France gets a respectable cameo with Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet, and California shows up via Kistler Chardonnay, giving the list some familiar footing for guests who aren't ready to go full Iberian. The Portuguese nod — Niepoort Redoma from the Douro — is a smart bridge between the two peninsulas. Gaps exist: if you're hunting for natural wine or anything adventurous outside Spain and France, you'll come up empty.
Twelve to twenty pours is a generous window for a restaurant this focused, and the $14–$22 range keeps things accessible without feeling like you're drinking the bottom shelf. We'd expect the by-the-glass program to lean on the same Spanish backbone as the bottle list, which is exactly what you want when the kitchen is firing up paella and grilled squid. Rotation intel is thin, but with four sommeliers on staff, someone is paying attention.
CVNE Imperial Gran Reserva (Rioja) — $12–$250 range
CVNE Imperial Gran Reserva is one of Rioja's most consistent overperformers — classic structure, real aging, and a name that doesn't carry the trophy-wine markup of its neighbors on this list. In a room full of Vega Sicilia and Pingus, it's the bottle that quietly wins the night.
Telmo Rodríguez Molino Real (Málaga)
Málaga is one of Spain's most overlooked wine regions, and Molino Real is its finest ambassador — a sweet, oxidative Moscatel that most tables walk right past. If you're finishing dinner and want something that won't bore you, this is the move.
Álvaro Palacios L'Ermita (Priorat)
L'Ermita is genuinely one of Spain's great wines, but at a restaurant markup it's the kind of bottle that makes your credit card wince without giving you anything you couldn't get elsewhere at retail. Save it for a special occasion at a wine shop.
Muga Prado Enea Gran Reserva (Rioja) + Paella
Prado Enea's earthy, slow-aged Tempranillo has the savory depth and dried-herb character to match the smoky, saffron-forward intensity of Xiquet's paella without competing with it. It's a classic Rioja-rice play that the kitchen was basically built for.
The Bottom Line
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.
· 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 · 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
Washington · Washington · American, European
The Pembroke is a reliable, well-run wine program that knows its audience and serves them well — just don't come expecting to discover anything new. If California classics in a beautiful room sound good to you, Philip Dunne and team have you covered.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
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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