Ripple, the best wine bar in Washington, DC?
La Maialina ($8/$24 at Ripple) has a Wine Advocate score of 88.
Could Ripple be the best wine bar in Washington, DC? Perhaps… The relatively new Cleveland Park business is a growing sensation, even making Washingtonian’s 100 very best restaurants. We are certainly not the first to approve of its wines (in fact, the Wall St. Journal did so back in November). Nevertheless, we feel it is only appropriate to add to the chorus of kudos.
What’s most amazing to us is Ripple’s ability to offer quality and affordability and knowledge without pretense. Standard on Ripple’s wine list are a handful of really great bottles of wine for less than $30. Some are even priced as low as $21. Although the cheaper wines hold their own, visitors should not shy away from their more expensive bottles. Ripple, unlike just about every other wine bar, actually gives you a full glass discount on bottles. That means some amazing $15 glasses are available for $45/bottle. It’s also kind of neat that you can get a bottle of the sparkling wine for only $20. Talk about a cheap celebration!
By the glass, there are four really solid $6 offerings (a red, two whites, and a sparkling). We’ve all experienced some places in DC, which shall remain nameless, that sell mediocre to bad wine for double and triple the price. But Ripple’s $6 glasses are really quite impressive, especially given the price. And the offerings by the glass are not limited to a handful – there are over 20 reds available by the glass. The list continues to impress with the significant number of sustainable and organic offerings.
Ripple would be one of our favorite wine bars if it made more space for wine drinkers outside of the bar. It now has two separate dining rooms, plus the 2-tops in the bar. It’d be awesome Ripple could carve out a space for lovers of its wine menu to lounge and “gather” as they say in their tagline. Given the success of the restaurant, however, this seems unlikely. In any event, next time you are enjoying nightlife in Cleveland Park, give Ripple a shot. Whether your price point per bottle of wine is $20 or $200, we guarantee that you will find something that you like.
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