Enology: Celebrating The Spirits of America
By Fritz Hahn
Washington Post Weekend Section
Friday, Sept. 12, 2008

The buzz: These days, wine and vodka are as American as apple pie. The proof (so to speak) awaits at Enology, a patriotic new wine bar in Cleveland Park that stocks only American wines, spirits and beers, and plays only American bands on the stereo.

The new generation of Washington area wine bars has become increasingly global in its outlook, with a focus on bottles from South America and Oceania in addition to the usual Old World assortment, but Enology takes it one step further. While its long menu relies predominately on California producers, it features bottles from across the country, including Virginia and Maryland products.

The patriotic fervor extends beyond the vino. Prefer your martini with Tanqueray or Beefeater? Not here. Instead, you can choose the citrusy Bluecoat gin, made in Philadelphia, or the more herbal Rogue from Oregon, mixed with Vya vermouth from California. Vodkas include the intriguing Hangar One line, such as the kaffir lime and the lemony Buddha's hand flavors (Alameda, Calif.), and the small-batch Tito's (Austin). Sometimes the nationalist focus is limiting. Would anyone argue that flavored Smirnoff is better than flavored Stolichnaya?

The beer list isn't as deep as it could be, though it's full of familiar names including Brooklyn, Dogfish Head, Avery and Ommegang.

The scene: Venturing into Enology, the former home of the Zebra Lounge, you'd never guess it was put together by the same team as Dupont Circle's wildly popular Veritas. Where that one-room wine bar is built for romance, all bricks, low light and flickering candles, Enology is a clean, sleek modern space, filled with neutral colors and plenty of natural light. (The glass-walled room facing Macomb Street reminds me of my grandmother's cheery sun-filled porch.) At the long marble bar, the comfortable barstools have supportive seat backs, which make it easier to linger.

There are plenty of touches that show care, such as wine bottle coasters, fancy wire holders that carry glasses to tables. Waiters and bartenders are knowledgeable about what they're pouring, though service can be forgetfully spotty, even when you're sitting at the bar.

In your glass: Take time to browse the menu, which stretches to almost 40 pages. Besides dozens of by-the-glass options and bottles, interesting three-glass tasting flights showcase American takes on traditional wines from Italy ("When in Rome") or Spain ("Columbus Day"). For a hint of why you should trust the folks behind the counter, check out the staff favorites, which contain three winners, including Pets, a lush, petite sirah from Vinum, a small California winery.

On your plate: The kitchen turns out pizza-style flatbread, whose crusts alternate between dry and crispy, and too chewy, and a number of salads. Judging by the tables of my fellow patrons, most have figured out that the charcuterie and cheese plates (again, from American suppliers) are the way to go.

Price points: Unless you visit during happy hour, Enology is about average for a D.C. wine bar: in other words, not cheap. A glass of wine can run from $7 to $23, with most in the $8-$10 range. Unlike some of its competitors, Enology doesn't pour half glasses, which makes sampling a pricier proposition. The flights start at $12, with most about $15.

During happy hour, which runs from 5 to 7 p.m. every day but Monday, all cocktails and wines by the glass are $2 less, while large cheese and charcuterie plates are $8 and $7 off, respectively. On Mondays, happy hour runs from open to close. All cocktails are half-price all night Wednesdays.

The real deals, though, come on Tuesdays, when dozens of bottles are half-price. Sommelier Jamie Smith explains that "there are some really good wines on the list for $80, $100, which I think is a good price. But it's hard to get someone to gamble on a $120 bottle they've never heard of." If you're lucky enough to find Smith behind the bar (listen for the British accent), he can guide you to something truly special, such as the highly enjoyable James Judd and Son Malbec Verdot, an absolute steal for $40 and something I would have overlooked at full price.

Nice to know: If you're facing an hour-long wait at the popular Two Amys restaurant, it's easy to duck across the street for a glass of wine at Enology. The reverse is also true: Enology was out of a number of charcuterie and cheese options when a friend and I stopped by one Saturday night, so we skipped over to Two Amys for a pie before returning to Enology for a nightcap.

The next Synergy Wine Tasting is Sept. 27 at 6 p.m., featuring five blended wines (no straight varietals) and a selection of cheese. Cost is $40 (RSVP at http://www.enologydc.com).

What people are saying: "We're here at least twice a week," says Layla Seale, 25, who's sipping wine at the bar with Kelly Bloom, 26, a co-worker at the Smithsonian, and Meghan Emilio, 25, a high school teacher. "The staff is very friendly," Emilio explains. "They'll find what I want."

Seale agrees: "I can come in and give a very vague reference -- I'll say I want a red, maybe sort of smooth, not too fruity -- and they'll find something."

The three women use Enology as a convenient place to catch up and socialize, though Emilio recommends skipping the busy Friday and Saturday nights. "The happy hours during the week are really good. We don't come on weekends."

For his first project, Veritas in Dupont Circle, Adam Manson created exactly the wine bar he wanted: "Dark and sexy," he sums up the interior.

Manson's second wine bar, the new-since-June Enology near National Cathedral, is the opposite: all glass, creamy color and nothing but votives to serve as decoration. If Metrobuses weren't visible through the large picture windows there, you'd swear you were sipping your 2004 Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs in sunny California.

The hefty wine list supports the notion. It has 27 pages and focuses heavily on goods from the Golden State. "California is where the best wine comes from" in the United States, says general manager and sommelier Jamie Smith, whose list also includes picks from Oregon and Washington state. The most popular way to explore his collection is via trios of tastes, or flights, some of which carry amusing titles. "When in Rome," for instance, unites California-made barbera, dolcetto and sangiovese. Flights are ferried to the table by servers hoisting chic metal caddies.

For bargain hunters, the best night to drop by is Tuesday, when select bottles are half-price.

Enology isn't trying to be a Cork or a Proof or any other food-conscious, wine-centric Washington restaurant. "We're not going for a culinary masterpiece," says Manson, who owns this, Veritas and Capitol Lounge on the Hill with restaurateur Joe Englert.

At Enology, the solids are limited to tried-and-true cheese and meat plates, salads and flatbreads. The last are based on anemic crusts that are oddly sweet and make a poor canvas for otherwise decent toppings (dried figs, Maytag blue cheese and smoked duck breast in the case of the "Red Mountain" Frisbee). Discerning sweet tooths, on the other hand, can indulge a fantasy or two with confections from Washington's J. Chocolatier.

Veritas and Enology sport different looks, but they have much the same clientele: a "good mix" of women, reports Manson. He estimates that 80 percent of his customers at both venues are female: "Maybe it's a wine thing."

Maybe all the single guys out there should log off eHarmony and check out Enology.

-- Tom Sietsema (First Bite, Aug. 20, 2008)