1301 9th Street, NW at N Street courtesy Urban Grape
From a press release:
“The Urban Grape DC, the newest store by beverage industry innovators TJ and Hadley Douglas, is now one of the only wine shops in the country pouring exclusive wines by the ounce, glass and bottle. With an affordable splash in their glass, guests can experience high-end wines such as Opus One that sell for hundreds per bottle. The new menu also includes Dom Perignon Brut Champagne and a selection of white and red wines by the glass that illustrates TJ and Hadley’s proprietary Progressive Scale. The Urban Grape’s specially trained staff uses this 1-10 weighting system to help guests pick the perfect wine for their palate. Wines are poured by the ounce, glass and bottle from 4pm until closing, but the staff also welcomes pouring requests during the day.
“Serving by the ounce, glass and bottle gives everyone access to the world of fine wine, including some very high-end bottles,” said TJ Douglas, CEO and co-founder. “It is a dream come true to be able to help our customers–whether they are just stopping by or there for a corporate event in our private room–to explore, enjoy some wine immediately in just the right amount, and then take a bottle home.”
The first “TJ’s Selection” available by the ounce is 2018 Opus One from Napa Valley, Calif. This iconic wine retails for $510 by the bottle and will be served for $20 per ounce using Coravin technology to ensure that every pour is perfectly preserved. Next to be poured by the ounce will be 2020 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore from Tuscany, Italy.
A unique partnership with Möet Hennessy allows The Urban Grape DC to pour a seasonal selection of premium wines by glass, also accessed by Coravin. The debut menu features 2013 Dom Perignon Brut Champagne ($50 per glass, $30 per half glass) and will soon include some of the most exclusive rosés in the world: Chateau D’Esclans Garrus Rosé ($30 per glass) and Château Minuty 281 Rosé ($25 per glass).
The foundation of The Urban Grape’s new by-the-glass menu is a rotating selection of six wines ($11-$20) that illustrate the Progressive Scale. This unique, 1-10 weighting system organizes wine by its body, not by varietal or region. The first array of light-, medium- and full-bodied whites and reds from all over the world follows:
2014 Antoine et Philippe Delaunay “Nord Ouest” Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine (Loire Valley, France), 1W
2021 Mary Taylor “Passy Le Clou” Chablis (Burgundy, France), 3W
2021 Dion Vineyard “Gravity’s Pull” Chardonnay (Willamette, Ore.), 8W
2021 Famille Dutraive Beaujolais-Villages (Beaujolais, France), 2R
2022 Elvio Cogno “Mandorlo” Dolcetto d’Alba (Piedmont, Italy), 4R
2021 Babylonstoren “Babel” (Simonsberg-Paarl, South Africa), 7R
Customers also can select any bottle of wine from the store’s vast collection and enjoy it immediately while browsing, relaxing on cozy window seats or sitting at the bar. Fresh charcuterie boxes ($18), locally prepared by Cheese Monster, are available every day for pairing with wine selections.
The bar at The Urban Grape DC is situated in an intimate, high-design space that is also available for private social, educational and business events featuring wines by the glass, bottle or tasting flight. The space is perfectly equipped to accommodate catering, audio visual presentations and entertainment. All event attendees receive an in-store shopping discount of 10% off bottles purchased.
The Urban Grape DC is located at 1301 9th Street NW in Washington D.C.’s historic Shaw neighborhood. The 4,352-square-foot store stocks more than 800 bottles of wine, beer, spirits and non-alcoholic beverages from 25 countries and offers delivery throughout the metro area.”