“D.C.’s First Commercial Winery Set to Open in Late Summer 2017”

385 Water Street, SE From March 2017

From a press release:

“Co-founders Brian Leventhal and John Stires are excited to open District Winery later this summer in the heart of The Yards, a bustling community within Washington D.C.’s revitalized Navy Yard neighborhood along the Anacostia River. Spanning 17,000 square-feet across two levels with an expansive rooftop terrace, District Winery, located at 385 Water St SE, Washington, DC, will house an on-site wine production facility, multipurpose private event and wedding spaces in addition to a full-service restaurant.

“We’re honored to take our successful Brooklyn Winery concept and give it an identity of its own for D.C.” says co-founder Brian Leventhal. “It is exciting to introduce people to D.C.’s first winery and it’s encouraging to see so much enthusiasm from the community.”

“This project has been three years in the making. Seeing it finally come to fruition is incredibly humbling and rewarding” says co-founder John Stires. “Soon it will be a place where people will get married, a destination for a glass of wine and dinner with friends, and so much more. We cannot wait to open our doors to share what we are most passionate about with this extraordinary city we now call home.”

District Winery is centrally located in The Yards, a dynamic center within walking distance of the Washington Nationals ballpark and Capitol Hill. Activating the community with its prime location that allows visitors to dine, socialize and hold events, District Winery will feature a full-service restaurant serving a collaboration of seasonal American fare from chefs Michael Gordon (of Brooklyn Winery and formerly of Bouley and Manhattan’s Mandarin Oriental) and Benjamin Lambert (DC-local chef formerly of 701 Restaurant, Restaurant Nora, Goodstone Inn and Wit & Wisdom). The fully functioning winery will allow for tours, wine tastings and retail purchases. With impressive water views, the second floor event space can be used for a myriad of special events including weddings and corporate functions. The event space also expands into a wraparound, outdoor terrace complete with a green roof and canopy, allowing for multi season use.

“With our proximity to the ballpark and the water, The Yards has quickly become not only a destination for events, but a community of neighbors who live here, work here, and play here,” said Deborah Ratner Salzberg, president of Forest City in Washington. “District Winery adds to both ends of that equation, as both the city’s penultimate events destination but also as a great venue to grab dinner and a glass of D.C.-made wine before a baseball game, or to wind down the evening with a wine tasting after a day on the water or exploring Yards Park.”

As the first ever commercial winery operating in Washington, D.C., District Winery will source grapes from across the country with an emphasis on California regions. A passionate and dedicated winery production team will be led by District Winery winemaker Conor McCormack, who will work to produce a strong portfolio of over twenty different wines each year.

“Being able to source grapes directly from growers and vineyards in different regions of the United States gives us a unique opportunity to highlight and explore a wide range of climates” says winemaker Conor McCormack. “It allows us to showcase multiple styles of wine representing a particular place from a particular year.” The result will offer guests an unparalleled urban tasting experience in the heart of D.C., transporting their palates directly to wine country. District Winery’s specially crafted wines will be available to swirl, smell and sip on a tour, at the restaurant, and during private events. Their wine offerings will also be available for retail purchase at the tasting bar in the spacious lobby.”