Ansonia Wines: From Burgundy to 18th Street

From Alejandra Owens at One Bite At A Time

Ansonia Wines: Walk too fast on 18th Street and you’ll miss the tiny, basement-level shop. Look toward Lauriol Plaza and think, “Wow, that’s a long line,” and you’ll miss them too.

But pay attention, don’t trip over the uneven sidewalks and you’re so money. (And you don’t even know it.) This tiny, family-owned store is devoted to bringing the very best, hand-chosen wines to DC from Burgundy, France. More specifically, they focus on, “wines whose character reflects the place they come from rather than just the fruit from which they are made.”

Sounds good to me. They’re knowledgeable, friendly and have a bottle of wine open daily for you to try out. And for each week during the month of August, a bottle of wine will be anointed and placed on sale for the rest of the month.

Cruise by on Wednesdays and Fridays to taste the week’s featured wine and decide if you want a bottle, three bottles, six bottles or a case (you boozer!) at a discounted rate. This week the anointed wine is Francis Muré’s Cremant d’Alsace. I know, you totally know what this! Me either. It’s a Riesling, Pinot Gris that they say pairs nicely with sautéed scallops or strawberries. Sounds perfect for a summer dinner or a picnic.

• Where: Ansonia Wines is at 1828 18th Street NW (across from Lauriol Plaza).
• When: Monday through Thurs 4 to 9 pm; Friday 2 to 10 pm; Saturday noon to 10 pm.

Sign up for their email updates here, follow them on Twitter or check out their Facebook page for all sorts of deals, info on tastings and more.