Wine and spirits tastings at Westbard Square in Bethesda this week

Oak Barrel & Vine at 5390 Westbard Avenue at the new Westbard Square development in Bethesda has several wine and spirits tastings scheduled for this final week of February 2025. The tasting schedule is as follows: 

2/27: White Haven Sauvignon Blanc - Wine Tasting | 4–6pm

2/28: Fallen Oaks Spirits - Spirits Tasting | 4–7pm

2/28: Wisher Vodka - Spirits Tasting | 4–7pm

Sixty Vines opening in Bethesda

Sixty Vines, "the winemaker's restaurant," is coming to downtown Bethesda. The Texas-based chain will open at 7315 Wisconsin Avenue, in the former Ruth's Chris Steak House space, later this year. Construction is getting started inside the former steakhouse. Plans include replacing the existing exterior glass with multi-pane windows, for a facade style that is more contemporary-restaurant than downtown-office-building.

Sixty wines served from a "sustainable tap system" will be supported by wine country-inspired cuisine. That translates into steak, fish, chicken, pizza, pasta, sandwiches, salumi and cheese boards, small plates, and a four-item dessert menu. 

The vintages on tap are selected from the major wine regions around the world. In addition to lunch and dinner menus, brunch will be served on weekends. Sixty Vines has an existing location in Reston, and another planned for Foggy Bottom in Washington, D.C.

Update on Craft Beer & Wine, opening soon in Friendship Heights

Craft Beer & Wine at 4459-B Willard Avenue in the Village of Friendship Heights has been in the works since last April. There's finally been major progress on the interior fit-out of the store, and the sign has been installed above the storefront. A sign in the window promises the store is "opening soon," and will have draft beers on tap. It will be located between Potbelly and Roti in the JBGSmith-owned property.

VinoRita closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda (Photos)

Apparently, there's no demand for wine slushies in Bethesda. Last weekend, I noticed that VinoRita, which opened only about five weeks ago in the Dining Terrace food court at Westfield Montgomery Mall, was closed on a busy Saturday evening. Now their kiosk is entirely cleared out. It's recently become one of the unluckiest spots in the mall, as HalfSmoke lasted less than a year in the same kiosk, and VinoRita has now chased that with one of the fastest business failures I've ever reported in the 17 years I've been publishing news in Montgomery County. 

It looks like wine moms have been following the ultra-rich out the door in their mass exodus from moribund Montgomery County, folks. You would think County residents could have used a stiff slushie after looking at their new, jacked-up MoCo property tax bills. VinoRita may want to try a Spring Valley, Leesburg or Clarksville location instead. Meanwhile, Westfield may need to break the emergency glass, and bring in Steak and Shake, In-N-Out Burger, Jack in the Box, Raising Cane's or Zaxby's to hit a home run in this struggling kiosk. In the words of Shia LaBeouf, "I'm tired of starting over...just DO IT!!!!"

VinoRita was still there, but
abandoned, last Saturday night

A week later...VinoRita is gone

*Sad trombone*

Uncorked opens at Chevy Chase Lake

Uncorked is now open at 8525 Chevy Chase Lake Terrace, at the new Chevy Chase Lake development on Connecticut Avenue. The craft beer and fine wine shop includes not only a lounge and full bar, but also a bar window that opens to the outdoors, with stools on the outside of the storefront when the weather cooperates. You will be able to see which beers are currently on-tap throughout the year by checking UNTAPPD. Look for Uncorked next to Amazon Fresh at the development.

VinoRita wine slushies kiosk opens, Wild Custom Apparel moves at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

VinoRita, a wine slushies kiosk, has opened in the Dining Terrace food court at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. "Have a wine slushy," an electronic menu screen floating above the kiosk advises. A menu screen lists 5 flavors available. VinoRita's marketing calls the new kiosk "your classy place to drink."

In other mall news, Wild Custom Apparel has made a short move to relocate. It has reopened in a space between the Lego Store and The Children's Place on Level 1, essentially just leapfrogging to the opposite side of the Lego Store from where it was. The shop is what it sounds like, a custom-printing apparel business. What makes it "wild," is left to the imagination. Downing a couple of wine slushies before shopping may assist in that department.

VinoRita wine slushies kiosk to open at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

A new frozen treat is coming to the Dining Terrace food court at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. VinoRita, a kiosk dispensing frozen wine slushies, plans to open next month at the mall. This will be the small-but-growing chain's first location outside of the south, where it currently has two kiosks in North Carolina, and one in Georgia.

VinoRita's wine slushie menu features its most popular Blackberry Sangria, alongside Peach Frose, Strawberry Daiquiri, and Blueberry Pomegranate. The kiosk won't be just for adults; there is a selection of non-alcoholic flavors available. VinoRita will be open 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday through Wednesday, 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM Thursday through Saturday, and 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM on Sundays. 

Whelan's Beer & Wine opening in Potomac

A new beer and wine retailer is opening soon at the Potomac Promenade shopping center at 9812 Falls Road in Potomac. Whelan's Beer & Wine hopes to open next month in the vacant storefront next to Five Guys. Pick up a beer to go with that burger on the way home! Whelan's Beer & Wine will be open from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM seven days a week.

Craft Beer and Wine to open in Friendship Heights

JBG Smith has found a tenant for the vacant space between Potbelly and Roti on Willard Avenue in the Friendship Heights area of Chevy Chase. Craft Beer & Wine, a - surprise! - beer and wine store, has leased the space. As you can see, the interior fit-out of the store has not begun yet. In keeping with the latest trend in Friendship Heights, the store is more of a practical benefit to the neighborhood, as opposed to the Rodeo Drive boutiques that have departed as their ultra-rich clientele fled Montgomery County to lower-tax jurisdictions in the region.

Bliss in a Bottle coming to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Bliss in a Bottle will open a kiosk this fall at Westfield Montgomery Mall. The gift retailer specializes in chocolate-covered wine bottles. It's more sophisticated than it sounds - the specific chocolate coating is specially chosen to pair with the wine inside the bottle, a variety of chocolates are used, and mix-ins found in the chocolate can be a sophisticated as hibiscus berry powder and rose sugar. The Ohio-based Bliss in a Bottle already has an area location in Tysons Corner Center.

Photo courtesy Bliss in a Bottle

Bethesda Bazar opens on Norfolk Avenue

Bethesda Bazar, officially spelled with one "a," has opened at 8006 Norfolk Avenue. While still nominally a convenience store like previous tenants, the focus is strongly on craft beer and fine wine, as well as organic groceries. As you can see, they have a decently large inventory for the size of floor space available.

Mini Mart begins selling beer and wine in Bethesda (Photos)

Beer and wine are now available at Mini Mart, a convenience store located at 8006 Norfolk Avenue in downtown Bethesda. The store recently got a new owner and new name, and now has a new liquor license from Montgomery County. Along with a selection of wine bottles, customers will find standard favorites like Budweiser, Miller Lite, Corona and Goose Island IPA.

Bethesda UP summer concert series a smash with new beer and wine sales (Photos)

Bethesda Urban Partnership had a record turnout for the relaunch of its Summer Concert Series at Veterans Park last night. While the series has been underway for a few weeks, last night's show was the first to feature beer and wine sales from local businesses.

The park was fenced off, and there was a significant police and event staff presence, to comply with Montgomery County liquor regulations. Judging by the size of the crowd, people clearly want adult beverages with their outdoor concerts.

Rocklands Farm Winery tent

Last night's featured brewery was Rock Bottom (which is a block down Norfolk from the park), and the featured winery was Rocklands Farm Winery of Poolesville. Rocklands will be back next week, while next week's beer will be provided by another nearby restaurant, Tapp'd Bethesda. The concerts are on Thursday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 PM through July.

Despite fake news headlines, you won't be buying liquor at grocery, drug or convenience stores in MoCo

You may have seen fake news headlines over the last few days trumpeting that "liquor" will soon be sold at "privately-owned stores" in Montgomery County. The careful wording was designed by the Montgomery County political cartel, to give casual readers the false impression that beer, wine and spirits would be coming to the shelves at Giant, CVS, 7-Eleven, etc. Nothing could be further from the truth, and it was surprising that many in the local media enabled the deception with false headlines. This is one of the more audacious public misinformation campaigns I've ever witnessed from the MoCo cartel.

Here are the facts:

The Maryland General Assembly just passed a bill which will only allow privately-owned beer and wine stores to sell liquor. Clever language in the bill specifically excludes grocery stores, drug stores, and convenience stores. Even popular convenience stores that currently sell beer and wine, like Talbert's in Bethesda, will be ineligible to sell liquor.

Even those beer and wine stores that qualify to sell liquor under the bill will still have to buy that liquor from the Montgomery County Department of Liquor Control - the government monopoly. That means they will be competing on retail price directly with the Montgomery County government liquor stores. Merchants like Bradley Food and Beverage have pointed out in the past that such competition is unfair to the small private businesses being forced to compete with the same government-monopoly seller, who sets the prices they have to pay for stock.

The new law allows the DLC to decide the criteria for the granting of contracts with private beer and wine stores by itself, with no public input or transparency. DLC, in other words, can decide the terms of competition itself. Profits for whichever few retailers DLC decides to "compete" with will likely be limited by the monopoly control over price, and that means no savings for you, the customer.

It's also unlikely that private beer and wine stores could be competitive with County-owned liquor stores on inventory, because the County stores are physically larger than stores which have been only allowed to sell beer and wine. And they'll still have to deal with the same DLC inventory and delivery problems that have hampered their existing beer and wine sales.

Once again, County politicians have tried to "look busy," even as they bolster and preserve the government liquor monopoly. Real change would be full privatization of beer, wine and spirit sales in Montgomery County, and being able to buy Bud Light or a bottle of wine at Safeway or Rite Aid. That did not happen with this new law.

Fact check score for fake news "liquor to be sold at privately-owned stores" headlines, designed to fool people who don't read the articles for the details?

Four Pinocchios/Pants on Fire

WINE & CHEESE SOCIAL, OUTDOOR MOVIE AT BETHESDA ROW TUESDAY AT 6:00

Stop by Le Creuset on Bethesda Lane Tuesday between 6:00 and 7:30 PM for a Wine & Cheese Social, presented by Redwood Restaurant & Bar. Attendees will be eligible to win a Le Creuset Compact Lever model wine opener worth $100.

Stick around for a free outdoor movie on Bethesda Lane, Julie & Julia, immediately following the event.

Le Creuset

7116 Bethesda Lane

(301) 718-1885

PERFECT PAIRINGS WINE TASTING/CHESSIE FEST TO TEMPT BETHESDA TODAY

Two big dining events to choose from today in downtown Bethesda is a good problem to have. Are you a wine connoisseur? Bethesda Row's Perfect Pairings is for you. Seafood lover (or just have a weak spot for local mythology and sea creatures)? Head to Grapeseed for Chessie Fest II.

PERFECT PAIRINGS

Tour 10 spots at Bethesda Row between 1:00 and 5:00 PM today, where you'll enjoy fine wines paired with some of the finest dishes around the Row. Wine experts will guide you along the way, and tapas will give you a taste of some of Bethesda Row's top restaurants.

Participating merchants include: American Tap Room, Cork & Fork, Jaleo, Lebanese Taverna, Mamma Lucia, Mon Ami Gabi, Mussel Bar & Grille, Raku, Redwood Restaurant & Bar and Vino Volo.

Start your journey on Bethesda Lane (the pedestrian street that extends between Bethesda Avenue and Elm Street, opposite the Apple Store), where you can buy tickets today for $49. For that sum, you will get more than 20 wine tastings and small bites (usually 2-4 per location).

Note: Be sure to have your picture ID to prove you are 21 or older for the event.

CHESSIE FEST II

Chessie is a sea serpent people have claimed to have spotted in the Chesapeake Bay of Maryland since the 1930s. Such creatures are not entirely fictional, as in the early times of this planet, creatures tended to be far larger than after the extinction of the dinosaurs. There is so far no proof that Chessie actually exists. But don't let that stop you from attending Chessie Fest at Grapeseed in Bethesda today.

From 12-3 PM today, diners will feast on Chesapeake Gold Oysters, Wild Blue Catfish, Blue Rays, smoked Bluefish, hushpuppies, and more. Beer and wine specials will be provided by Evolution Brewery and Pacific Prime Wines.

Best of all, ongoing raffles during the event will benefit the non-profit Oyster Recovery Partnership, the leading non-profit working to restore the Bay. Prizes include a dinner for 8 at Grapeseed.

Tickets can be purchased at the door for $40.

Grapeseed

4865 Cordell Avenue

CASS WINERY WINE DINNER AT FOOD, WINE AND CO. APRIL 7 IN BETHESDA

Food Wine & Co. is hosting a 4-course wine dinner Monday, April 7, at 6:30 PM. Join Cass Winery's Ted Plemons for Chef Michael Harr's custom, 4-course menu with wine pairings. Tickets are $95 per person. 

Cass Vineyard and Winery is located on California's Central Coast, and 100% of their wines are estate-grown.

To reserve a seat, email Renee Reardon, or call 301.652.8008.

Food, Wine & Co., 7272 Wisconsin Avenue

FREE WINE TASTING SATURDAY NIGHT, JULY 20, AT BLACKFINN BETHESDA

What to do this Saturday night in Bethesda? How about free wine?

BlackFinn Bethesda is hosting a free wine tasting with Cupcake Vineyards tomorrow night, July 20, from 7-9 PM.

Enjoy samples of their Sauvignon Blanc, Moscato, Riesling, Pinto Grigio, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Shiraz.

Pair these with complimentary hors d'oeuvres, and giveaways like a $50 gift card from Lipstick Lounge Boutique.

Then stick around after 9:00, as the Saturday night party at BlackFinn will be just getting started.

BlackFinn Bethesda, 4901-A Fairmont Avenue.

BROOKLYN OENOLOGY AT VINO VOLO BETHESDA ROW THURSDAY, JULY 18 6-9 PM

Vino Volo's Meet the Winemaker series continues with a fascinating winery, tomorrow evening (Thursday) from 6-9 PM at Bethesda Row.

Brooklyn Oenology has its headquarters and tasting room in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY. Using New York state grapes, it makes its wine on Long Island.

The winery says it hopes to move all of its operations to Brooklyn in the future. Its wine bottles feature artists from New York City, so it is definitely a label for locavores, or any wine lover wanting to try something different.

To make reservations, call Vino Volo Bethesda Row at 301-656-0916.

JULY IS PICNIC MONTH AT BETHESDA ROW

One-stop picnic shopping is available all this month at Bethesda Row, on Bethesda Lane.

First, invite someone to a picnic. Second, scout out a place to have the picnic.

But, most importantly, get the food and beverage for the picnic.

Stop by Redwood, and order one of their picnic baskets for two, for just $30.

Have them add your choice of Fried Chicken, St. Louis BBQ Ribs, or Smoked Beef Brisket.

Then choose Potato Salad, or Macaroni Salad.

Your basket will automatically include a mixed salad for two, and biscuits with honey spread.

You will also receive a coupon. Take this coupon across Bethesda Lane to Cork and Fork, and receive 10% off the perfect bottle of wine - of your choice.

It's National Picnic Month, and I've taken all the guesswork out of it for you.