Veritas Wine Bar Review

Many folks who wander through DuPont Circle and head north towards the Capital Hilton have likely walked right by Veritas Wine Bar without knowing they’ve done so. And that’s a shame as they would have been well served to stop in for a glass of wine and be treated to an outstanding wine list full of favorites and rarities alike as well as the smartly planned menu full of cheese and other light fair to accompany any wine perfectly.

Veritas has an expansive wine list that routinely changes many of its 200+ offerings by the bottle as well as 77 wines by the glass. This means that on those afternoons when the humidity makes the air so heavy you have to swim through it, they have the perfect rose to quench your thirst after work. Or when the schizophrenic weather gives you a cold snap in the middle of May, they also have hearty reds to warm you up at happy hour. The wine list features staff picks that should definitely be considered when making your choice as well as several wine flights; many of which have unique and seldom seen wines (how many of you have HONESTLY ever even heard of negroamaro, charbono or scheurbe???) that I highly recommend for wine nerds and wine newbies alike. And in the interest of full disclosure, I had to Google scheurbe myself! General Manager Jamie Smith says, “we want the norms to be normal but we want some funky stuff too.” This is definitely reflected on the list with California chardonnay appearing right above an auxerrois from Alsace. But the real beauty of Veritas and its distinctive selections is that regardless of how funky one might be, nothing is presented as pretentious or intimidating much to the credit of Smith and his staff.

We started with the “pretty in pink” rose flight which had a classic French style dry grenache blend, an Italian negroamaro that was packed full of cooking spice flavors and a pinot noir from New Zealand. The Rosa Del Golfo rose of negroamaro and malvasia nera really stood out to me. It had an almost sweet floral nose to it, and the cooking spice notes jumped out at you. It had a light and refreshing body with candied and dried fruit flavors; like candy apple and a little dried raspberry and cranberry as well. It doesn’t see any oak during its maturation process and as a result is very crisp with some flashy acidity, but just enough to refresh, not overpowering the some of the lighter fruit flavors on its brief but balanced finish.

Next up were the whites from the “stop and smell the flowers” flight. This flight consisted of the scheurbe kabinett from Germany that closely resembled a German Riesling, a honeysuckle packed viognier from California and floral torrontes from Argentina. For these, the torrontes was my favorite (although the scheurbe was also really good and should not be missed) and was done in a classic Argentine style. Floral is by far the best descriptor for this wine as floral aromas and flavors were dominant but complimented by white peach and tropical flavors (think mango) and a finish that almost made it seem like mead. Fortunately it was not heavy and syrupy like mead, instead it was super light and clean with some mild acidity that makes me think it would pair excellently with Thai food. Absolute perfect examples of a hot day wine that will make you feel like you’re at the beach.

Pago Cimera

Last up were the reds from the “and now for something completely different” flight. These three unique selections definitely get back to the “funky” that Jaime had mentioned with an Oregonian baco noir full of cherry and chocolate, a huge Portuguese touriga nacional and a charbono from Napa that was chocked full of cedar and blackberry. All of these wines were quite tasty and I found the charbono to be really well made and absolutely delicious, but I have become a big fan of Portuguese reds for their depth, complexity and mostly their value. The Vinha Paz did not lead me wrong! This is a gigantic wine with a rich, deep purple color. Its bone dry and jammy as I was hoping, and has all kinds of sun dried and stewed fruit flavors- fig newton and blackberry / blueberry jam. It was quite tannic and had a noticeable alcohol content (14%) to complement its acidity so that it resulted in balance, huge chewy balance, but the exact balance you would hope for in a well-crafted big wine. Not for the faint of heart, but this was the definite stand out from the evening, and fans of big, robust reds should absolutely not miss it.

Veritas’ charcuterie and cheese selection was as diverse and impressive as the wine. I recommend the Italian Pecorino Boschetto, which is a young and firm sheep’s milk cheese that’s laced with pungent, earthy truffles. It paired well with the smoky and spicy hot lomo that was made from cured pork loin. Another of my favorites was the Brillat Savarin (French triple cream brie) that had a wonderfully rich and buttery flavor. Its slight nuttiness and saltiness went well with the dried Asian pears that accompanied the charcuterie.

Some of the flavors where quite bold. The wild boar salami was hard and tangy and had a nice chewy texture to it. It went well with the robust Portuguese Vinha Paz.

If you are hungry and looking for a little more substance you can order a pressed sandwich, in particular the pressed sandwich with la quercia prosciutto, cured tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil pesto. Other options are their dips. The Roasted Red Pepper dip was rich with feta cheese and the size was perfect for sharing. They even offer a few chocolate courses to finish off your experience.

Veritas has a neighborhood feel to it, despite being in the heart of the city. Its small but conscientious staff listens to their customers and places the customer first, and cheers for that in an era where customer service is becoming a lost art. The wine list is exceptional and is easy to peruse while making your selection. So if you’re looking for a top notch wine list, excellent small plates and a friendly staff, Veritas should not be missed. If you’re not looking for that, what’s wrong with you?!?!?

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