Mount Rainier’s New Wine Bar Pairs Lesser-Known Pours With Global Plates | Eater DC

"Just past the D.C. border in Mount Rainier, Maryland (3300 Rhode Island Avenue), I discovered a refreshing new corner wine bar opened by first-time restaurateurs Michelle and Ka-ton Grant; Michelle, a tech consultant-turned-certified sommelier, says regulars are already coming in a couple times a week. The bar offers 45 wines by the glass (and over 100 by the bottle) served in 3-, 6-, or 9-ounce pours so you can taste-test everything from Croatian grapes to “beautiful” Malbecs from Spain and full-bodied reds from Turkey and the Middle East, with lesser-known North American varietals as well — think great Riesling out of New York and Cab Francs out of Mexico. Wines pair with global small plates and a cheese-and-charcuterie program Michelle calls “insane,” including an Italian board with rare finds like truffle salami, lambrusco wine jelly, and imported smoked mozzarella; small plates draw on the couple’s travels and heritage (tandoori chicken wings, goat cheese–stuffed dates, Swahili samosas filled with ground beef, scallion, potato, pea, and cumin, Catalonian chickpeas with smoky paprika and shaved garlic, and tzatziki-topped lamb sliders). A tasting-room cellar under the main dining level has temperature-controlled wine lockers for members, much of the list highlights small producers, organic and biodynamic styles, and women-owned wineries, and a splurge section is poured with a Coravin; cocktails even loop in wine, like a Shiraz-topped riff on a New York Sour. Era’s hours are Tuesday–Thursday 4–10 p.m., Friday–Sunday until 11 p.m., with weekend brunch from noon–2:30 p.m. (steak and eggs, French toast, salmon boards), customers linger about two hours on average, and the bar has New Year’s Eve plans for a four-course dinner ($100) or $150 with wine pairings." - Tierney Plumb