I am so excited to tell you about the newest retailer on my end of King Street - Le Vintage Wine Shop at 1218 King Street. It is the project of Ben Kuna, a friend and also the sommelier at La Fromagerie (right next door). I first met Ben nearly ten years ago, as he has always been the primary server and sommelier at La Fromagerie (1222 King Street), which is hands down one of the best restaurants in Alexandria. Since I know virtually nothing about wine (I’m a gin and bourbon drinker at heart), Ben has always hooked me up with wines he knows fit my taste. It is very handy to have a sommelier as a friend for sure! 

When the space next door became available, Ben decided to finally open the business he had been talking about for years. Le Vintage is a much-needed bottle shop in Old Town, focusing on sustainable producers, including family-owned, organic, biodynamic, and naturally produced wines. They only work with local distributors and importers. You won’t find any national companies in their gorgeous shop. And despite this, there are still over 1,000 wines and 100 beers in this new space, as well as a local and domestic cheese and charcuterie selection that sources from small farmers. You can grab everything you need for a Netflix night with girlfriends or a romantic picnic in the park. And there are two sommeliers on-site at all times, so you will never have to make wine decisions alone. They can help you select the absolute perfect bottle for every taste and price point.

Since Ben believes that wine is a beverage as part of our daily lives, he’s selected over 60 wines priced at under $20, and 85 percent of all wines in Le Vintage shop fall between $25 and $45. This mid-tier price range statistically represents the highest quality of wine per dollar yet is often not what is found in most wine shops. They are trying to buck the idea that there are two categories of wine: cheap and expensive. Ben explained to me that he wants every person who walks in to be able to blindfold themselves while choosing a bottle and at least know that whatever they pick up will be good for them, good for the environment, and easy on the pocket.  

Be sure to check out:

• Free Weekly Tastings: Thursday 5pm – 8pm and Saturday 1pm – 4pm

• Flight Club: A monthly, casual wine education club held over cheese and charcuterie. Reservations required and ticketed.

• The Vintage Cru: Their membership program! For $18 a month, you get 10% off everything, 15% off cases, and 20% off the Flight Club.