If you’re like us, you love trying out local wineries. But you usually don’t want to deal with the hassle of an all-day bus trip to a Virginia or Maryland vineyard.

Luckily for all of us, there’s District Winery.

DC’s first commercial winery opened its doors in Yards Park last summer, and with its multiple levels and a year-round terrace, it has way more to offer than your typical urban winery.

Tour the winery and familiarize yourself with knowledge on urban winemaking while learning about the company’s humble beginnings in Brooklyn. Tours cost just $35 and include tastings of seven district wines, but times are limited and only available on weekdays at 6 pm, Saturdays at 1 pm and 6 pm, and Sundays at 1 pm.

Separate from the production space, you’ll find barrel rooms with ideal temperature control for aging wine while simultaneously showcasing the rows of barrels to the public.

Head winemaker, Conor McCormack, sources grapes from boutique vineyards throughout the US and has the “advantageous opportunity to showcase the most representative grape varieties that each region has to offer.” 

#FrayLife Tip: Purchase bottles of wine to go from the tasting bar on your left as you enter the winery.

If you’re looking to impress your SO, take advantage of District Winery’s date night package, which includes a winery tour, tasting, two glasses of Blanc de Blanc, and a dinner reservation for $50 (although it doesn’t include the actual cost of your meal).

Speaking of dinner, District Winery houses its own seasonal American restaurant, Ana, with relaxing views of the Anacostia River. If you work in the Navy Yard area, it’s a great spot to pop by for lunch. It’s also a go-to spot for weekend brunch, as long as you don’t mind sipping wines instead of bottomless Mimosas and Bloodies.

#FrayLife Tip: District offers ½ off all bottles of wine during happy hour between 3:30 – 6:30 pm.

Don’t leave Ana without visiting ”Dads of Democracy” art collection, which displays artwork of every US President. As you can imagine, some paintings are more popular than others, but the overall display is a vibrant and funky spin on typical Presidential portraits.

As if all that isn’t enough, District Winery also has a rentable event space for hosting events. The next event to occupy that space, however, will be their own.

In celebration of their 2017 Dry Rosé – the first-ever DC made wine, District Winery is hosting a Rosé Release Party on Sunday, April 22nd. You can purchase tickets here. 

The winemakers are well aware of DC’s love for Rosé and they have doubled the amount they typically produce for the Brooklyn winery. Even still, they expect to start running low shortly after the summer, so visiting sooner than later is a good call unless you want to wait until 2019 to uncork a bottle of rosé produced in our Nation’s Capital.

Are you as excited as we are that DC has officially tapped into the winery business? If you head over to District Winery this spring, tag us in your photos using #FrayLife and you could be featured on our page!

Need some other ideas for things to do in DC as the weather warms up? Don’t miss our April Month Ahead guide.