Wine Conversations: Wendy Buckley, Screwtop Wine Bar

Screwtop is one of my favorite wine bars in Arlington, if not my favorite. I was lucky enough to sit down for tea and espresso with the owner Wendy Buckley at Blumen Cafe in Arlington.

Buckley said the idea for the wine bar was born when she moved to the neighborhood with her husband and they just wanted a place to grab a good glass of wine, without the fuss of a big meal to go with it. At the time, she was working for AOL and commuting to New York City from DC every other week and said she "wanted something simpler."

Buckley credited her upbringing on a farm in Texas, where she had horses and other animals to helping the development of her "supernose." Her family also had a farm stand, with fresh fruit like strawberries that played a large role, she said. 

"All of the memories of the smells I associate with wine these days take me back to my child hood a little bit," she said, adding that her family always relied on her for wine selection. Especially, with aged Burgundy [Pinot Noir-based wine] or even some Pinot Noir from California, the "barnyard" smell always stands out to her. [Yes, this is actually a smell listed on the wine chart I have at home].

Buckley's love for wine, however, really took off when she began working for a now shuttered store in Clarendon called Best Cellars at 22, for fun, which helped expand her knowledge. 

The Best Cellars concept took something that was "almost unapproachable for people and simplified it in a way that anybody that walked into the store, you could direct them towards a flavor profile," she said. "You like smooth reds, not a lot of tannins, here's your section."

This helped when she was developing a concept for Screwtop. "The biggest thing I wanted to be was approachable," Buckley said. "Anybody that walks in, to be able to come in and have a look at the wine list, and also appreciate the friendliness of the place, and be at ease."

The goal was to be friendly to those customers who were already wine-knowledgeable, but to also people completely new to wine. Buckley also emphasized that she wanted something geared towards women, someplace "you could go out with your girlfriend and catch up and feel comfortable, feel at ease, without someone shouting a basketball score over your head."

So she took a big risk and quit her AOL job, and began working towards her Advanced Sommelier degree through the Court of Master Sommeliers (yes, like the Neflix movie, Somm) and then maneuvered her way to a job at a wine distribution company. She said she begged her friend Al, who owned the company, for a job so she could learn the ins and out of the business. 

"Al was a huge influence on me, he gave me a job when everyone else would have shut the door in my face, because I didn't have any experience," Buckley said. She then sold wine to retailers and restaurants, which she said was very difficult. But, that experience helped after opening the bar, because she understood what it was like to be on the other side of the business. 

When selecting wines for the menu, which rotates every month, "a lot of tasting and spitting" is involved, Buckley said, adding that she likes to go for themes like "grillin and chillin," in the summer, or focuses on a certain country or region. 

She noted that Screwtop has its annual rose party coming up soon, and this month's wine club theme is Bordeaux. Next month, will be Provence and Bandol. 

All of the ideas for Screwtop have come from experiences she has had herself, including having wines available in a sip size. She said she thought one day "what if you wanted to try to taste a bunch of different things?" Screwtop also allows customers to make their own flights. 

All of the foods items on the menu are Buckley's creations, which sometimes originate by just throwing on her apron and going into Screwtop's kitchen and seeing what ideas hit her. But, also, like the wine, she noted that the food is based on seasonality. 

At home, Buckley said she rotates the wine she drinks but her favorite right now is dry sparkling wines, and a visit to Champagne is on her bucket list [mine too]!

Buckley also tries to incorporate local Virginia wines at Screwtop, and carries wines from Early Mountain Vineyards, Thibaut-Janisson, and several other local wineries. 

She said in the next five years, she could see Screwtop expanding to another location, maybe in Charleston or Nashville.

I made my own wine flight!

The nachos, my favorite food item on the menu!

*Full disclosure: I am a member of Screwtop's wine club. It's awesome. Find out more here. Thanks so much to Wendy for the interview. Cheers!