Bethesda Bazar temporarily closed until December 5

Bethesda Bazar at 8006 Norfolk Avenue is temporarily closed until this Friday, December 5, 2025. The craft beer and fine wine shop is taking a short break, as many small businesses in downtown Bethesda do in the summer or winter. When the store reopens, it's a great place to pick up the right bottle for your holiday meals, parties, and gifts. There is also a selection of teas and snacks.

Total Wine opens in Friendship Heights (Photos)

Total Wine has opened at 5401 44th Street NW in the Friendship Heights area of Chevy Chase, D.C. The beer, wine, and spirits superstore is located in the basement of what's left of poor Mazza Gallerie. There is a coupon online to receive $10-off a purchase of $50 or more, in celebration of the opening. It's a mighty strong shot down the hatch to realize that Total Wine is headquartered in Montgomery County, but cannot open a store in Montgomery County due to the County monopoly control of liquor sales. Heckuva job, Brownie!

Grocery stores take aim at antiquated Montgomery County liquor laws again

Several grocery chains in Montgomery County are once again enlisting customers in the struggle to overturn the antiquated liquor laws that prevent them from selling beer and wine in Maryland. Signage paid for by the Consumer Freedom Coalition prompts customers to contact their legislators in Annapolis to support bills that would allow grocery stores to sell beer and wine, but not liquor. However, once again, the machine is prevailing in the state capital, and those bills appear unlikely to pass during this session.

The effort had the support of Maryland Governor Wes Moore, who was eager to back a popular cause to distract from the new taxes and fees in the FY-2026 state budget, but was opposed by powerful Democrats on committees that first had to approve the bills to move them to the floor for a wider vote. Harris Teeter was the loudest advocate for the change during the administration of previous Governor Larry Hogan, but the campaign stalled when the pandemic hit, and liquor law changes became focused on assisting bars and restaurants by allowing take-out cocktails, for example. Safeway has joined Harris Teeter in the 2025 push for the bills. Yet neither major corporation has been able to influence enough Maryland Democrats to sign on to supermarket sales, and those same Democrats have yet to pay a price at the ballot box for their continued defiance of the popular will on the matter.

Wine and spirits tastings at Westbard Square in Bethesda this week

Oak Barrel & Vine at 5390 Westbard Avenue at the new Westbard Square development in Bethesda has several wine and spirits tastings scheduled for this final week of February 2025. The tasting schedule is as follows: 

2/27: White Haven Sauvignon Blanc - Wine Tasting | 4–6pm

2/28: Fallen Oaks Spirits - Spirits Tasting | 4–7pm

2/28: Wisher Vodka - Spirits Tasting | 4–7pm

Sixty Vines opening in Bethesda

Sixty Vines, "the winemaker's restaurant," is coming to downtown Bethesda. The Texas-based chain will open at 7315 Wisconsin Avenue, in the former Ruth's Chris Steak House space, later this year. Construction is getting started inside the former steakhouse. Plans include replacing the existing exterior glass with multi-pane windows, for a facade style that is more contemporary-restaurant than downtown-office-building.

Sixty wines served from a "sustainable tap system" will be supported by wine country-inspired cuisine. That translates into steak, fish, chicken, pizza, pasta, sandwiches, salumi and cheese boards, small plates, and a four-item dessert menu. 

The vintages on tap are selected from the major wine regions around the world. In addition to lunch and dinner menus, brunch will be served on weekends. Sixty Vines has an existing location in Reston, and another planned for Foggy Bottom in Washington, D.C.

Update on Craft Beer & Wine, opening soon in Friendship Heights

Craft Beer & Wine at 4459-B Willard Avenue in the Village of Friendship Heights has been in the works since last April. There's finally been major progress on the interior fit-out of the store, and the sign has been installed above the storefront. A sign in the window promises the store is "opening soon," and will have draft beers on tap. It will be located between Potbelly and Roti in the JBGSmith-owned property.

VinoRita closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda (Photos)

Apparently, there's no demand for wine slushies in Bethesda. Last weekend, I noticed that VinoRita, which opened only about five weeks ago in the Dining Terrace food court at Westfield Montgomery Mall, was closed on a busy Saturday evening. Now their kiosk is entirely cleared out. It's recently become one of the unluckiest spots in the mall, as HalfSmoke lasted less than a year in the same kiosk, and VinoRita has now chased that with one of the fastest business failures I've ever reported in the 17 years I've been publishing news in Montgomery County. 

It looks like wine moms have been following the ultra-rich out the door in their mass exodus from moribund Montgomery County, folks. You would think County residents could have used a stiff slushie after looking at their new, jacked-up MoCo property tax bills. VinoRita may want to try a Spring Valley, Leesburg or Clarksville location instead. Meanwhile, Westfield may need to break the emergency glass, and bring in Steak and Shake, In-N-Out Burger, Jack in the Box, Raising Cane's or Zaxby's to hit a home run in this struggling kiosk. In the words of Shia LaBeouf, "I'm tired of starting over...just DO IT!!!!"

VinoRita was still there, but
abandoned, last Saturday night

A week later...VinoRita is gone

*Sad trombone*

Uncorked opens at Chevy Chase Lake

Uncorked is now open at 8525 Chevy Chase Lake Terrace, at the new Chevy Chase Lake development on Connecticut Avenue. The craft beer and fine wine shop includes not only a lounge and full bar, but also a bar window that opens to the outdoors, with stools on the outside of the storefront when the weather cooperates. You will be able to see which beers are currently on-tap throughout the year by checking UNTAPPD. Look for Uncorked next to Amazon Fresh at the development.

VinoRita wine slushies kiosk opens, Wild Custom Apparel moves at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

VinoRita, a wine slushies kiosk, has opened in the Dining Terrace food court at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. "Have a wine slushy," an electronic menu screen floating above the kiosk advises. A menu screen lists 5 flavors available. VinoRita's marketing calls the new kiosk "your classy place to drink."

In other mall news, Wild Custom Apparel has made a short move to relocate. It has reopened in a space between the Lego Store and The Children's Place on Level 1, essentially just leapfrogging to the opposite side of the Lego Store from where it was. The shop is what it sounds like, a custom-printing apparel business. What makes it "wild," is left to the imagination. Downing a couple of wine slushies before shopping may assist in that department.

VinoRita wine slushies kiosk to open at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

A new frozen treat is coming to the Dining Terrace food court at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. VinoRita, a kiosk dispensing frozen wine slushies, plans to open next month at the mall. This will be the small-but-growing chain's first location outside of the south, where it currently has two kiosks in North Carolina, and one in Georgia.

VinoRita's wine slushie menu features its most popular Blackberry Sangria, alongside Peach Frose, Strawberry Daiquiri, and Blueberry Pomegranate. The kiosk won't be just for adults; there is a selection of non-alcoholic flavors available. VinoRita will be open 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday through Wednesday, 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM Thursday through Saturday, and 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM on Sundays. 

Whelan's Beer & Wine opening in Potomac

A new beer and wine retailer is opening soon at the Potomac Promenade shopping center at 9812 Falls Road in Potomac. Whelan's Beer & Wine hopes to open next month in the vacant storefront next to Five Guys. Pick up a beer to go with that burger on the way home! Whelan's Beer & Wine will be open from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM seven days a week.

Craft Beer and Wine to open in Friendship Heights

JBG Smith has found a tenant for the vacant space between Potbelly and Roti on Willard Avenue in the Friendship Heights area of Chevy Chase. Craft Beer & Wine, a - surprise! - beer and wine store, has leased the space. As you can see, the interior fit-out of the store has not begun yet. In keeping with the latest trend in Friendship Heights, the store is more of a practical benefit to the neighborhood, as opposed to the Rodeo Drive boutiques that have departed as their ultra-rich clientele fled Montgomery County to lower-tax jurisdictions in the region.

Bliss in a Bottle coming to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Bliss in a Bottle will open a kiosk this fall at Westfield Montgomery Mall. The gift retailer specializes in chocolate-covered wine bottles. It's more sophisticated than it sounds - the specific chocolate coating is specially chosen to pair with the wine inside the bottle, a variety of chocolates are used, and mix-ins found in the chocolate can be a sophisticated as hibiscus berry powder and rose sugar. The Ohio-based Bliss in a Bottle already has an area location in Tysons Corner Center.

Photo courtesy Bliss in a Bottle

Bethesda Bazar opens on Norfolk Avenue

Bethesda Bazar, officially spelled with one "a," has opened at 8006 Norfolk Avenue. While still nominally a convenience store like previous tenants, the focus is strongly on craft beer and fine wine, as well as organic groceries. As you can see, they have a decently large inventory for the size of floor space available.

Mini Mart begins selling beer and wine in Bethesda (Photos)

Beer and wine are now available at Mini Mart, a convenience store located at 8006 Norfolk Avenue in downtown Bethesda. The store recently got a new owner and new name, and now has a new liquor license from Montgomery County. Along with a selection of wine bottles, customers will find standard favorites like Budweiser, Miller Lite, Corona and Goose Island IPA.