A new Ballston restaurant could double as a wine school. One that helps you discern your likes and dislikes once and for all, and on the cheap. That’s because Pizza Vinoteca offers 36 wines by the glass for $10 or less. CEO Ari Malcolm, whom we snapped behind the bar, tells us he tasted 1,000 wines before penning the list. “It’s hard to find big name, mainstream wine at that price, so we scoured the globe to find grapes expressive of their varietal that taste great with pizza,” he tells us. That’s why you’ll only find one California wine, for example.
Pizza Vinoteca is so vino obsessed that they even fold red wine into the crust of their oblong shaped gourmet pizzas. It helps the dough become hearty enough to stand up the heat of an 800-degree grill that takes less than three minutes to finish a pizza. The Hawaiian, with its addictive vanilla, sherry glaze, will warp your opinion on pineapple and ham pie if you were previously a hater. Traditional ham is replaced with prosciutto, and arugula cuts the sweetness. Also try the Brussels sprouts pizza (pictured) with ricotta, walnuts and lemon before moving onto filled Italian donuts called bombolonis for dessert. Pizza Vinoteca is located at 800 N Glebe Rd.
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