Latin wine bar Grand Cata coming to Mosaic District for first Virginia shop

The Mosaic District’s Sip and Stroll map may soon get a new stop.

Grand Cata, a D.C.-based Latin American wine bar and market, is expanding to Virginia for the first time with a new store in the Merrifield neighborhood.

Located in the former Poke Bar at 8298 Glass Alley, Suite 100, next to B Side, the venue is on track to open early this summer, with construction about 60 to 70% complete, according to Grand Cata co-founder and CEO Pedro Rodríguez.

“We look forward to opening our first expansion to the Virginia market, and hopefully, people enjoy what we do,” Rodríguez told FFXnow.

After initially meeting as workers at a media development nonprofit, Rodríguez and Grand Cata President Julio Robledo bonded over a shared passion for wine, but after coming to D.C. from Puerto Rico and Chile, respectively, they noticed a lack of Latin America wines in local stores.

Grand Cata was created to fill that gap, launching as a retail shop in D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood on March 15, 2016.

Listed among the top wine retailers in the country by outlets like Wine Enthusiast and VinePair, the business has become a hot spot for not just buying and tasting wine and spirits, but also learning about the history and cultures of the region where the drinks originated.

A second location with a bar opened in June 2019 as part of the La Cosecha market in Union Market, which shares a property manager with the Mosaic District in Edens.

Now, Rodríguez and Robledo are eager to bring their wine and knowledge to a new audience across the Potomac River.

“We have a really well-established identity here in the capital,” Rodríguez said. “In the more affluent, wealthy area of Virginia, it’s got Fairfax County and McLean, Falls Church, easy access. A lot of fun neighbors are in the mix there, so it’s a destination.”

Like the La Cosecha location, the new Grand Cata will have a wine bar, retail shop and market with sauces, spices and other pantry items. Since Virginia doesn’t allow alcohol-only service, it will also sell food, such as sandwiches and charcuterie boards.

Rodríguez says the menu will be simple and intimate in keeping with the space, which is just 908 square feet in size, per a permit from Fairfax County. Featured wines will include selections from Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Mexico, Bolivia, and even Spain and Portugal.

“The best way to get to know the wines we feature is to taste them,” Rodríguez said. “So, people are going to have the opportunity to taste them with us and get to know them, and hopefully they like them and buy them and come back.”