Aida Bistro & Wine Bar | Columbia, Washington D.C.
Aida Bistro throws a keg party
Joe Barbera is saving the planet, one keg at a time.
By his estimate, the owner of AIDA Bistro & Wine Bar in Columbia has saved more than 7,000 bottles and corks from landfills by offering 30 wines on tap.
To do so, the Mediterranean restaurant works with Virginia winery Stone Mountain Vineyards to source local wines in five-gallon stainless-steel vessels.
The apple and tropical fruit of unoaked 2010 Stone Mountain Chardonnay ($8 for 5 ounces) cuts rich, meaty Canadian mussels in lobster-butter broth ($13). A mellow glass of 2008 Stone Mountain Cabernet Franc ($9 for 5 ounces) balances the wintry flavor of smoked-duck flatbread ($12).
The Aida crew also developed its own blend at Stone Mountain. Aidatage First 15 Bordeaux Blend ($9 for 5 ounces) is a fruit-forward mix of 2009 Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The cherry finish brightens a pile of sweet rock shrimp, sauced with citrus and chile ($9).
Most of Aida's tap offerings are domestic, though the spice-happy 2010 Katas Garnacha ($9 for 5 ounces) from Catalonia warms a nest of house-made whole-wheat pasta ($14), served simply with garlic and olive oil.
Aida Bistro & Wine Bar, 6741 Columbia Gateway Dr., Columbia; 410-953-0500 or aidabistro.com