Andrew Stover of Oya and SEI
Andrew Stover’s interest in boutique wines began a decade ago when he was working part-time in the tasting room at Purcellville’s Breaux Vineyards, pouring tastes and learning about the wine business. Soon after, a trip home to visit his family in Michigan or a jaunt to the mountains of Georgia became more than pleasure travel and transitioned into a mission to seek out the best of the local wine. A career change came next and Stover was on his way to becoming a champion of domestic vino and U.S. winemakers.
Stover, who is the sommelier at Penn Quarter’s Oya and its sister restaurant SEI in Chinatown, loves to hear his guests exclaim “I can’t believe you have this” when perusing his Wine Spectator award winning list, which features wines from 14 states.
He says that guests who come in with a preconceived notion about a certain region or grape just need to “get it in their mouth to get it,” so having several pages of wine by the glass, in both tease (two ounce) and climax (five ounce) pours, is key. Otherwise, it would be tough to get people who are ready to order their standby New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to try a Vermentino from Texas instead.
“If it doesn’t sell, we don’t buy it,” Stover says about his program. Oya doesn’t have space to cellar wine so he is constantly working with boutique wineries to make sure customer favorites are in stock, or arranging for new offerings via his own wholesale portfolio Vino50, which is focused on “eclectic and unknown wines” from “obscure regions” such as Arizona, Colorado and Idaho.
Virginia wines get their own page at Oya, ranging from Horton’s Sparkling Viognier to Chrysalis’ rosy Sara’s Patio Red and Boxwood’s spicy Cabernet Franc/Merlot blend. He works to highlight the state’s standout grapes by offering a wide variety of Cabernet Francs and Viogniers. And since Stover knows many of the local winemakers, he’s eager to share the stories behind the wines he pours.
Outside of local options, Stover says that wines from Sawtooth Winery in Idaho and a sparkling pineapple selection from Hawaii’s Tedeschi Vineyards have become cult favorites, pairing well with Oya’s Asian-fusion cuisine. He has also secured lesser known varietals, many of which are exclusive to only the restaurant and vineyard tasting rooms, such as a crisp Gruner Veltliner from Galen Glen in Pennsylvania, a juicy Marechal Foch from Madrona View Vineyard in the Willamette Valley of Oregon and a Pinot Meunier/Pinot Noir blend from Colorado’s Jack Rabbit Hill. The menu also includes production notes for most bottles, noting that several number less than 200 cases per year.
As part of his efforts with Vino50, Stover has developed three custom blends. Yin, a Cabernet- Malbec blend is made from California grapes; Yang, a fruit-forward Chardonnay blend, is created in conjunction with Chrysalis Vineyards in Middleburg; and the newest addition, YinYang, is a pink Oregon Pinot Gris. He also consults on other wine lists, including those of soon-to-open DC restaurants Cities Washington and Smith Commons. Both will feature extensive domestic offerings by the glass.
So now when Stover is homesick for his childhood in Michigan, he can pour himself a glass of L. Mawby Blanc de Blancs or Independence Rose from the Leelanau Peninsula, think about how far the domestic wine market has come and how he’s working to push it even further.
Oya Restaurant & Lounge: 777 9th St. NW; Washington DC; 202-393-1400; www.oyadc.com
SEI Restaurant & Lounge: 444 7th St. NW; Washington DC; 202-783-7007; www.seirestaurant.com
