To be honest, the strip of G Street where 57 Degrees is located is still a little outside the redevelopment going on in the East Village. But there's easy parking and twinkly white lights that mark the entrance to this hip wine bar.
In front there's a shaded patio that was occupied by a lawyer and a large group of her friends late one Saturday. Inside, a trio enjoying boys' night out watched sports on a flat-screen TV while finishing a bottle of cabernet sauvignon.
Black walls hung with colorful oil paintings make a dramatic backdrop for the pale granite wine bar. An eclectic mix of 50 wines, such as a Greco Tufo, an organic white from Italy, or Samantha Starr pinot noir, can be purchased by the glass or the bottle. On weekends, flights of six wines are $10, and once a month a winemaker comes in to give a talk.
The place's raison d'tre, though, is wine storage; 57 Degrees refers to the ideal temperature for storing red wine. The guys behind the bar are proud to show off their 10,000-bottle locker area, where individuals can rent space to store their fine wines. And when "tenants" come in to enjoy some of their swag, there's no corkage fee.
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