Charlie Dunn took a somewhat unusual path to restaurant management and wine expertise: through the kitchen.

A D.C. native (he attended the School Without Walls), Dunn gained some valuable experience with beverages and spirits when he tended bar at the Brickskeller, the beer lover’s paradise near Dupont Circle.

But he decided the kitchen is where he wanted to be, so he enrolled at the L’Academie de Cuisine in Bethesda for a six-month stint. He would go on to work at Jaleo, Jean-Louis at the Watergate, Cashion’s Eat Place, Lespinasse and Blair House, where former presidents stay when they’re in town.

Then it was back to the front of the house. Dunn spent five years at Butterfield 9 as a manager and waiter, which is when he says he “really started to pick up a lot of wine knowledge.”

This story continues below
Advertisement

After that, he reconnected with Chef Tracy O’Grady, with whom he worked at Kinkead’s, and the two partnered up to open Willow.

At the 1½-year-old restaurant in Ballston, Dunn presides over a 110-bottle wine list, including an impressive 21 by the glass.

Q How do you define your list, what you’re trying to do?

A We’re modern American; there’s no “cuisine of the sun,” no pan-Asian, it’s what we call modern continental. The idea is that the wine list should reflect that. There’s not a lot of South American, New Zealand or Australian wines. It’s not in any way discrediting those wines — some are excellent — we just have to edit it. What sells the most is American wines. You can’t keep Oregon pinot noir in.

Q Is there a challenge in putting together a list as a startup?

A We don’t have a big budget. The list was one-third this size when we opened. Every few weeks I put a new wine on, trying to fill a price slot or a style slot.

Plus in Virginia, there are just so many purveyors — 19 of them. And everything is [cash on delivery].

Q What do you think the next big thing is in the wine world?

A The wine world is expanding to all these new places. Malbec is just flying out of here. People are becoming more sophisticated; they read the Wine Spectator. I would say Virginia wineries. Many of them are pretty good. Interestingly, they’re growing more red varietals. I go with the Touriga from White Hall Vineyards, made with port grapes.

There’s also chardonnay from the Loire, and good bargains on Rioja.

Q What’s your desert island wine?

A 2002 Riesling Grand Cru “Mambourg,” Barth Rene, Alsace.

Remember, all these critics have their rating systems. There already is a rating system, and that’s the dollar. The public is the judge. My job is to find something that’s flying below the radar. My idea is to give customers the best value.

Willow is located at 4301 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, Va.; 703 - 465-8800; www.willowva.com