Arrowine currently occupies the space home to "Cheese and Bottle" in the late 1960s. J. Newman Carter and his brothers owned our shopping called Lee Heights Shops. Newman opened Cheese and Bottle in the late 60s, making it one of the first dedicated Wine and Cheese shops. Doug started working for Newman in 1977 while attending George Washington University. In 1978 Newman sold Cheese and Bottle to Jay and Ruth Fast, who, after a disagreement with Newman, their landlord, built and then occupied what is now "Lebanese Taverna" just across the street.
Arrowine, originally in McLean, VA., was recruited to take over the vacant Cheese and Bottle space, which enlarged to its current size. Arrowine later won a Wine Spectator Best Retailer Award under the leadership of Ann Berta. Doug Rosen, who 25 years earlier worked at Cheese and Bottle, became a partner in 1991; two years later, in 1993, he bought out his partners and recruited his life-long friend Shemsedin Hassen to join him as a partner.
The rest is history.
The Arrowine Story
One of the Longest Established Businesses in Northern Virginia – Arrowine is Truly an Iconic Business.
Arrowine is more than a store, it’s an experience.
What’s Our Story?
Ambassadors of Producers and Products We Sell
We are always hunting for the next delicious treat to share with you. It could be a wine, a cheese, a beer, a bar of chocolate, pasta sauce, or preserved salted peppercorns. We ask ourselves: can we deliver it to you in great condition and at an outstanding price, quality, and value ratio?
We never know what will come our way and tickle our tastebuds. We love what we do, and that doesn’t change. We remain inspired by the dedication and artistry we see around us.
In this ever-increasingly impersonal world, we strive to understand the what, the how, the where, the drive, the determination, the mindset, and the technique that gives birth to delicious things.
We appreciate the story, the mystery behind the complexity, precision, and formulation of the deliciousness we experience. We try to understand the artisan, the creator, and the people who blessed us with a divine experience.
Our principles will never change: we offer products that have balance, precision, complexity, and soul. The satisfaction we experience comes from many simple things done exceedingly well.
We're constantly looking to expand our services and offerings. Our story is far from over; we live on our terms; we are not changing!
We thank you for your support which allows us to continue this adventure.
We love you all,
Your Friends at Arrowine
Doug Rosen
Doug has been curating fine wines since he was 21 and has been working with some winemakers for three generations. “I’m known internationally as a retailer who works as an importer”. Arrowine was the first to offer many world-class wines on the east coast.
Shem Hassen
Shemsedin “Shem” Hassen, an immigrant from Ethiopia, arrived in the DC area in 1987. In 2004 he became a partner with Doug here at Arrowine. Today you can find him selecting the very best wines our distributors have to offer.