There’s never been a better time to explore Portland’s burgeoning urban winemaking scene. In all corners of the city, you’ll find converted warehouses packed with rows of fermenting vats, stacks of barrels, gleaming crushers, and old-school wood and steel wine presses. Even better, most facilities have tasting rooms where you can see grapes trucked in at harvest and learn about winemaking throughout the year. Here are some of the Rose City’s leading urban wineries where you can sip, nibble and even listen to live music just minutes from the city center.
Small-Batch Aromatic White Wines in Cool Spaces
In a converted warehouse redesigned by local architects, husband-and-wife duo Matt Berson and Angela Reat run Portland Wine Company in Southeast Portland. The wow factor in the contemporary space is a golden-lit barrel room on display behind sliding-glass doors — that and a vintage Wurlitzer jukebox set to croon nostalgic tunes. On most days, you’ll find Reat behind the bar pouring tastes from a label called Love & Squalor. The small-batch wines are all made with Willamette Valley grapes like single-vineyard riesling and skin-contact gewürztraminer. Be sure to sample the fun and funky pét-nats (natural wines).
Another wine producer in Southeast Portland synonymous with exceptional white blends is Teutonic Wine Company. First inspired by the wines of the Mosel Valley in Germany and the Alsace region in France, founders Barnaby and Olga Tuttle launched their label with a focus on dry rieslings in 2005. Since then they’ve expanded to include some more offbeat bottlings like a richly textured white wine made from tannat (a rare planting in Oregon known for making robust reds) and vin gris (a co-fermentation of pinot gris and pinot noir). Be sure to try the plush merlot made from 33-year-old Columbia Gorge vines.
Winemakers, Pop-Ups and Pizza Parties
Head to Boedecker Cellars in Northwest Portland’s industrial neighborhood to taste dueling pinot noirs made by the husband-and-wife team Stewart Boedecker and Athena Pappas. Each year they both make separate wines that reflect their own palate and call them the Athena and Stewart bottlings. Explore a vintage and see which style you prefer. Set in a soaring warehouse space with luminous string lights and stacks of oak barrels, this is one of the few urban wineries that doesn’t require a reservation.
Across the Willamette River at Division Winemaking Co., the brainchild of co-founders Kate Norris and Tom Monroe, tastings unfold in a modern space with a circular bar and a sleek corner banquette. Made with fruit sourced mostly from vineyards in Oregon — often organically farmed — a flight here includes expressive Loire Valley-inspired wines such as gamay noir, cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc. Check the website for events; on summer nights they’ve been known to team up with the city’s beloved Cafe Olli for a Friday-night pop-up pizza series in their courtyard.
At nearby Helioterra Wines, winemaker Anne Hubatch has turned out top-notch Rhône- and Loire Valley-influenced wines for over two decades. Since 2018 she’s hosted tastings by appointment in her industrial space that’s also retrofitted with a cozy wine bar. Reserve a spot here for an insightful afternoon tasting under-the-radar whites like auxerrois or melon de Bourgogne. Watch for pop-ups with other women-owned wine brands, authors and artists.
Urban Wine Pioneers and Neighborhood Wine Hubs
When Enso Winery debuted over a decade ago, winemaker and co-owner Ryan Sharp had little idea it would turn into such a hot spot for Portland. Set in a renovated mechanic shop in Southeast Portland, this winery is big on charm with leafy vines cascading over the brick-covered entrance, cherry-red stools around long wooden bars, and roll-up garage doors in summer for people- and pup-watching. Sharp keeps his production tiny. Choose from rotating flights of whites, rosés and reds along with snacky bites like tinned fish and savory pies from Pacific Pie Company.
In a city of pinot, Seven Bridges Winery is the answer for those who prefer Bordeaux-style reds like malbec, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah. Located in the core of industrial North Portland, the name celebrates Portland’s many historic bridges. To sip where it all started, head to Southeast Portland’s Hip Chicks Do Wine. Owners and winemakers Laurie Lewis and Renee Neely founded the city’s oldest urban winery in 1999. Their motto, “Making fun wine and wine fun,” still rings true with wine flights served in test tubes and regular events that range from flower arranging to creating your own charcuterie board.
If You Go:
For a starting point, visit PDX Urban Wineries, where you’ll find an updated list of wineries across the city. It’s always a good idea to double-check hours before visiting or to make reservations; many winery tasting rooms are open by appointment only.
Since a number of wineries are found in the city’s close-in neighborhoods, there’s the option to walk or bike. Hop on your own bicycle or rent one from Nike’s BIKETOWN program. Several e-scooter companies also operate in the city. Major ride-share apps, traditional cab companies or public transit can get you to tasting rooms that are farther out. When you taste wines you love, remember Oregon Wine Flies Free on Alaska Airlines.
