Portland may be known for its fine microbrew culture (which is something I did not fully appreciate until I moved to Missouri where Bush is the highlight of brew culture), but it also offers many opportunities to try the vino experience. Not only are we located in the midst of the ever-growing Willamette Valley wine industry, we are also within driving distance of many fine Washington wineries. The closest hotbed of tasting rooms and open wineries is located along Highway 99, heading from Portland to McMinnville. Passing through Newberg and Dundee, there are dozens of local wineries that are well worth the drive. Our favorite is Sokol Blosser, which offers a mixed white and mixed red (named Evolution and M) that are some of our favorite wines. Evolution is a crisp but very smooth white mixture that we frequently use in a wine marinade for Chilean sea bass. Andy is an excellent cook, did I mention that? We gave the M bottle a try simply on its association with the winery, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it a well rounded and very fruity wine that is easy to drink. We first enjoyed it on a sunny picnic at Sauvie Island (a great Portland getaway), and the warm sun and excellent company always come to mind when we drink this wine. Other wineries that we have tasted at and enjoyed are Erath Vinyards, De Ponte Cellars (their wine tasting room is associated with an excellent restaurant), and Torii Mor Wineries. Also highly recommended are the Andrew Rich Wines and the Rex Hill Vineyards.
If you don't have time to take the scenic drive, there are many places to sample wine here in P-town. In our neighborhood, Sip D-Vine offers flights of red and white of selected vineyards which rotate weekly. For a great late night venue, try South Park (named so before the popular TV show came into existence, and in fact named after its location South of the Park blocks). It is in downtown Portland, and offers a great bar menu that includes a creme brulee that is drool-inducing. As an added bonus, you can order wines by the quarter glass, which is especially helpful if your name is Jackie and you don't handle your alcohol that well. And, if you are in the mood for good wine with a minimum of frou-frou fuss, then head to Johns Market. John's is well known as having the best beer selection in Portland, but it also carries a well selected array of wine. Since everything is scaled down and pared back to bare bones, the market saves on expense and manages to deliver cheaper bottles than many of the finer establishments in the area. Of course, John's is also well known for the worst produce selection in Portland, if not the entire Pacific Northwest. Ah well, you can't be an expert at everything...
Our favorites:
Sokol Blosser http://www.sokolblosser.com/
South Park http://www.southparkseafood.com/
