06.13.2024

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75º | 0% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 5:20 a.m. | Sunset 9:00 p.m.
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Sip and savor the best of Portland’s wine scene

A group of people enjoy glasses of wine around a fire pit at Argyle Winery. The scene is set by verdant trees in the background. Golden light suggests a time just before sunset.

Good times await around the fire pits at Arygle Winery in downtown Dundee. | Photo via @argylewinery

How merlot can you go, Portland? There’s no shortage of world-class wines produced right in our own backyard. But whether you’re a barrel-aged oenophile or still a bit green on the vine, there’s always more to discover about the metro area’s booming wine industry, from local tasting rooms to festivals and tour companies.

Ready? Yes way, rosé.

Wine down ‘round town

Start sipping at these tasting rooms and wine bars within city limits.

Hip Chicks Do Wine, 4510 SE 23rd Ave., Portland | The city’s oldest urban winery has aged like, well, fine wine. At this 1999 vintage, you can have a glass on the patio with your pooch, host an event, or weigh your options with a tasting.

ENSO Winery, 1416 SE Stark St., Portland | Walk into this Buckman neighborhood “garage” and try the small-lot wines, where each batch receives the full attention and experimentation needed to bring you unmatched complexity.

Dave and Lois Cho pose with bottles of their wines with their vineyard in the background. — Dave Cho is the first Korean-American winemaker in Oregon; his wife Lois founded the nonprofit Oregon AAPI Food and Wine.
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Photo via @getchowines

Pours on the periphery

Not close enough to walk to, but no so far that you’ll need to stretch your legs when you get there, these suburban sips are up next.

Cho Wines, 24399 NE Albertson Rd., Hillsboro | Married couple David and Lois Cho went from busking in Santa Monica to being featured on Wine Enthusiast’s “Future 40 Tastemakers” list in 2023; they kept that momentum going by opening a tasting room earlier this year.

Amaterra, 8150 SW Swede Hill Dr., Portland | Equal parts restaurant and events space, this perch in the West Hills astounds with sweeping views of the Tualatin Valley and quality wines under two labels. Purchase a one-time $25 social membership to visit the private clubhouse.

Two people cheers their wine on a deck. In the background, Amaterra's vineyard slopes down toward the Tualatin Valley, which stretches to the horizon in golden light. — High above its surrounding, Amaterra uses a multiple-level gravity-flow winemaking process to maintain the delicate qualities of its grapes.
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Photo via Amaterra

Vines worth the drive

Visiting all 700+ wineries in the Willamette Valley — not to mention the vineyards in the Columbia Gorge on both sides of the river — is certainly a Sisyphean task, but here are our suggestions to get your feet (and your whistle) wet.

Argyle Winery, 691 OR-99W, Dundee | We’re willing to bet our bubbles that you’ll find something you like at “Oregon’s original sparkling wine house” — but there are still options just in case.

Mt. Hood Winery, 2882 Van Horn Dr., Hood River | A bottle of Summer Red and the postcard-worthy perspective of the namesake peak are all you need.

Que syrah syrah. For a more full-bodied list of local wineries, bottle shops, and wine bars, be sure to check out our map.

Wine tours + events

Asked

How many acres of vineyards are planted in the Willamette Valley?

A. 31,234 acres
B. 10,500 acres
C. 270,867 acres
D. 122,890 acres

Do you pinot the answer?

Events

Thursday, June 13

Noon Tunes Summer Concert Series | Thursday, June 13 | 12-1 p.m. | Pioneer Courthouse Square, 701 SW Sixth Ave., Portland | Free | Head to “Portland’s Living Room” for a musical pick-me-up during your lunch break, courtesy of local artists.

Friday, June 14

34th Anniversary Sale | Friday, June 14-Sunday, June 16 | 8 a.m.-9 p.m. | Pets on Broadway, 2762 NE Broadway, Portland | Free | Support this independently owned shop’s longevity and find something special for your furry friend; there’ll be deals, vendors with samples, and special guests.
Portland Beer Week | Friday, June 14-Sunday, June 23 | Times vary | Locations vary, Portland | Prices vary | Don’t be fooled by the name — this celebration chugs along for nine days of food pairings, chef collaborations, interactive tastings, educational seminars, and more.

Saturday, June 15

A Bee or Not a Bee? | Saturday, June 15 | 10 a.m. | Hoyt Arboretum, 4000 SW Fairview Blvd., Portland | $12-$15 | Pollinator week is buzzing up soon, so brush up on your nature knowledge on this guided walk and journaling session.
Community Resource Fair at the Lloyd Center | Saturday, June 15 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | 1241 Lloyd Center, Portland | Free | Nonprofits, government agencies, community organizations, and service providers will assemble to inform on everything from healthcare sign-up and utilities assistance to emergency preparedness.
H.E.R. Holistic Self-Care Day Retreat & Private Holistic Market | Saturday, June 15 | 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | Hawthorne Movement Center, 3942 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland | $47 | This women-only event includes catered lunch, kombucha on tap, workshops on hair and skincare, nutrition, and healing, yoga, and other wellness activities.

Sunday, June 16

Portland Pickles vs. Bend Elks (Dillon’s Daddy Day) | Sunday, June 16 | 6:05 p.m. | Walker Stadium, 4727 SE 92nd Ave., Ste. 4601, Portland | $12-$25 | Show the father figures in your life you love them with an evening of baseball and other dill-ights.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Outdoors

Cruise your way through the summer

We’ll see you on the water, Portland. | Photo by Brad McClain

With freshly prepared Northwest cuisine and breathtaking river views, a Portland Spirit cruise offers an experience unlike anything else in the area.

Portlanders can choose from cruise options featuring a plated lunch, a three-course dinner cruise, or cheers the day away on a Champagne brunch cruise each Sunday.

Bonus: Starting in July, Portlanders can experience their new Happy Hour Sightseeing cruise for only $29, or jet to the Columbia River Gorge with their Explorer Jetboat cruises.

Book a cruise

News Notes

Civic

Portlanders far and away favor renovating Keller Auditorium versus moving it elsewhere, at least according to public testimony gathered at a recent hearing. City leaders will continue to engage with community stakeholders ahead of making a decision in August. (KGW)

Eat

If you think Portland doesn’t have good sushi, you need to slow your roll… or eat one for that matter. According to Yelp, Yoshi’s Sushi, the Multnomah Village food cart that only takes orders by phone, is the No. 7 spot in the country. Two other local restaurants made the top 100 cut. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Announced

You can keep your clothes on, Portland — the World Naked Bike Ride has been canceled this year. Organizers cited a tremendous need for a break, which will enable them to refocus on the foundation’s behind-the-scenes efforts in order to return bigger and better in 2025. The search for volunteers is ongoing. (Bike Portland + The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Development

The Salmon Run Bell Tower and Glockenspiel, Vancouver’s best-known landmark, will get some TLC this summer. Construction will close Propstra Square, but most of Esther Short Park will remain open for public use and events.

Read

Just under a year after launching, Grand Gesture Books, an online romance bookseller started by a Powell’s Books employee, plans to open a storefront in September. The specific location in Northwest Portland is yet unknown, but at 1,400 sqft, it has room for several thousand books. (Portland Business Journal)

Drink

Embark on a deep dive into a mixologist’s mind with “The Bartender’s Pantry,” written by Jim Meehan and Emma Janzen with Bart Sasso’s illustrations. The former has spent a decade concocting cocktails in Portland (his consulting work can be tasted at places like Takibi). (Portland Monthly)

Answered

We won’t split hairs (or atoms) — just over half of you had the correct answers to our question in Tuesday’s newsletter about which scientist inspired Ursula K. Le Guin’s protagonist, Shevek, in her book “The Dispossessed.” It was Robert Oppenheimer, a friend of her academic parents.

Sports

Oregon football added some recruits along the offensive line this week. Find out how Demetri Manning and Ziyare Addison fit into the 2025 class with Locked On Ducks.

Community

❄️ Dial 311 for a cool time

Request a free air conditioning unit to stay cool during Portland’s summers

Two people install an air conditioning unit in the corner of a room.

Since June 2022, the program has installed more than 8,000 efficient cooling devices across Portland. | Photo via Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability

As a city, Portland can still feel the burn of deadly heat events in its recent past — and warmer summers are simply a new reality of climate change.

To help soothe those risks, the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) is partnering with PDX 311 to promote its Cooling Portland program. By calling the number or going online, people in need can apply for a free, efficient, and portable units that can provide cooling (and heating during the winter).

“Integrating PDX 311 allows us to connect with Portlanders in need and keep people safe ahead of the next heat wave or cold snap,” said PCEF Strategic Partnership and Policy Manager Jaimes Valdez. “Portlanders who need a cooling unit should get on the list before summer starts to heat up.”

People with low income, especially those over 60, with medical needs, or who live alone, will be prioritized.

The Buy

The Buy 6.13.24 (Affiliate + Six & Main)

A Father’s Day gift that will ship in time for this weekend, thanks to Prime. We’re seeing pizza stones, spikeball kits, roomy travel backpacks, and quintessential “Best Dad Ever” mugs (those are always a winner, right?).

Answered

Seeing the season through your eyes

Looking south toward Portland's skyline from a high balcony adorned with flower planters and a hummingbird feeder. In the distance, golden light shines on the Ritz-Carlton hotel tower and KOIN Tower. — We would never get tired of this view.
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Photo by Fred G.

You sent in photos of Portland spring for our Picture of the Year contest and they were blooming beautiful. Continue to submit more shots throughout the year — we’ll be picking our finalists in early 2025.

These were our other favorites

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Ben

From the editor

The PDXtoday team met up downtown for lunch yesterday and it was absolutely bustling. We grabbed a bite at Habibi and were heartened to see so many people out and about, eating and enjoying the sunshine.

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