Portland Weekend Wine Events
Wine Events for May 2nd through May 4th
Hello inquisitive wine drinkers,
Welcome to the Portland Wine Events newsletter!
Every week, I’ll share the latest wine events happening in Portland, including tastings, special dinners, pairings, and wine festivals. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll recognize much of what’s included here.
What sets this newsletter apart from my Instagram posts? As a subscriber, you’ll get my honest take on which events are worth your time, plus a heads-up on upcoming events in the following weeks.
See an event you’d like to attend? Share this newsletter with a friend!
Newsletter Highlights
May is Oregon Wine Month! Over the next few weeks, many of Portland’s wine shops and bars will be hosting tastings that showcase Oregon winemakers. Looking to start your Oregon wine journey? This weekend, check out the Oregon Wine Fair at Ora et Labora or the Oregon Chardonnay tasting at E&R Wine Shop. Both events offer a chance to chat with winemakers and get personalized bottle recommendations from stellar staff.
The Upcoming Special Events section of this newsletter is full of ways to sip beyond the city. The Lamb-a-palooza event at Johan Vineyards on May 10 sounds especially adorable. As always, be sure to check out this section each week to stay current on all the wine-tasting opportunities, including outdoor wine festivals and neighborhood wine walks!
To celebrate the month, I’ve added a section at the end with some fun Oregon wine facts to impress your tasting group or win trivia night.
Weekend Wine Events for May 2nd through May 4th
Friday, May 2nd from 4 to 7 pm: Wines of Umbria tasting at Taborly Wines
Friday, May 2nd from 4 to 8 pm: Friday Night Flights at Vino featuring Cabernet Franc
Friday, May 2nd from 4 to 7 pm: Ariel Eberle of Yamhill Valley Vineyards will be at Helioterra Wine for their guest winemaker tasting
Friday, May 2nd from 5:30 to 7:30 pm: Alpine wines from Archetyp Alpine at Portland Bottle Shop
Friday, May 2nd from 2 to 6 pm: Portland Wine Co, pouring at Art and Wine at Will Leather Goods
Liner & Elsen has two events this weekend:
Friday, May 2nd from 5 to 7 pm: 45th parallel tasting of Oregon Chardonnay vs. White Burgundy
Saturday, May 3rd from 12 pm to 4 pm: Brad McLeroy of Ayres Vineyard pouring at the winemaker’s barrel
Saturday, May 3rd from 2 pm to 6 pm: Oregon Wine Fair & Maker’s Market at Ora et Labora Wine Shop. This event will feature indie Oregon wine makers, local artisans, and food from KCK pizza truck! Stop by to kick off Oregon Wine Month!
Tickets are $30 and can be purchased here.
Saturday, May 3rd from 12:30 to 3 pm: Oregon Chardonnay tasting at E&R Wine Shop featuring Luk from Statera Cellars, Tyson and Evan from Crowley Wines, and pours of Eyrie Vineyards and Violin Wines (and it’s free!)
Saturday, May 3rd from 3 to 5 pm: New Deal Distillery is hosting weekly Oregon Winemaker pop-ups; this week they are featuring Libertine Wines.
Saturday, May 3rd from 11 am to 3 pm: Hidden Gems of Oregon at Westside Wines
Full week flights: Every week, Pairings Wine Shop and Bar pours a special flight paired to something in pop culture. Through May 4th, the flight will feature pop stars like Chappel Roan, Charlie XCX, and Lady Gaga (with a great playlist of course!). Then starting May 5th, as a fundraiser for The Lavender Rights Project (a Black Trans Advocacy and Legal Services organization) Pairings will be pouring a “F**k JKR” Harry Potter flight.
Wine spaces with music:
Saturday, May 3rd, from 6 pm to 10 pm: DJ Espina Letal at Company.
Friday, May 2nd and Saturday, May 3rd, from 8 pm to 12 am: Live DJs at Daydream
Check out the full line-up on their Instagram at @favoriteneighbors
Upcoming Special Events:
Yamhill-Carlton AVA Spring Tasting: Saturday, May 3rd from 10 am to 5 pm (times vary based on your ticket selection) at Abbey Road Farm.
Celebrate 20 years of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA with wines from 35+ wineries, special paired bites, and the gorgeous views from the Abbey Road Farm!
Purchase tickets here.
Armstrong Vineyard Tasting (in Portland): Thursday, May 8th from 5 to 8:30 pm at The Wine Yard in Portland. Armstrong Vineyard brings its first Portland tasting, featuring wines from Red Electric, Vincent Wine Co., and Division Winemaking Co., with both winemakers and vineyard owners in attendance. Choose from a technical tasting (5–6:30 pm, $60, includes walk-around access) or a casual walk-around tasting (6:30–8:30 pm, $15) with 9+ wines including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and library selections. Snacks are available for purchase; tickets are available here.
Lamb-a-palooza at Johan Vineyards: Saturday, May 10th from 11 am to 3 pm. Celebrate the return of Lamb-a-palooza, a family-friendly event showcasing Johan’s baby lambs, biodynamic farming, and Spring wine releases. Enjoy curated wine flights paired with cheese and charcuterie, meet the lambs, and explore hands-on activities for kids, plus guided nature walks. Just an hour from Portland at this woman-owned, Demeter-certified biodynamic estate. Purchase your $30 tickets here.
Post Familiar Release Party: May 17th. Save the date, more details to come.
AAPI Food and Wine Fest: May 17th and 18th at Stoller Family Estate in Dayton, OR
Try wines and paired food from local AAPI owned wineries and restaurants while enjoying the beautiful Stoller Family Estate. You can get day passes, or attend both days to try two different lineups. Find tickets here
Indie Wine Mixer: May 24th & 25th in McMinnville, OR at Ricochet Wine Co.
A celebration of Oregon’s independent, small, & boutique micro-wineries. Enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend the Indie way & join 40 independently owned + operated wineries for a weekend of killer wine! Stock up for summer with your favorite bottles from Oregon’s scrappiest cellar rats. Tickets are on sale now at this link
PDX Urban Wine Experience: June 1st, from 2 to 5 pm at Easton Broad.
Taste wine from 15 wineries that are all based in Portland! Tickets include Charcuterie Me cones, tasting over 40 wines, and a donation to Ahivoy.
Early bird tickets can be purchased now here.
Recurring Weeknight Tastings
Wine Wednesday at Negociant: A themed tasting in their back room. I highly recommend going early to catch their oyster happy hour—some of the best in town and the perfect match for a crisp white wine or bubbles.
Wine Wednesday at Living Room Wines: Sometimes, it’s a featured winemaker or import company; other times, it’s a casual (and often free) tasting. Either way, it’s always a great midweek stop for discovering something new.
Burgundy Thursday at Heavenly Creatures: Every Thursday, the fantastic team at Heavenly Creatures pours two or three standout Burgundies by the glass. Whether it's a renowned winemaker or a legendary vineyard site, you’re in for something special.
Company: Most Thursdays, this cozy spot just off Belmont hosts winemaker-led tastings. They also have music nights and reading events—definitely worth checking out!
Mayfly: This bar near Kenton Park in North Portland has something happening every night from Tuesday to Sunday. Keep an eye out for their next wine-tasting event!
Oregon Wine Month
May is Oregon Wine Month! Oregon’s wine production clocks in at around 45,000 acres of planted vines (tiny compared to California’s 600k+). What we lack in size, we more than make up for in quality, sustainability, and sheer grape geekery. Pinot Noir is the star here, but be sure to check out our Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gamay, and even Tempranillo down south. The modern wine scene got started in the ’60s, but Oregon’s first vines were planted in the 1840s. The Willamette Valley AVA has only been official since 1983, and won major prestige in 1985 when its Pinots famously beat wines from Burgundy in a blind tasting. While the Willamette Valley is the most well-known AVA in Oregon, I encourage you to check out wines from the Columbia Gorge and Southern Oregon near Medford. Sustainability isn't just a buzzword for Oregon winemakers. Oregon leads the U.S. in biodynamic acreage and number of B Corp wineries, and programs like LIVE and Salmon-Safe are homegrown initiatives. While I may be a little biased in thinking that Oregon wine is the best, VinePair just listed Oregon as the world’s top wine destination for 2025!
Looking to learn more about Oregon wine or join in on celebrations happening across the state? Check out the Oregon Wine Board.
Traveling to Oregon from out of town? Alaska Airlines will check a case of wine for free!
Thank you so much for subscribing! I hope you have a great weekend drinking wine!
Is there anything else you’d like to see in upcoming newsletters? Let me know!