Visiting Every Portland Wine Space
Part 2
Let’s be honest: it’s easy to fall into a rhythm with wine spaces you already love. I have my usuals (you probably know them by now), and it would be easy to just keep going to those places. But I’ve also made a promise, to you and to myself, to explore every wine space in Portland by the end of 2025.
Why? Because if I’m going to keep recommending wine events and helping you choose the perfect place for a tasting, a date night, or a solo glass at the bar, I need to know these spaces inside and out.
In Part One, I focused mostly on wine bars that many people would describe as Portland essentials: Living Room Wines, Heavenly Creatures, Daydream, and Company. Spaces defined by warmth, great wine lists, and that magic that comes from passionate owners and thoughtful details. (You can check out the reviews here.)
Part Two continues the journey with a new group of wine spaces that reflect the sheer range of what Portland has to offer: a stylish family-run neighborhood spot, a legendary bottle shop that feels like a wine library, a collaborative industrial space, and a wine bar that somehow nails both comfort and surprise.
What I’ve learned so far is that there’s no such thing as the “best” wine shop. There’s only the best one for you. Whether you’re looking to casually sip with friends, dive deep into education, or just be somewhere that feels like home, there is a place for you. Each spot reflects a different kind of Portland magic.
Here are a few more for your consideration:
Ora et Labora
A friendly neighborhood spot in the heart of Portland’s coolest street.
Ora et Labora is what happens when deep care meets a cool neighborhood. Located on North Williams and surrounded by some of the best restaurants in town (like recent James Beard Award winner Jinju Pastry), this shop balances being the right shop for the young people that the neighborhood attracts while also maintaining a bottle list for wine enthusiasts. Run by a family, it has the bones of a “mom-and-pop,” but filtered through the lens of a cool, young family: warm, stylish, and unmistakably theirs.
Both the main shop and the event space are beautifully designed. The main space features geometric shelves and a large chandelier, and the event space is dark wood and brick with gorgeous wallpaper. I have now visited this space for two wine fairs, and it is incredible how they can configure the space to fit different needs. I also know of people who loved the space so much that they rented out the back room for a birthday.
Besides being gorgeous, what truly defines this place is the hospitality. Regulars return not just for the wine, but for the personal touches that make them feel special. On a recent visit, I watched Dave work with a customer as inside jokes were exchanged and past recommendations were referenced. On the same visit, in an attempt to be hospitable, I was checked on so many times while standing next to the bar that it became almost sitcom-esque in its rhythm. It also shed light on how Dave and Sarah know everyone who walks in by name. It’s the kind of place that instantly feels like your spot, even if you’ve never been before.
E&R Wine Shop
Your favorite wine pro’s favorite wine shop.
We’re only on the second iteration of this series, and I’ve already broken my rule of writing about places that are new to me. However, E&R Wine Shop is so special that I just had to share it with you. Tucked into a quiet strip mall on Macadam, E&R is one of the most unassuming but essential stops in the Portland wine scene. Founded in 1999, it’s long been a backbone of education and discovery in the city. More than a few wine pros have told me it’s where they started their wine journey, through tastings, conversations, or just wandering the aisles.
This is a place that just wants to share. They’re constantly opening special bottles, wines you’d rarely see poured elsewhere, and they’re usually doing it for free. The goal is clear: to share wine, not gatekeep it. In the past few months alone, tastings have featured Domaine Michel Lafarge (incredibly special Burgundy), Rieslings from the Saar (a sub-appellation of the Mosel), and a festival of small Oregon producers.
The shop itself is a treasure hunt. You’ll find everything from English wines by Walgate (their first direct import) to rare allocations that somehow haven’t been scooped up yet. It’s a place best experienced in person. You’re not going to get a hard sell or a rehearsed pitch, just the quiet generosity of someone pulling a bottle off the shelf and saying, “You’re going to like this.”
It feels like a wine library curated by people who live for the joy of showing you something new. Posters of John Coltrane and Bob Dylan hang alongside copies of Macbeth and Metamorphosis, opened to thought-provoking passages. Books on terroir are propped open by rocks from those specific regions. On every visit, I see something I hadn’t noticed before. I’ve been going twice a month for over a year, and I’m still not done discovering.
Statera Cellars (with Buona Notte)
A light-filled, multi-winery hideaway in the industrial inner Eastside.
Just over the train tracks and up a quiet staircase, you’ll find three glass-walled tasting rooms that feel like a secret wine clubhouse. Each space reflects the personality of the winemakers behind it. Their shared space is full of surprises, including a new gallery room in the back (keep an eye out for dinners and art shows!).
I originally stopped in to visit Statera Cellars, a winery known for its fun and creative wines that are meant to start conversations. A collaboration of winemakers, Luke and Meredith, each also make a bit of wine on their own. Meredith produces EST Wines, and Luke produces Lares Wines. You can find all of their wines in their little room, which is just as creative as they are. An art installation, created by hundreds of stuffed animals and Pokémon, hangs from the ceiling. Depending on the night, you can find games of Dungeons and Dragons being played, or Mario Kart projected on the wall. While playful like the space, the wines are backed up by skill and care. Attention is paid to buying grapes from special vineyards, and only enough intervention to let the wine speak for itself. I ran into Luke at the recent Made With Pride wine fair and fell in love with the wines all over again.
During my visit to Statera, I also stopped into the neighboring room, created by Buona Notte. This Italian-influenced space hosts a rotating roster of their wines, and lets in natural light that makes the whole place glow. While I didn’t spend enough time to give you a full review, winemaker Grant was incredibly welcoming, and I have tried his wines elsewhere enough times to know that you should seek them out (you may have spotted them in my photos of Ora et Labora).
I recommend you block off an afternoon to explore this place. It’s one of those corners of Portland wine that reminds you just how collaborative and personal this scene is.
Parallel Wine Bar
Years of expertise meet gorgeous comfort.
Sommelier Stacy and her chef husband, Joey, bring their years of expertise in food and wine to this gorgeous corner restaurant on Sandy Boulevard. The space itself walks the line of elegance and comfort. It is truly beautiful, from its hand-painted golden window sign to the peacock-esque wallpaper to the plush velvet couches and cushions. It is a great place for meeting your girlfriends for happy hour or hosting an elegant reception.
It is a truly wine-driven space, with the menu directed by the wine list, instead of the other way around. The wine list walks the line between cozy and bold. Whether you’re bringing your parents who want a classic Spanish wine or your thrill-seeking cousin who wants to try something new and exciting, there’s something here for everyone.
The food menu is a master class in how to elevate comfort food without making it precious. Every dish is the ideal version of itself. Even when just ordering the tinned fish board, you’re getting the best anchovies you’ve ever had. Also, no visit to Parallel is complete without their hushpuppies with uni butter. I have stopped in just for that and a glass of whatever Stacy recommends.
For the wine geeks: don’t miss their Sunday blind flights! These aren’t just textbook WSET examples; they pull from all over, keeping even the nerdiest palates on their toes.
This project isn’t just about checking off places on a list; it’s about finding the stories, personalities, and little details that make each space worth seeking out. There’s still so much more to see, and I’m taking you with me every step of the way.
Do you have a spot that I absolutely need to visit next? Drop it in the comments or email me, I’m always looking for a new wine space.
Here’s to curious sipping and communal spaces! See you in Part Three.
Cheers,
Shayna
Want to see more photos or videos from these spaces? Check me out on Instagram!