Winemakers at the urban wineries dotted around the city are an innovative, pioneering bunch. So it’s no surprise that the PDX Urban Wineries group is hosting their first ever Urban Wine Experience. Planned for the second weekend in August (Aug. 11-12), all the members will be pouring selected flights of their current releases. Participants can pre-purchase tickets, then visit the wineries at their leisure over both days without having to worry about paying tasting fees at each location.
Says Vincent Fritzsche of Vincent Wine Company:
“We’re doing the event over two days to give tasters a chance to get to every location, and sample two or three wineries at each stop, without necessarily having to do it all in one day.”
Starting a winery is not an easy or inexpensive venture and currently only four members have tasting rooms open to the public. These winemakers view their fellow winemakers as collaborators, not competition, and will be hosting their friends during the Urban Wine Experience. This means that wine lovers have the opportunity to taste wines not generally available to the public from these boutique wineries.
The scheduled line-up for the weekend of August 11-12, 2012 is:
Alchemy Wine Productions, 3315 SE 19th Ave., Suite F, hosting Grochau Cellars
Map to Alchemy Wine Productions
ENSO Winery, 1416 SE Stark St., hosting Vincent Wine Company
Hip Chicks do Wine, 4510 SE 23rd Ave., hosting Helioterra Wines and Jan-Marc Cellars
Seven Bridges Winery, 2303 N Harding Ave., hosting Division Winemaking Company
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online in advance, then picked up at either Seven Bridges Winery in North Portland or Hip Chicks do Wine in SE Portland. Wine lovers can also buy tickets on either day of the event at any of the wineries’ tasting rooms. Special discounts will be available for tickets-holders over the entire weekend.
Buy advance tickets here
Says Laurie Lewis of Hip Chicks do Wine and acting president of PDX Urban Wineries:
“The Urban Wine Experience weekend is all about getting people on the Portland wine trail. This special weekend gives wine lovers a unique chance to taste them all.”
Portlanders are encouraged to follow the Portland Urban Wine trail and discover the wines made here and the industrious winemakers behind each label. Explore nine different wineries at just four stops without ever leaving the city limits. Make a day of it or add some spice to your weekend errands. With tickets good all weekend, your options are plentiful.
Who: PDX Urban Wineries
What: The Urban Wine Experience
Where: All over Portland!
When: August 11-12, 2012
How: Buy advance tickets online here or stop in at any of the member wineries over the weekend.