MJ Skegg

Made without any modern winemaking equipment or electricity, and shipped the 96 miles from Dallas, OR, to Portland using stagecoach, canoe, and bicycle, Illahe winery’s Project 1899 Pinot Noir opens itself to scorn and parody (I won’t mention the ‘P’ word). But talk to winemaker Brad Ford and it soon becomes apparent that all he’s […]

Departure IT’S SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN that sun and alcohol are natural partners—a fact that Portland’s drinking establishments are well aware of. Here are some of the best patios around town on which to test this hypothesis for yourself. Prost! Okay, not a huge patio, but nothing trumps a refreshing German beer when the thermometer is pushing […]

You could be having dinner here. The International Pinot Noir Celebration is now in its 30th year and has established itself as the event for lovers of Pinot. It’s spendy for sure, but then again, they are pouring some serious wines from Burgundy and Oregon, and it always sells out. There are a number of […]

People should drink more Riesling. Not in the same way that everyone should eat more Omega 3 foods (lots of health benefits; flax seeds, walnuts and sardines are the way to go), but because it is one of the great varietals (some would say the greatest). They can age for decades, still improving after most […]

Jan-Marc Cellars is the epitome of an urban winery, producing a 1,000 cases from a two-car garage in residential North Portland. Along with his wife, Barbara, Jan-Marc has recently opened Garagiste, which they describe as a pub and tasting room. It’s an attractive space—cozy and homely—focused on the bar, behind which sit tanks of wine […]

McMinnville tends to miss out when it comes to wine country visits*, being a bit further from Newberg and the wineries around Dundee. It’s a great place to go tasting, though—pretty much all the tasting rooms are within walking distance of each other, with the streets of historic McMinnville providing a pleasant back drop. The […]