What's the best supermarket for wine?

Supermarket? You should be patronizing your local bottle shop, attending tastings, and learning all the appellations of Burgundy. Failing that, supermarkets do have their uses. An industry insider tells me that the Hollywood Fred Meyer (3030 NE Weidler) sells more wine than any other store in the city. The selection is large and wide-ranging, and they take risks to find good value for your money. The staff is knowledgeable and can point you in the direction of something to suit your palate or, if you prefer, challenge it. (Note, not all Freddies are created equal: The wine selection at the North Portland store is pitiful.)

While New Seasons may be considered a higher caliber market (with prices to match), their wine buyer also knows a bargain, with a selection of respectable bottles for under 10 bucks—Italian and Spanish reds tend to feature—making it a trusty fallback.

Where to go for wine happy hour?

Given the vitality of Portland's happy hour scene this could be a very long list—but M Bar (417 NW 21st) is a fun and cozy spot. It has space for a dozen, plenty of candles, and only deals in wine, beer, and digestifs (which is impressive). Not only does its happy hour start when most others are finishing (6-8 pm), their offer is $3 off a glass—which means the already reasonably priced reds, whites and rosés can be had for as little as three bucks.

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