Shop Review: Wine Cellar (Portland)

I was in Portland for Christmas. While there, I took a trip to The Wine Cellar.

The Wine Cellar is kind of out of the way, and is located in the back of a little strip mall. The location kind of dooms the shop. It's not going to pick up much foot traffic. People will only go there if they are actively looking for the shop.

Their selection leaves a lot to be desired. They do not carry a very broad variety of wines. Since they are located in Oregon I expected them to carry an abundance of Oregon wines. They really don't seem to carry a much wider selection of wines than Fred Meyer or Haggen. Sadly, none of the three stores carried any Sokol Blosser wines beyond Meditrina or Evolution, both of which I can find in my local stores in Seattle.

The store is rather spare. They rely heavily on wire racks and folding tables to display their wines. They don't seem to have a lot of any single wine on hand.

On the plus side, I hear that the owner, Erin Palmer, hosts phenomenal classes and is a ton of fun. Unfortunately, she was not working the day I visited the store (if she drops me a line, I will gladly give her a chance to state her case and correct anything I may have missed or misstated about her shop).

The prices in the wine shop did not strike me as being exceptionally attractive. Between the limited selection, the location and the lack of compelling prices I have a difficult time seeing any reason to select this shop over a well-stocked grocery store.

Again, Erin, if you see this review please drop me a line. I am a huge supporter of independent wine sellers, and would love to give you a chance to give your side of the story.