It frustrates me the way vintages are reduced to "good" and "bad". It’s not that vintage doesn’t matter – it can matter tremendously for many wines. But it’s a lot more complex than black or white. Take 2008 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. The wines are gorgeous, but a little like me at the end of the work week – they’re wound up so tight it will take some time and coaxing before … [Read more...] about Wine Musings: Vintages – “Good” and “Bad”
News Stories Relating to Alcoholic Beverages
This covers all of our posts about alcohol: wine, beer, cider and spirits. You'll find all sorts of interesting stories here, new businesses, classes and more.
Wine Musings: In Search of the Great White Pinot Noir
Making white Pinot Noir is like discovering America: it's an exciting adventure and everybody wants to believe they were the first. But despite the pronouncements of a few winemakers in the New World, folks throughout Europe have been making a white wine with red Pinot Noir grapes for quite a long time, especially if you count Blanc de Noirs (white from black) wines from the … [Read more...] about Wine Musings: In Search of the Great White Pinot Noir
Guide to Portland’s Best Beer Shops
The Portland selection of bottle shops is growing every year! Here is a guide By Lucy Burningham <updated 7.22 - hours, selection, add 2nd John's location, remove Abbey Bottle Shop >Every city should have a few great bottle shops, especially if that city is known for beer. In my opinion, Portland needs more neighborhood bottle shops; there’s something special about … [Read more...] about Guide to Portland’s Best Beer Shops
Restaurant Wine Lists: Getting the Most for Your Dollar
How to maximize your restaurant wine buying dollars. By Bruce BauerI have been meaning to put my thoughts about how to maximize your restaurant wine buying dollars to print for a long time. I was finally motivated by a similar article in the Wall Street Journal (the link is now invalid), where they listed their top ten ways to get the most drink for your dollar. It was … [Read more...] about Restaurant Wine Lists: Getting the Most for Your Dollar
Review: Teardrop Cocktail Lounge
September 2025. The mixed drink scene has changed quite a bit since this was written, but my overall feeling about Teardrop Cocktail Lounge is unchanged.As I was doing research for this review in my father's old bar notebook, I came across a list of ingredients labeled "always have on hand". What especially interested me were incidentals like falernum, cassis, five types of … [Read more...] about Review: Teardrop Cocktail Lounge