New generation of winemakers stays in the city

RANDY L. RASMUSSEN/THE OREGONIANPortland's urban winemakers include, from left, standing: Ryan Sharp of Enso Winery; Bob Switzer of Seven Bridges; Chris Wishart of Enso; Jill and Kevin Ross of Seven Bridges; and Jan-Marc Baker of Jan-Marc Wine Cellars. Seated is Barbara Baker of Jan-Marc Wine Cellars
By KATHERINE COLE

You go to a cafe, watch your barista make your latte and maybe catch a glimpse of the roaster at work; you buy a bag of beans to take home with you.

You stop by a bakery to nosh on a croissant while you watch the aproned bakers pulling trays out of the ovens; you can't resist sliding a loaf of warm baguette into your shopping bag.

You stroll into a brewpub, have a pint and get a growler to go.

So why can't you just mosey into a winery, drink a glass of vino, then take a bottle home as part of your daily routine? It's because, for the most part, Oregon's wineries are outside of city limits. They're close to the grapes, not the people.

That's beginning to change as today's up-and-coming vintners realize that it makes more economic sense to purchase fruit from a variety of places -- ranging from Washington's Columbia Valley to southern Oregon -- than it does to take on the risk and thankless labor of farming one's own piece of land.

And, truth be told, many of the Willamette Valley's winemakers live in Portland and make a long reverse commute each day. For them, work is rural, but life -- friends, culture, restaurants -- is urban.

A new guard of winemakers has bucked this trend. Instead of moving out to rural areas or driving more than an hour each way, every day, they're staying put in the city. They've started making wine out of their garages and graduated to full-production professional facilities amid the hustle and bustle of city life.

With the formation of a new group called PDX Urban Wineries, this spring appears to be the coming-out moment for metropolitan winemakers. I recently met a few of Portland's garagistes and tasted their wares.