While it’s primarily a wine shop, this spacious store in St Johns has reopened its long bar for in-person imbibing, at least after providing proof of vaccination. There’s a strong emphasis on Oregon wines, as well as a good selection of imports, mainly from Europe. With friendly owners and a relaxed environment, it’s a popular haunt for residents of St Johns, and worth the trip for those outside the neighborhood.

This sultry, deep blue stunner of a wine bar and restaurant is still home to rotating restaurant pop-ups, though dining has moved outside and there’s a greater focus on takeout for bottles and food. Thursdays through Sundays, diners can find pasta and light Italian fare from chef Patrick McKee, and Mondays and Tuesdays are all about the fluffy, rustic pizzas and fresh salads of No Saint. Throughout the week, diners can also find an an exceptional collection of natural wines, from Willamette Valley heavy-hitters like Swick to elegant Slovenian whites. It can all be enjoyed there or taken home.

A pseudo rock-and-roll wine bar, Les Caves is also the home of both Ovum and Golden Cluster wineries — two hard-hitters in the Portland wine game. Its subterranean space was not all that conducive to distanced, ventilated dining that the pandemic required. Because of that, the wine bar went through a stunning transformation, building a patio that managed to capture the underground feeling of the bar while still providing airflow with stone walls and a ventilated wooden ceiling. At Les Clos, as it’s called, diners can still find the bar’s excellent grilled cheese sandwiches along with the array of Pacific Northwestern and imported wines, including obscure varietals and styles rarely found elsewhere.

Somewhat newer to the scene, the rosé-hued hideaway on NW 23rd was forced to make multiple pivots throughout its time open, but now has found some semblance of stability. Visitors can enjoy the hidden, covered patio or the indoor space with a bottle of wine or something from the smaller, but thoughtfully developed, glass pour menu. There’s always some rosé, chilled reds, sherry, sparkling wines, and extremely affordable house white and red pours, making Bar Diane an excellent spot for wine lovers on a budget. On the other side of the spectrum, the bottle list is often packed with cool, intrepid producers from nearby and afar — Cutter Cascadia, Cantina Furlani, and M. & C. Lapierre Morgon all often make appearances, available to drink at the bar or take home.

This hardcore-goofy wine bar is often worth a visit for its themed wine tastings, from flights inspired by zodiac signs to Game of Thrones pairing nights. That being said, the crew here isn’t playing around — as silly as the bar gets, every person pouring knows the story behind each bottle, and there’s a strong commitment to featuring natural wines. The shop is back to welcoming visitors to stick around and try a flight, bottle, or some wines by the glass. It also offers a robust delivery service to the whole city.

As beloved for its stunning balcony view overlooking East Burnside as it is for its wine collection, Noble Rot makes for an excellent date night, especially in warmer months. Aside from its bountiful wine collection, the upscale restaurant grows produce on the rooftop, which goes into much of the menu. Dining anywhere at Noble Rot now requires proof of vaccination, and making a reservation is the best way to go.

At the gleaming, circular bar at the front of this Burnside spot, visitors order glasses of pretty Beaujolais and restrained-but-still-expressive skin-contact blends, waiting on plates of foie gras dumplings or oysters with mezcal mignonette. Celebrated sommelier Andy Fortgang picks out an impressive selection of both domestic and European wines, with a tight-but-mighty glass pour selection and a lengthy bottle list. Fortgang has a penchant for French wines, and Canard offers several by the bottle; however, Oregon pinot-heads will appreciate the bar’s selection of Temperance Hill pinots. Canard is open for indoor and outdoor seating.

One part sprawling wine store, another part wine bar and tasting room, Park Avenue Fine Wines pours wines by glass, including a stunning array of “heritage” wines. Those who don’t want to drop $50 for a glass of vintage grand cru wines can try them by the 2-ounce pour, providing an opportunity to sample some rare, vintage wines at a reasonable price. There’s also wine flights and dozens of wines by the glass and half glass, including sherries. Those looking for some food can find tinned fish, charcuterie, and cheeses all thoughtfully paired to the wine.

For those in the know, Division Wines has been quietly serving an amazing wine list for years now. Half retail shop and half wine bar, Division offers a large list of mostly European wines at deeply reasonable prices, usually around $9 a glass. It also offers its customers a chance to craft their own flight, while the team can provide some advice and structure if need be. For pairings, visitors can find meat boards, cheese boards, and meat and cheese boards, as well as smoked fish and bread from Little T’s down the street. With a cozy and dining room and some outdoor seatings, Division Wines is understated and relaxed, a lovely and unpretentious spot to try some French or Italian wines.

This SE Clinton bar — from local wine celeb Dana Frank — is a seafoam-tinged, super-contemporary hotspot for natural wine. Frank was at the forefront of efforts to keep Portland’s wine bar scene alive in the face of COVID-19 restrictions and calamitous wine tariffs, and for a while was forced to convert her bar to a wine shop. Thanks to an elegant new outdoor seating area, she and her crew are back to what they love best—chatting with visitors about the cool natural wines they’re drinking. Those looking for snacks can find some from Olympia Provisions and Fulamingo.

It’s honestly surprising it took Portland as long as it did to open a dog-focused wine bar, but Cellar Dog is just that. The stylish, industrial dining room and patio cater to dog-owners and dog enthusiasts, and the glass menu is small but distinctive: each wine featured gives back in some way or another, whether it’s donating to LGBQT organizations or benefitting endangered animal conservation. Diners can drink to a good cause while letting their four-legged friends get some fresh air.