A Dash of Local Flavor

Downtown West Linn proves great taste comes in pairs

By Greg Norton

West Linn’s Historic Willamette neighborhood boasts two recently opened destinations for wine lovers to discover new wines while exploring a charming street filled with history. Four blocks of vintage and replica buildings, designated as a National Register Historic District, offer numerous local shopping and dining options. A summer farmers’ market draws visitors, and the nonprofit Historic Willamette Main Street business development organization regularly organizes community events– including wine walks.

The neighborhood is located across the Willamette River from Oregon City, the state’s first municipality. The district started as an independent city, housing workers at the mills along the riverbank above Willamette Falls. As the original settlement grew in the mid-1800s, it was incorporated in 1908 and became part of West Linn eight years later.

WINE DOWN WILLAMETTE

Last winter, Teri Popma and daughter Cassy Gerhart combined their wine knowledge and hospitality industry backgrounds to open Wine Down Willamette. The cozy space entices regulars and new friends with tables and lounge seating centered around the wine bar. Bottles from around the world line the room.

“We want to be known as a wine bar with wines from boutique producers,” explains Popma.

The wine menu features a rotating tasting flight, as well as selections available by the glass or bottle. Salads, pasta, fondue and sweets extend food options beyond the usual charcuterie board. Sourced from local artisanal chefs, the higher quality adds to the neighborhood feel.

In addition to a wine-and-dine venue, Wine Down Willamette is also a bottle shop with thoughtfully curated stock. Wines from Oregon and other domestic selections join those from France, Spain, Italy, Germany, New Zealand, South Africa– and even saké.

Wine Down Wednesdays, from 5 to 7 p.m., feature complimentary flights of three or four wines, focused on a specific region or producer. Future plans include additional educational tasting opportunities, food-and-wine pairings, paint-and-sip sessions as well as yoga with bubbles.

“People say it’s a comfortable, easy-going, friendly and knowledgeable place to visit,” shares Popma. “You can learn without it being stuffy.”

TASTE WINE CAFÉ

TASTE Wine Café opened this summer in a spacious spot on one of Historic Willamette’s most visible corners. West Linn locals Robbie Hanson and Jonathan Scrimenti envision it as a neighborhood gathering spot that captures the warmth and laughter shared around their home table.

“We wanted to make it approachable,” affirms Hanson.

The full-service restaurant offers a wide selection of happy-hour and dinner items, including grilled sandwiches, bruschetta boards, shareable plates and desserts. After 5 p.m., diners can order pasta, salmon and meat entrées.

Chosen from regions around the world, the wines are categorized into simple suggestions titled “Everyday Pours” and “Next Level Faves.” Twenty wines are available by the glass, including white and red options, as well as bubbles, rosé, orange, and Port.

“We just have great food to go with excellent wine,” shares Hanson. “It’s elevated casual, but definitely not anything too fancy.”

The pair plans to start a wine club in the near future.

Wine Down Willamette
Tuesday–Thursday, 3-8 p.m.,
Friday–Saturday, 3-9 p.m.
1837 Willamette Falls Dr., West Linn
www.winedownwillamette.com
(503) 303-9001

TASTE Wine Café
Tuesday–Thursday, 3-9 p.m.,
Friday–Saturday, 3-10 p.m.
Sunday, 3-9 p.m.
1914 Willamette Falls Dr., West Linn
www.tastewinecafe.com
(503) 573-0177

Greg Norton is a freelance writer with a broad background in nonprofit communications and the arts. He studied journalistic writing through the UCLA Extension and has traveled to wine regions around the world. Greg is a Certified Specialist of Wine and received the Level II award from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. When not writing about wine, he can be found pouring it in the tasting room at Campbell Lane Winery near West Linn. Read more by Greg at www.onthevine.blog.