Wine Down, Downtown
Medford's newest wine bar evokes an air of sophistication and swank
By Paula Bandy
The District Wine Bar displays a tapestry of swankiness, sophistication and casual chic. With its outdoor green space, the new urban oasis adds a breath of fresh air. With signature cocktails, exclusive L. Donovan red and white District Wine blends, bubbles– and delectable cuisine– the elegant space represents a sanctuary in the city’s downtown.
Along with cocktails, wine and espresso, founder and owner Linda Donovan says, “The bar features really nice salads and a few elevated dishes. We can’t wait to serve you the best espresso martini in the Valley.”
Filled with natural light, the bar’s floor-to-ceiling glass garage doors open to a grassy area. With views of a vibrant wine mural, the lounge seating and ambiance is stylish and lively. Outside, the space is softened by tables with bright red umbrellas next to the bioswale, permitting room to roam in a rare green downtown space.
Keeping it industrial, with a keen metropolitan twist, The District Wine Bar is part of the City Center Wine District, an entire block dedicated to wine and its production. Pallet Wine Company, a custom crush facility, is on the northern edge, in the bright yellow historic Cooley-Neff building. Next door, The Urban Cork, features over 100 wines crafted by Pallet. Along the other side of the block, the expansive barrel room with steel tank storage forms the south edge. Here, you’ll also find The District Wine Bar. Situated on the railroad tracks in the old industrial area known as Pear Alley, the Wine District represents the past, present and future.
Donovan’s diligence brought her urban vision to reality. Her journey began about seven years ago after buying an empty city block covered in thigh-high weeds, and surrounded by barbed wire fencing. A captivating photo of a Los Angeles bar ignited her imagination. Donovan says, “I had it on my inspiration board and would think– someday.” During construction of the barrel room, tank pad and storage area, she built a space for her future dream bar, allowing the concept to evolve organically.
Donovan’s quest for refined materials meant sourcing discontinued porcelain tiles to create a floor with a mesmerizing black and white chevron pattern. Exuding timeless elegance, Norman Cherner-style bar stools, along with bespoke cabinets and tables, add notes of perfection to the harmonious design.
An international touch graces the bar and back wall, with porcelain slabs from Italy, meticulously chosen for their fluid and balanced flow. Their acquisition reads like a tale from a distant land.
Her quest led Donovan to Italy. She sought a specific pattern that would flow seamlessly from the front of the bar to the back counter and up the wall for a mesmerizing waterfall effect. Donovan scoured through myriad options until she discovered a series of six panels. Expertly cut, the slabs created the enchanting cascade she envisioned.
While the journey to source these panels locally was futile, shipping from Italy became more economical. These massive crates traversed continents by truck and boat before Donovan and her team carefully forklifted, cut and fit the two dozen porcelain tiles, completing the majestic puzzle.
But the story doesn’t end there. In a stroke of ingenuity, the shipping crates assumed new life as an impromptu stage for a grand event, adding a touch of practical whimsy to the District’s event center.
This blend of smooth and textured elegance enhances both the materials and ambiance, bestowing on The District Wine Bar patrons a sense of luxurious tranquility amid the urban bustle.
The Pairings
District White is a softer white wine with notes of lemon, pineapple, tropical fruit and subtle vanilla. It pairs seamlessly with prosciutto and fruit, the brie and prosciutto crêpe, along with a deconstructed Pavlova and fresh fruit & cream desserts.
The District Red is savory, yet fruit-forward with ripe cherries, mild tannins and soft berries. Suggested pairings are tomato burrata salad, marinated olives, dirty martini dip, salade Niçoise, brie and prosciutto crêpe or chocolate and berry dessert.
The bar’s signature cocktails taste both dangerously delicious and distinctive. The espresso martini, made with Rogue Valley’s Noble Coffee, is exceptionally rich with demerara sugar and a froth of Amarula cream liqueur, perfect with the tomato crostini, District wedge salad, chocolate and berry dessert, and brie and prosciutto crêpe.
The Sotol Margarita is a delightfully smoky-citrus flavor surprise, somewhere betwixt Mezcal and tequila, accompanied by lime, and a half round of salt. Pair it with marinated lupini, fresh fruit and cream dessert and the smoked salmon or spinach/avocado crêpe.
The Aperol spritz, touched with L. Donovan bubbles, works well with tomato crostini or prosciutto and fruit.
The timeless old fashioned, crafted from a 10-year bourbon, simply begs for the brie and prosciutto crêpe or chocolate and berry dessert.
There’s also the simple delight of a double espresso, an IPA, San Pellegrino and more tasty pairings to discover.
The District Wine Bar: a story of vision, adaptability, patience, persistence and a touch of serendipity that transforms a mere space into an exquisite experience.
Cheers to The District Wine Bar– a captivating combination of art, craftsmanship and the spirit of Medford's urban allure!
The District Wine Bar
Open Thurs.–Sat., 4-8 p.m.
300 N. Fir St., Medford
(541) 779-1788
thedistrictwinebar.com
Paula Bandy, a writer transplant from the flatlands of Illinois to the mountains of Southern Oregon, is currently the bi-weekly wine columnist for Medford Mail Tribune. She’s covered wine, lifestyle, food and home for Southern Oregon Magazine, and additional national and international academic publications. She was a writer and on-air commentator for Jefferson Public Radio, the Southern Oregon University NPR affiliate, for a decade. She’s also a Certified Sherry Wine Specialist (CSWS) and jewelry designer, pb~bodyvine. Connect with her at pbthegrapevine@gmail.com.
