“Only three wines left?” That’s right. The neighborhood watering hole is now in the red, and PDX is pulling up collective chair. Four months after opening a storefront (er, Tasting Lounge) for their new urban winery and infusing Portland comfort into the wine bar concept, ENSO Winery is releasing its inaugural varietal red wines just in the nick of time.
Six of the winery’s nine current offerings have sold out in those 4 short months, leaving the winemakers more than ready to build on their first act. “We’ve been amazed by people’s response to our wine,” said Ryan Sharp, who co-founded ENSO with Chris Wishart in early 2009. “It’s honestly been hard to keep up with demand.”
The 2010 ENSO reds, to be released for sale to the public on Nov. 1, feature a Malbec with notes of dark plum and fresh black pepper, and a Zinfandel co-fermented with 3% Petite Syrah. The third is a Mourvédre with “a savory finish that lingers all night long.”
The release is just part of a full fall slate for the young winery. In a town known for it’s strong sense of community, the winery is inviting the public to join the ENSO Holiday Weekend, Nov. 25-27, for tastings that include the new varietal reds and a few other Portland-made wines for $10. As part of a strong running theme at ENSO, a couple of other PDX Urban Winemakers will be in attendance, pouring from their own labels.
“We’re the only wine bar in town where you can find wine from almost all of the PDX Urban Wineries,” Sharp said. “Every month we add a new Portland-made wine to our growing guest pour list.”
Intentionally approachable, the atmosphere at ENSO Winery & Tasting Lounge has been described as “comfortably cavernous” with eclectic furnishing, music always paired with the setting, and a hand-planed wood bar to boot! Locally brewed beer, Steve’s cheese, and salami from Olympic Provisions right down the street ensure you’ll leave ENSO feeling as though you capitalized on every good aged thing the town has to offer.
ENSO will be hosting a private pre-release party for the new wines on Oct. 30 for members
of the Inner Circle, their wine club which costs nothing to join but offers a host of discounts and
advantages. More information can be found at EnsoWinery.com. The press is invited to attend.
ENSO is open 6 days a week:
Tuesday-Friday from 4-11pm and Sat-Sun 2-11pm.
Find them at
1416 SE Stark Street
Portland, OR
503-683-ENSO (3676)
info@ensowinery.com