Historic Oregon winery brings Willamette Valley tasting experience to region’s urban core
PORTLAND, Ore. (September 8, 2020) – Erath Winery, one of the pioneering wineries of Oregon’s Willamette Valley and the region’s leading producer of pinot noir – Oregon’s signature grape variety, today announced the opening of its new tasting room in downtown Portland’s historic Pearl District.
Located at 1439 Northwest Marshall Street, at the intersection of Northwest Marshall Street and Northwest 15th Avenue, in the Reid Pacific Building, the new Erath tasting room will open on Thursday, September 10. The hours of operation will be Thursday to Sunday, 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Days and hours of operation may be expanded in the future as conditions allow.
With extensive COVID-19 precautions in place to ensure a safe and comfortable experience for both guests and staff, Erath will offer several seated tasting flights and curated pairings of cheese and charcuterie sourced exclusively from local producers. The winery also will offer several new to-go options including contactless curbside pickup and, in a first for Erath, a new growler filling station featuring a rotating selection of wines on tap.
“We are thrilled to be joining the downtown Portland and Pearl District communities,” said Jennifer Willis, Senior Guest Services Manager for Erath. “We remain firmly committed to our deep roots in the Willamette Valley, and we are excited to share that wine country experience with an even larger audience in the Portland metro area. Our new space opens up exciting opportunities for new programming and experiences for our guests and represents an exciting new chapter for Erath.”
To commemorate the opening of the new tasting room, Erath will contribute $1.00 for every bottle sold at the tasting room from September through November to three local community organizations:
- Lift UP, a local hunger relief organization serving northwest and downtown Portland;
- Mudbone Grown, a Black-owned farm enterprise that promotes community-based farming; and
- The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC), which provides grants to local artists in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties.
Erath will contribute up to $10,000 to be divided equally between these three organizations.
The landmark building that houses the new Erath tasting room has its own history in the wine industry. Originally constructed in 1908, the building served as the warehouse for The House of Celsi wine brand from 1945 to 1957. A ghost sign for the brand still appears on the west side of the building.
Erath also embraced its own history for the décor of the new space. A hand-written manifesto for the winery from founder Dick Erath has been transformed into a mural near the entry of the tasting room. Erath also commissioned a custom light fixture that spells out “Dundee” – a nod to the winery’s roots as the first winery in the renowned Dundee Hills appellation – to hang above the tasting bar.
“We are very proud of Erath’s legacy in the Oregon wine community, and we take our duty as stewards of that legacy very seriously,” said Jim Mortensen, President and CEO of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, which owns Erath. “Our new tasting room will allow us to share the Oregon wine story with a new generation of consumers.”
Ste. Michelle Wine Estates acquired Erath in 2006 and has since purchased two estate vineyards for Erath – Willakia Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills in 2013 and Knight’s Gambit Vineyard in the Dundee Hills in 2016 – to help fuel the growth of the winery.
BCRA served as architects and designers for the new Erath tasting room, while Meng-Hannan Construction handled the buildout of the new space.
Due to COVID-19 protocols, reservations are currently required at the new tasting room, and groups are limited to six people. Reservations can be made by calling (503) 538-3318 or up to 48 hours in advance online at www.erath.com.
About Erath Winery
Erath Winery, one of the pioneering wineries of Oregon’s Willamette Valley and the region’s leading producer of Pinot Noir, has played a major role in establishing Oregon’s wine industry and cementing its reputation as a world-class wine region. Now in its fifth decade of winemaking, Erath crafts wines that showcase the distinct character of their diverse vineyard sites and the unique qualities of each vintage. For more information on Erath, please visit: www.erath.com.
