Beer, Wine & Spirits in Portland

Red Slate is a relaxed environment to learn about and enjoy wine. The space is also available for private parties and events

Eleven family-owned wineries situated throughout the East Willamette Valley band together to form the East Valley Winery Tour, which acquaints guests with the picturesque scenery and unique wines of their historic growing region. The tour regularly hosts events that let attendees loose to sample newly released varietals and talk with artisan vintners amid the sounds of the best live music not performed by saxophone-playing raisins. Home to more than 1,500 acres of vineyard, the region has supplied grapes for many of Oregon's largest wineries.:

In 2001, Thane Hawkins, an avid outdoorsman with an acute case of wanderlust, found himself absconding from a lucrative career in the visual-effects industry to the Willamette Valley, where the area’s signature pinot noir inspired him to start handcrafting his own red wines. Relationships with regional growers soon followed, as did a job backing fellow winemaker Chris Lubberstedt, who encouraged Hawkins to conjure his own robust creations. Born from a passion for Rhone- and Bordeaux-style varietals, Hawkins’ 2009 syrah, pinot gris, and sangiovese wines have won gold and silver medals from the Newport Wine Competition.

An emphasis on honoring each wine’s true character anchors the cellar's philosophy, and Hawkins only uses fresh, plump grapes from northwestern vineyards. This unwavering devotion ensures swirls and sniffs in the winery’s brand-new tasting room yield distinctive aromas informed by each wine's individual terroir.