Urban wineries bring taste of the vineyard into the city

ENSO Urban Winery and Tasting Lounge
Portland, Ore.

In an attempt to work closer to home, winemakers throughout Portland have jumped on the urban winery bandwagon. The city now lays claim to nearly a dozen urban wineries including ENSO, a small-batch artisan producer-meets-tasting-lounge-meets-coffee-shop located in the heart of the city’s Eastside.

Opened in May 2010, ENSO pours from its own Old World bottles (like Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Counoise and Mourvédre, all of which come from hand-stirred vats), alongside other Portland-made wines, locally-produced bites and, of course, beer (it is Portland, after all). Did we mention the winery is open seven days a week?

(Photo: Travel Portland)

Eight Bells Winery
Seattle

Home to 14 artisan wineries, Seattle has got the urban wine trend nailed. But perhaps the best story comes from Eight Bells Winery, a nautically themed operation. What started as three guys — all of whom were employees at The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — making wine in their garage has evolved into a winery that Seattleites flock to on Saturdays to taste, buy and even help crush and bottle.

Using grapes sourced from the Yakima and Willamette Valleys, Eight Bells churns out hundreds of cases of Syrah, Field Blend Cabernet, Sangiovese, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris each year. Don’t miss their Roosevelt Red and a Ravenna White, named for their neighborhood north of downtown.

(Photo: Eric Schaer)

Quantum Leap Winery
Orlando, Fla.

Sourcing wines from sustainable vineyards around the world, from South Africa’s Devon Valley to Italy’s Custoza, Quantum Leap Winery transports large vessels of wine to a 17,000-square-foot Florida facility. It’s then stored, finished and blended.

In an attempt to further lower their carbon footprint, owners Jill Ramsier and David Forrester use eco-friendly vessels (think kegs, pouches and boxes) to package their wine. Check out their tasting room, open Thursday-Saturday, to see if you can taste the difference.

(Photo: Norman Yu Photography)

Urban Winery
Vancouver, Canada

Just two blocks from the hip neighborhood of Gastown sits Vancouver Urban Winery. It’s a tasting room, a kegging empire (the team packages local wine in stainless steel kegs to sell to area restaurants) and a 7,700-square-foot winery that manufactures, packages, imports and distributes wine for multiple brands. That includes its own, the Roaring Twenties Wine Co., which includes an Argentinean Malbec and a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Go for customized tastings and tours and to check out the boutique chock full of artisan foods and wine for sale.

(Photo: Vancouver Urban Winery / Tourism Vancouver)

Left Foot Charley
Traverse City, Mich.

Winemaker Bryan Ulrich opened this Michigan-based winery, housed in a former mental asylum, back in 2004. Today, this winery-without-a-vineyard sources grapes from 18 local vineyards-without-wineries on the Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsulas—all to prevent the farmers’ grapes (and thus, their hard work) from becoming lost in large-scale blends.

Left Foot Charley now produces nearly 6,000 cases a year, including Pinot Blanc from Island View Vineyard. Don’t miss the weekly wine dinners or the live music Friday nights, both of which are enjoyed on the vine-screened terrace.

(Photo: Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau)

Mermaid Winery
Norfolk, Va.

Last year, Virginia welcomed its first-ever urban winery and tasting room: Mermaid Winery, which sources grapes from premier vineyards around the state to produce limited-production wines like a silky Cabernet Franc and a semi-dry white blend of Viognier, Petit Manseng & Roussane.

Locals flock to the bar in the city’s Ghent neighborhood to try one of the 12 wine flights — you can also choose from its list of 350+ bottles from around the world — perfect alongside a small plates menu of lamb meatballs and charcuterie.

(Photo: Visit Norfolk)

Easley Winery
Indianapolis

The husband-and-wife team behind Indiana’s oldest family-owned winery has been crushing grapes since 1974 — but it wasn’t always easy. After learning that making wine at home was illegal in Indiana, the Easleys moved to Michigan and began lobbying to change Indiana laws. They did so in 1971 and quickly moved back to buy a former ice cream factory in downtown Indianapolis, where they have produced wine ever since.

Today, second-generation owners make 20 different wines, from Riesling to Traminette, the state’s signature wine. Stop in at their tasting room or head to their backyard garden for live music and wine.

(Photo: Easley Winery)

Infinite Monkey Theorem
Denver

Housed in a converted warehouse in in the RiNo Art District of Denver is Infinite Monkey Theorem, Colorado’s first urban winery. Its main goal: to give the winery access to the city and vice versa. Without its own vineyard, the winery sources grapes from the western side of the state and produces two dozen wines, like a sparkling rose that comes in a can and an orange Muscat.

Concrete floors and cinderblock walls surround a hand-built bar, known as the Wine Lab, where eager staff passionately pour their wines for you, Wednesday through Sunday.

(Photo: IMT Events)

City Winery
Chicago

What was once a 1911 refrigerated food-distribution warehouse has since been transformed into an urban winery, complete with a 300-seat music venue and a 150-seat restaurant. Not only does City Winery give wine lovers the opportunity to taste one of its 20 house wines, which are sourced from vineyards in California, Oregon, Washington and Argentina. But visitors can also choose from a 400-bottle wine list that received a 2013 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence or even make their own private barrels or labels with the winemaker.

Don’t miss the classes, pairing courses and wine dinners with world-class producers like Laura Catena, Silver Oak and Schramsberg. (Note: City Winery also has a location in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood.)

(Photo: City Winery Chicago)

Blue Slip Winery
Knoxville, Tenn.

Don’t be alarmed if you find yourself in a stampede of grapes on Knoxville’s West Jackson Avenue — it’s just Blue Slip’s shipment coming in from local vineyards. The four-year-old winery in Historic Old City, the only urban one in the state of Tennessee, produces fruit-forward seasonal blends with sinful names like “Whup Ass Red” (a dry red blend) and “Rocky Top Blush” (a sweet blend of blend of Cayuga and Steuben), in addition to fruit wines made from apples, berries and peaches.

You can just come in for a taste — or create your own blends at Blue Slip with their custom crush services and amateur winemaking competitions.

(Photo: Katie Galyon)