Since turning 21 back in November doing a wine tasting has been at the top of my "adult things to do" list and on Friday I finally got around to doing my first one. There are a ton of really great vineyards and wineries in the area surrounding Portland, but as most of them are at least an hour drive from the city it makes going out to one a bit of a time commitment. ENSO is unique because although they source the grapes they use for their wines from California, Washington, and Oregon the wine itself is made right in the heart of SE Portland. The tasting room and winery are both housed in the same space (which is actually an old garage), making the experience that much more special.
My two friends and I all went for the tasting flights, which at $10 are pretty hard to pass up, and spent a lovely few hours sipping our wine and munching on some bread while catching up and making plans for the rest of the weekend. The flights each featured 5 different wines with a choice between either a red flight or a white & rosé flight - I followed my heart and went with the red. Out of all five varieties the Counoise was definitely my favorite, it was like nothing I'd ever had before.
I think, if I had it my way, I'd spend every Friday afternoon just like this. The atmosphere was calm and inviting, the wine was wonderful, and I didn't feel intimidated going in because of my lack of wine knowledge. I think visiting ENSO is a must for any and all wine loving Portlanders.
