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Spit or Swallow?
Free weekly wine tastings within
walking distance BY ANDY VALENTINE
ord knows you don’t need to be a wino to get a taste for grapes.
It’s delicious, inhibition-loosening and, under the right conditions,
extremely refreshing. The weather’s been beautiful lately, and while
snatching up a bottle of Three-Buck-Chuck, dragging a couch into
the middle of your lawn, cranking some UB40 and getting sloshed
might sound like refreshment enough, there’s also a city full of invigorating wine
— and easy, fun ways to select what’s right for you — just beyond the driveway.
By the time you’re done sipping on a wine with craft in its haunches, you won’t
know whether or not you want to uphold etiquette and spit it out, or say “mazel
tov” and guzzle it down.
“We’ll buy wines based on knowing a good vintage,” says Randy Stokes,
manager and buyer at Sundance Wine Cellars (2441 Hilyard St.; 687-9463). “As
soon as we see them in the book we jump on them without even needing to taste
them.”
Fortunately Stokes really knows his wines, so tasting isn’t always a must, but
for those of us who require a little more assurance before we buy, his informed
selections are available for sampling seven days a week. Sundance also hosts
free, formal wine tastings from 5-7 pm every Friday and Saturday. If you’re new to
wine tasting, this is a great place to start — low smarm, lotsa charm and goblets
of good wine to be tried.
But what about those other five days? Is there a reason we can’t drop by
somewhere during the workweek and plow through a few samples? No problemo,
hard-working citizens; Eugene has a plethora of locations and small businesses
offering free wine tastings during the week as well as on Sundays.
Supreme Bean, 16 Tons’ Southtowne location (2864 Willamette St.; 485-2700),
hosts wine tastings every Thursday between 5-7 pm — which is perfect timing
if you’re finally stepping out of your hellishly dark, cramped office and into the
freedom and warmth of these spring evenings. And if you find that you’re getting
a taste for tasting, Jiffy Market (3443 Hilyard St.; 342-4552) is another spot in that
neck of the woods featuring multiple wines for sampling seven days a week.
We can’t always rely entirely upon our tongues, though. If you’re like me, then
you’re not as vino-savvy as you could be, and let’s face it — there’s a spit-bucket
full of knowledge going to waste unless you talk to the right people. Thankfully,
there are folks like Steve Baker at Authentica Wines (766 Park St.; 485-0336), a
regular ball of knowledgeable and personable wine-lovery. If you’re in there for
tastings, he’s your man — and he’s in the business for the fun.
Beyond these particular spots there’s a virtual whirlwind of wineries and
shops sporting wine on display: The Broadway (17 Oakway Cntr.; 685-0790),
New Frontier Market (1101 W. 8th Ave.; 345-7401), Market of Choice (multiple
locations; marketofchoice.com), LaVelle Vineyards (296 E. 5th Ave.; 338-9875)
and Capella (2489 Willamette St.; 345-1014)), to name but a few, all offering
either samples or a scheduled tasting each week. With this much elderberry
faderade to choose from, there’s no reason you shouldn’t end up at home with
a woozy sparkle in your eyes and a tannin suction cup in both cheeks. Actually I
guess that part’s up to you:
What’ll it be, Eugene? Shall we spit or swallow? F
L
Fast. Real fast.
When you crave a quick bite, look
no further than Dari Mart. You’ll
Y
always find one close by. From
snacks and beverages to breakfast
and lunch items, Dari Mart has it
all. Stop by and say “hi.”
Fast, friendly service.
FIND US ONLINE:
www.darimart.com
70 YEARS ~ 4 GENERATIONS ~ 44 STORES
www.facebook.com/darimart
P H OTO S B Y R O B S Y D O R | D I G I TA L L AT T E . C O M
WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM
EUGENE WEEKLY’S UNCORKED 7