10 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
TOUR LOCAL WINE BARS
Story by KATE GIESE
Photos by DANNY MILLER
W
With fall just around the corner, it’s
a great time to check out wine bars on
Oregon’s North Coast — the weather cools
down, the crowds start to disappear, and
what’s a better way to enjoy autumn color
than with a glass of wine in hand.
Three popular local wine bars are good
bets: WineKraft in Astoria, Vino Manzani-
ta in Manzanita and the wine bar at Sweet
Basil’s Café. Northwest wines dominate
their respective wine lists. Featured are
varieties of Oregon and Washington wines
(and some California wines, depending on
the venue) that are generally regarded as
the best in the world. People come from far
and wide to experience them.
Above: A red wine from WineKraft in Asto-
ria.
Left: Sweet Basil’s Cafe chef and owner John
Sowa pours a glass of wine in the Cannon
Beach restaurant’s wine bar.
WineKraft in Astoria
WineKraft enjoys a great location
— on the Astoria waterfront at the west
end of Pier 11, just off the Astoria Riv-
lax and enjoy events — a real people-gath-
erwalk; the view is impressive. While
ering spot.”
there, visitors can taste up to 34 different
April Thorgramson, Kraft’s daughter,
wines — whites, reds, rosés, bubbles and
also works at WineKraft, helping make her
dessert wine. Five different kinds of beer
mother’s cherished vision a reality. They
are available as well
fi nish each other’s sentences.
as tasty wine cocktails
Every Friday and
and, of course, some
Saturday
non-alcoholic bev-
night, they
erages. Cheese and
have music
charcuterie plates
starting at
may be purchased
6:30 p.m.,
WineKraft,
along with another
featuring per-
80 10th St., Ast
half dozen scrump-
formers like
oria
The Cellar o
tious delicacies
Red Beans
1004 Marine D n 10th,
to enhance your
and
Rice and
rive, Astoria
experience.
Howly Slim
Hotel Elliott
Win
Opening its
to name two.
357 12th St., A e Bar,
storia
doors in June
Other
events
The Wine an
d
2015, WineKraft
run
the
gamut
B
e
e
r
H
aus,
1111 N. Roose
velt Drive, Seas
was a dream come
from
wine
tast-
ide
The Wine Sh
true for owner
ings
and
wine
ack,
124 N. Hemlo
Rebecca Kraft. “I
101 classes
ck St., Cannon
Beach
Laurel’s Cann
was a hair dresser
taught by som-
on
for many years
meliers to more
263 N. Hemlo Beach Wine Shop,
ck St., Cannon
and … ready for
whimsical offer-
Beach
The Wine Ba
r at
a change,” she
ings. The latter
271 N. Hemlo Sweet Basil’s Cafe,
ck St., Cannon
says. “I’ve been
include
provid-
Beach
planning this for
ing coloring
Vino Manzan
ita,
387 Laneda A
a long time — a
books for adults.
ve., Manzanit
a
place where
Then,
there’s
The Winery a
t Manzanita,
people could
Tipsy
Painting,
235 Laneda A
ve., Man
come and drink
alternately taught
— coming so zanita
on
good wine, re-
by local artists
WINE BAR
ON THE N S O AND SHOPS
RTH COAST
rosé. There’s also a small assortment of
beers. The list of wines by the bottle is ro-
bust and includes reds, whites, champagne,
sparkling wine, dessert wine and port.
As many as a dozen small plates are
on offer with such delicacies as smoked
salmon, pate, spanakopita, several different
cheese plates and lots more. Two dinner
entrées are available every night, prepared
off the premises.
Lee makes a point of sharing some of
the more popular Oregon wines with cus-
tomers. “Most people are adventurous that
Vino Manzanita
way. Often from out of state,
Current owner Dixie Lee,
they’re always eager to try
‘OREGON,
a diminutive brunette, bought
wine,” she says.
WASHINGTON Oregon
Vino Manzanita, located at
“I never had any formal
AND
the corner of Fourth Street
training beyond just tast-
CALIFORNIA ing a lot (and) traveling to
and Laneda Avenue in
downtown Manzanita, about
ARE ON THE different countries to sample
10 years ago. “It’d been open CUTTING EDGE wine,” confi des Lee. “I go to
for a couple of years with a
about once a year,
IN THE WINE California
very limited wine selection
even though we specialize
WORLD.’
and perhaps a couple of small
in Oregon pinot noir. I like
plates on offer,” she remem-
to carry things you can’t get
bers. Today, Vino has remained small but
in local stores and feature wines from all
viable, serving up to 25 customers inside
over. Being such a small operation, any-
with additional seating on a back patio
thing I offer by the glass I love customers
and a few tables out front for use when the to taste. Wine is beautiful because it’s
weather permits.
natural and a great world to be in.”
Visitors can sample fi ve different reds
September and October are good
and three whites by the glass (well, two
months; the wine bar gets a lot of retired
whites and a sake selection), as well as two people coming in once kids are back in
sparkling wines: prosecco and a sparkling
school.
Jo Pomeroy-Crockett and Ronni Harris,
where participants enjoy wine and come
away with a fi nished painting. The Astoria
Pub Knitters gather monthly at the wine
bar regularly too.
WineKraft was a venue for the Fish-
erPoets Gathering in February and holds
a monthly fi rst Tuesday poetry open mic
night. The wine bar will also be a presence
at the Pacifi c Northwest Brew Cup later in
September. Visit http://winekraftnw.com
for details on everything that’s happening.