Our Story · Since 2011
And then we moved into a much larger garage. ENSO is an urban winery hand-crafting old-world style wines in the Buckman neighborhood, wines that express both the moment they were created and the moment they're enjoyed.
The big garage
We opened the doors on SE Stark over Memorial Day weekend, 2011, and never wanted to be anywhere else. Keeping things small keeps them honest: French oak barrels, small fermentation bins, and no more equipment than we need. That means more attention for every small lot, room to experiment, and fantastic wine that doesn't cost a fortune.
Meet the winemaker
Ryan Sharp began as a self-described winery grunt at Arcane Cellars on the banks of the Willamette, dreaming of making wine in the city he calls home. After assisting winemaker John Grochau, he fell for the idea of an urban winery: a place in a neighborhood that's a local watering hole, a spot to meet friends, and a working winery producing world-class wine, all at once.
He traded UC Davis for Chemeketa's NW-climate program, learned the grapes that actually grow here, and built ENSO around them. Off duty, he's probably hunting down exotic bottles from Bandol.
You'll still find Ryan working the wine bar some days. Fifteen years in, he still loves chatting it up.
Meet our vineyards
We don't grow grapes on Stark Street. We borrow some of the Northwest's finest dirt instead, and you'll find the whole family tree chalked on the lounge wall.
Where most of our red grapes come from. Thirty-year-old vines perched above the Columbia River, on a site regarded as one of the finest in Washington.
Our old stomping grounds on the banks of the Willamette, where the sun and warmth are just right for our white grapes.
Local-only wines
We used to ship to several states. Then we kept running out of wine for the people who actually walk through the door, so we stopped. Every bottle is now hand-made, hand-bottled, hand-labeled and hand-delivered, and all of it stays home in the Tasting Lounge.
If you want to taste ENSO, there's exactly one place in the world to do it. Lucky for you, it's a lovely one, and no reservation is required.
The Inner Circle
Six winemaker-picked bottles, four times a year, picked up right here in the lounge, because Inner Circle wines don't ship, ever. It's $189 a quarter, and it comes with a standing invitation.
Or just ask at the bar next time you're in. Pickups: Jan 1 · Apr 1 · Jul 1 · Oct 1.
Nice words from the press
Bar of the Year
Bringing the Wine to Portland
5 Must-Try Urban Wineries
Oregon Winery to Watch
Top 10 Urban Wineries in America
Unmissable Urban Wineries
…plus a few dozen more kind write-ups since 2011. But who's keeping count?
Let's be friends
Neighborhood friends and internet friends are all welcome. The garage door's up and the corks are out.