If Bend is a beer town, where does wine fit in?
To answer this question, I decided to embark upon a thorough exploration of all the wine bars of Bend and compiled a comprehensive guide (below) available for anyone else looking for an answer to the same question—or just a delicious glass of wine in a friendly place!
The first Bend brewery established itself as “a home for the public … a community gathering place, where friends, family and strangers could come together over some great food and a house-brewed pint of beer.” This was Gary Fish’s Deschutes Brewery, founded in 1988. I think he might have been the man responsible for the current mindset and way of life that is alive and well in our town of Bend today. He certainly set the stage for those who followed.*
I’ve found that this same idea persists through the wine bars I’ve interviewed and visited so far: create a friendly gathering place for everyone, whether they’re out to meet old friends or make new ones. Every place just has a unique way of doing the same thing. The guide below is intended to give both quick facts like locations and open hours, as well as in-depth explorations of the values upon each wine bar was based, and what makes each a uniquely friendly place to gather. (Just click “Their Story” to find out more.)
While the winery tasting room outposts are certainly an important part of our community (and perhaps a topic for a future article and guide), I decided to focus on locations independent of a particular winery. These dedicated wine bars each offer a broad selection of wines from different parts of the world, as well as a different atmosphere and experience in each!
Though I am publishing this without having a story on each wine bar quite yet, I can say that any establishment whose goal is to promote the community-based and friendly food and drink culture of this town fits in just fine!
* Today Bend boasts over 30 breweries, putting us third on Livability’s list of Top 10 Craft Beer Cities Around the US. With 10 wine bars and 8 tasting rooms, wine is fitting in just fine!
Northwest
Viaggio
Hours
Tue & Wed 3-8pm; Thu – Sat 12-9pm; Sun 2-8pm
210 SW Century Drive, Suite 160, Bend, Oregon 97702
(541) 299-5060
https://www.viaggiowine.com
Flights
Hours
Mon – Tue 3-8pm; Wed – Sat 3-9pm
1444 NW College Way Suite 1, Bend, OR 97703
(541) 728-0753
https://www.flightswinebend.com
Portello Winecafe
Hours
Mon – Sat 4-8:30pm
2754 NW Crossing Drive Bend, OR
(541) 385-1777
http://www.portellowinecafe.com
Bar Fiori
This wine bar inside The Pantry closed, unfortunately, at the end of 2023.
1124 NW Newport Ave, Bend, OR 97701
(541) 385-1777
https://barfioribend.com/
Downtown
The Good Drop Wine Shoppe
Hours
Tue – Thu 1130am-630pm (ish); Fri & Sat 12-8pm (ish)
141 NW Minnesota Ave #2719, Bend, OR 97701
(541) 410-1470
https://gooddropwineshoppe.com
The Wine Shop and Beer Tasting Bar
Hours
Wed – Thu 3-8pm; Fri – Sat 3-9pm; Sun 1-7pm
55 NW Minnesota Ave, Bend, OR 97703
(541) 389-2884
https://thewineshopbend.com/
Ferm & Fare
Hours
Wed – Sat 2-8pm
924 NW Brooks Street Suite 102, Bend, OR 97703
(503) 930-2722
https://www.fermandfare.com
Apero
Hours
Fri – Sat 5-8pm
910 NW Harriman St #150, Bend, OR 97701
(541) 306-1010
https://www.lonepinecoffeeroasters.com/
Box Factory
Elixir
Hours
Mon & Wed 9am-6pm; Tue & Thu 9am-6pm; Fri 9am-9pm; Sat 12-9pm
11 NW Lava Rd, Bend, OR 97703
(541) 388-5330
https://www.elixirwinegroup.com
Southwest
Austin Mercantile
Hours
Tue – Sat 10am-7pm
19570 Amber Meadow Drive #190, Bend, OR 97702
(541) 797-0037
enotecaMarcella 