The adrenaline rush that hits as hundreds of pounds of Pinot Noir grapes cascade down onto the sorting table, past scrambling hands pulling less-than-perfect bunches onto the floor, and onto a roller-coasteresque system resulting in powerful but precise destemming and pressing is truly remarkable. The need for speed, the unmistakable smell, and the pure joy accumulated through months of waiting and weather forecast watching...that's crush.

That same feeling during the first major haul of a brand new urban winery? Priceless.

For the next few weeks, the SE Wine Collective (located off the corner of SE Division and 35th Place) will be making the most of this year's harvest, and guests at the newly-minted Tasting Bar attached the to winery will get a first hand seat for the action. Best of all, they'll do it with a wineglass in hand, filled with the result of last year's crush, completing the circle of wine life that drives hundreds of Oregon wine lovers to put themselves through this stressful, dynamic, and expensive process year after year.

The collective is home to Vincent Wine Company, Bow & Arrow Wines, Helioterra Wines, and Division Winemaking Company, and several members of the member wineries were busy this week with the winery's inaugural crush. Check out the slideshow above for photos of the new tasting room, winery, and piles upon piles of Pinot Noir. 

SE Wine Collective
2425 SE 35th Place
Tasting Bar open Wed-Fri, 3 to 10 pm; Sat, 11 am to 10 pm; Sun, 11 am to 7 pm. sewinecollective.com

Want more info on hyper-local wine? Divison Winemaking, the founding vintners of the SE Wine Collective, nabbed two spots on this year's list of Oregon's 50 Best Wines. Read the full article online here.