Weird Wine

Welcome to the world of weird wine: wild experiments at Northwest wineries, coferments to try, and bottles to buy. Plus: a Portlander's guide to Eastern Oregon, a profile of the state's youngest-ever poet laureate, a guide to fall arts events, a vegan Chinese recipe, and more

In this issue:

Arts & Culture

Culture

Want to Support the Arts? 7 Steps to Becoming an Arts Benefactor (Yes, You)

Prolific arts donor Ronni Lacroute tells us how to become a rookie arts benefactor.

09/25/2023 By Arianne Cohen Illustrations by Lars Leetaru

Arts

Arts Insiders Share Their Culture Picks for Fall 2023

No need to guess. We cribbed the must-see arts and music plans of Portlanders in the know.

09/07/2023 Illustrations by Lars Leetaru By Arianne Cohen

Eat & Drink

Power Ranking

We Ranked Every McMenamins in and around Portland

The local brewery-winery-distillery-historic-hotel-theater-concert-hall-wedding-venue-etc. empire turned 40 in 2023, and we graded every one within 20 miles.

09/22/2023 By Dalila Brent, Arianne Cohen, Katherine Chew Hamilton, Isabel Lemus Kristensen, Michael Novak, Margaret Seiler, and Sam Stites

Recipe

Make This Garlicky, Spicy Eggplant from The Vegan Chinese Kitchen

Portland chef Hannah Che offers a crash course in the history and culture of vegan Chinese cuisine, which is valuable for vegans and meat-eaters alike.

09/08/2023 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Review

Kee’s #Loaded Kitchen Is Way Bigger than a Food Cart

Kiauna “Kee” Nelson delivers astounding soul food, a community haven, and a credo for living: winners only.

08/25/2023 By Karen Brooks Photography by Thomas Teal

The 2023 PoMo Weird Wine Challenge

Playful Experimentation Reigns at Savage Grace Wines

Fellow winemakers nod to this Washington vintner as one of the most innovative producers in the region.

08/18/2023 By Tamara Turner

The 2023 PoMo Weird Wine Challenge

Cho Wines Plunges into Ingenuity

With a thirst for experimentation, this vineyard is making waves.

08/18/2023 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

The PoMo 2023 Weird Wine Challenge

Hiyu Wine Farm's Wondrously Creative Wines

Hiyu’s pours buzz with the energy and verve of ancient practices.

08/18/2023 By Tamara Turner

The 2023 PoMo Weird Wine Challenge

What's Weird Wine?

Winemakers are bucking norms in the hills surrounding Portland, producing delicious explorations of taste and form. We invite you to taste and slosh your way through our top picks.

08/18/2023 By Arianne Cohen, Katherine Chew Hamilton, Jordan Michelman, Tamara Turner, and Hannah Wallace Photography by Michael Novak

The 2023 PoMo Weird Wine Challenge

Are You a Coferment Virgin? 6 Portland Varieties to Try

It's a cider lovefest, and our city is the home base of creative producers. We found the half dozen best coferments for taste bud adventures, with blends of apples, wine grapes, and other Oregon fruits.

08/17/2023 By Hannah Wallace Photography by Michael Novak

The 2023 PoMo Weird Wine Challenge

The Man Behind Oregon’s Most Surprising Wine Pairings

Sommelier Ron Acierto chooses the best vino for, say, cherry belle radishes over sea bream, at Okta.

08/16/2023 By Jordan Michelman Photography by Thomas Teal

The 2023 PoMo Weird Wine Challenge

The 5 Weird (in the Best Way) Wines Shop Owners Can’t Stop Talking About

We asked local bottle shop staff to tell us about their favorite innovative vinos. They had a lot to say.

08/16/2023 By Jordan Michelman

Q & A

Ripping the City with Elan Hagens

The mycophile and Portland native dishes on her favorite Portland spots and the worst advice she's ever received.

08/09/2023 By Dalila Brent

Coffee

The New, Joyful Face of Portland Coffee

Goodbye, coffee cool kids' club. Portland’s modern cafe scene has evolved into a multiverse of ideas, destinations, and self-expression.

04/05/2023 By Jordan Michelman

Health & Wellness

Weight Loss

Looking for Wegovy, Ozempic, or Semaglutide in Portland? It’s the Wild West.

We sent a reporter in search of the weight loss drug, and found dead ends and sky-high bills—and a work-around.

08/30/2023 By Jacob Fenton

News & City Life

Essay

He's Thought about This Death of a Houseless Man Since 1987

A murder during Portland's homelessness surge three decades ago tells us about the city today. A writer has wrestled with his proximity to it ever since.

09/23/2023 By Bill Donahue Illustrations by katherine lam

Urban Life

How to Actually Interact with Houseless Neighbors

Be respectful, practice kindness, and say ‘knock-knock.’

09/21/2023 By Hannah Wallace

Helping Others

How One Portland Neighborhood Partnered with a Homeless Encampment

Faced with an influx of homeless neighbors, a Southeast Portland neighborhood association got creative.

09/21/2023 By Hannah Wallace

Interview

In Noise Hell? This Portland Sound Engineer Has Heard It All Before.

But Tobin Cooley can’t help with that earworm that’s stuck in your head.

09/20/2023 By Arianne Cohen Photography by NashCO Photo

Speed Traps

Don't Roll These Lights (Unless You Want a Ticket): A Map

Smile! New traffic-enforcement cameras designed to slow drivers down are in place across the city, including these Portland streets and intersections.

09/08/2023 By Portland Monthly Staff

You've Got a Fast Car

More Traffic Cameras—and Tickets—Come to Portland

New cameras and police traffic teams are revving up to slow you down. And that’s a good thing.

09/08/2023 By Erika Bolstad

Education

Portland Private Schools by the Numbers: 2023–2024

Application deadlines, tuition costs, demographics, and more key info on Portland-area K–12 private schools.

08/30/2023 Edited by Portland Monthly Staff

Movers & Shakers

Perfect Portland Party: Fall 2023

From Love Is Blind’s Brett and Tiffany to a Succession star, here’s who’s invited to our fantasy dinner table.

08/29/2023 By Margaret Seiler

First Person

Who Powers Portland’s Bike and Walk School Buses?

A cycling mom joins walk and bike buses helping kids get to school in neighborhoods rich and poor, where volunteers keep the wheels turning.

08/28/2023 By Ellee Thalheimer Photography by Thomas Teal

Style & Shopping

Popular Hairstyles

‘Sparkling’—It’s a Hairstyle—Goes Mainstream

As fairy hair popularity soars in Portland, its practitioners have a showdown. Sort of.

09/12/2023 By Rachel Saslow Photography by Thomas Teal

Fashion

A Portland Boutique’s Surprising Strategy to Thrive Downtown

After years of moves and downtown upheaval, Frances May puts down permanent roots ahead of an incoming wave of luxury.

08/25/2023 By Matthew Trueherz

Travel & Outdoors

Back Off, Idaho! A Visitor's Guide to Eastern Oregon

A Cheat Sheet to Enjoying the Counties Voting for ‘Greater Idaho’

Without places like Burns and Baker City, Joseph and the Alvord Desert, Oregon just wouldn’t be Oregon.

09/04/2023 Edited by Sam Stites

Back Off, Idaho! A Visitor's Guide to Eastern Oregon

You Won't Forget the Bathrooms at the Imnaha Tavern

Two roadside bars out east are worth the (long) drive.

09/04/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Back Off, Idaho!

Where to Eat, Stay, and Play on a Road Trip to Eastern Oregon

Who knew La Grande was such a shopper’s paradise? A rodeo in Pendleton, vintage bling in La Grande, biscuits and gravy in Baker City, a historic hotel in Burns, plus hot springs.

09/04/2023 By Margaret Seiler and Sam Stites

Back Off, Idaho! A Visitor's Guide to Eastern Oregon

Wild Times at Silvies Valley Ranch

Make the 6-hour drive for the golf, stay for everything else at this retreat and golf resort.

09/04/2023 By Sam Stites

Back Off, Idaho! A Visitor's Guide to Eastern Oregon

5 Crucial Tips for Camping in the Alvord Desert

We caught up with experienced playa-goers for their critical advice on visiting this otherworldly terrain.

09/04/2023 By Sam Stites