The Winery at Manzanita

253 Laneda Ave.

Manzanita, OR

https://www.thewineryatmanzanita.com

I lied- The Winery at Manzanita might actually be my favorite part of this sleepy beach town. After unpacking the car, we beelined it to the winery to make sure we had time to enjoy a flight of wine before they closed for the evening.

The winery and tasting room is on the main avenue and can be spotted by the image of Pinot, the beloved black lab who belongs to the owner of the winery. Pinot is the face of this wine bar, on every label, glass and piece of merch sold there. The winery itself is in a handsome cedar shingled building with a large lower patio and a sunny deck on the top floor. The downstairs patio has 3 large fire pits surrounded by adirondack chairs and ample tablespace for your glasses, bottles and flights of wine. There is a retractable awning on the lower patio, so even on rainy or drizzly days, you can enjoy the patio, cozying by the fire and taking in your wine. And of course, the establishment is dog friendly on both patios, and family friendly as well. Inside, there is a bar that seats about 10, and there might be some other small tables inside.

The winery sells around 20 different wines at a time, and many are available by the glass. They recently had on offer 5 different wine flights, and I opted for the Club Flight where I got to taste the Pinot Noir Rose, 2021 Pinot Noir and the Petit Verdot. The stemless glasses come out on a little board and I am thrilled because I love good presentation. I generally struggle with adirondack chairs because I am very short, but I quite enjoy them at this winery because it physically forces me to sit back, relax, and enjoy my wine. They also have on offer a small selection of 12” pizzas and a variety of meat and cheese boards as well as snacks like soft pretzels, truffle popcorn and olives and almonds. I personally have not tried their food, but love this kind of fare so it is only a matter of time before I indulge.

The service is always wonderful and genuine. It lacks the pretension that many wineries have and I am completely comfortable being my strange and silly self as I bumble through my questions as we try to nail down the varietal for my next glass. For non-wine drinkers, they offer a selection of Pacific Northwest beers and ciders as well as kombuchas and other non-alcoholic beverages.

Owner of the winery, Mark Poden, launched his original wine business in 2008 in Salem, Oregon while still attending wine school. After a few years stint in Hawaii making wine, he landed in Manzanita for the gorgeous sunsets and dog friendly beaches. His organic pinot noir grapes are grown at his vineyard outside Carlton, Oregon, Black Dog vineyard, and are used in all of his Pinot Noir based wines. He also produces a variety of red blends utilizing grapes from various vineyards in Southern Oregon. He focuses on batch fermentations with the intention of quality over quantity.

The love he has for his dog is beyond touching and as a dog lover myself, this only makes me love his wines even more. Photos of him and his pup Pinot are all over Instagram and his websites and it is clear they have been partners in crime throughout the years.

His wines can be enjoyed an any of his five locations spread throughout Oregon:

Portland Wine Bar: 526 SW Yamhill St. Portland, OR 97204

Portlandwinebar.com