Sound and Fury

The theme for Wine Blogging Wednesday 18 is "wine shops that feel the love". This month, it's not about the wine, it's about the people who sell it to you. As readers of my site will already know, my very favorite wine shop is Renaissance Wines and Cigars, in Hillsboro, OR.

Renaissance is located in a relatively new development called Orenco Station. The idea behind Orenco Station is to create something resembling an urban down town area in the 'burbs. The local light rail line runs right past it, the architecture is tasteful, and the buildings are composed of shops on the ground floor with lofts above.

Renaissance (or Off the Vine as it was then known) is where I fell in love with wine. A couple of years ago they did a big mostly-vertical tasting of Madeira. I had never tasted anything so awesome in my life. After that, I was hooked.

Renaissance specializes in Oregon wine, with fair representation of Washington and California, and a decent selection of imports. They do tastings Friday through Sunday, with Sunday usually being either value wines, or wine of the month club wines. They also pour a selection of exceedingly reasonably priced by-the-glass wines. Starting just last week, Renaissance began offering a 2-ounce pour flight of a different series of local Pinot Noir each week, with a discount on Thursdays in lieu of a regular tasting.

Mike, the proprietor, is very friendly. He's fun to chat with, and he always gives good recommendations. The shop has a solid community feel to it, and I often run into familiar faces there. Plus, it's near the office. There are few better ways to kick off the weekend than a good wine tasting.