Traditional wine tasting rooms are dull, am I right?

It’s time for something new. There are enough wineries out there to keep me happy for a long time – but I want to be more than happy. I want to be ecstatic and feel like I’m entering a magical place that can’t be compared to anything I’ve seen before.

You may already know that Portland likes to show off how progressive it is. All this cutting-edge architecture screams culture. I mean, we get it. You’re the type of city I could only dream of living in.

Carlton Winemakers is a studio – not really a regular winery. And don’t call it as such. The sophisticated tasting room is the piece de resistance of the whole thing, with its state of the art architecture and sleek, wine bar like design.

Don’t get me started on how many winemakers it took to make something as classy as this. You may have already guessed a lot. But hey, if you’ve been toiling away in the dirt and grapes for years, maybe you have a right to be sophisticated about your wine, too.

Like many things in Portland – and Oregon – these days, Carlton Winemakers is a cooperative. While building up a winery by yourself when you could recruit numerous winemakers and synergize their talents? Side note, it’s also going to be hard to compete with what a crowd like this produces, too.

They’re taking the world on, as Food and Wine Magazine so proudly projects. Now, while you may already want to linger to soak in the sophomoric atmosphere, you may not even have a choice. With your wine tasting, you’ll be served up a generous portion of storytelling. Bear in mind, there are fifteen of these unique stories to get through.

I guess the more you drink, the easier it will get. Did I mention that you’ve got some bad ass architecture to look at, too?

Carlton Winemakers Studio Wines

“fifteen Vintners under one innovative roof”

2014 Hamacher Chardonnay: if you’ve already guessed this, you’re smarter than I am. This is just one of the fifteen winemakers here, so we’ve got a lot to get through. Don’t worry, I’ll just highlight three.

Hamacher decided to age their chardonnay for 18 months. This means that you’re drinking a softened wine that doesn’t have any of the disagreeable tannins.

2017 Elevee Riesling: there’s a story – but you already know that. To get the scoop, you’ll have to go and stand under the artisanal architecture. I’ll give you a brief rundown of the flavors.

Sweet tobacco, raspberries, violets, and red cherries can all be found in this Riesling. It’s got a medium body with an acidity that’s lively enough to dance on your tongue.

2012 Merriman Pinot Noir: this is my kind of wine – it gets straight to the point. You’ll get some dark plum on the front of your palate, followed closely by mint and wild blackberry. Overall, it’s got a creamy texture that could be bordering on dangerous.

If you and your friends gather once a month and call yourselves a wine club, you may want to make a trip to Carlton Winemakers. They’ll quickly bring you back down to the amateurs you are.

For more information visit http://www.winemakersstudio.com