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Food & Wine - April 2007 New Wine Shops for Foodies: PORTALIS "Portalis feels like a seattle coffee shop crossed with a European wine bar. Jens Strecker, an expat German doctor, and his wife, Julie Howe, opened the wine bar and shop in 2003, where they serve more than 30 wines by the glass at a long concrete bar, along­side small dishes such as a rustic house-made pâté, a bubbling goat cheese gratin and a slow-roasted smoked-paprika pork sandwich with garlic aioli and cilantro. If customers like what they try, they can buy a bottle from the shop. The quirky selection of more than 400 bottles includes wines from tiny Washington State producers, like Barrister Winery’s Cabernet Franc and Fall Line Winery’s Bordeaux-style blend. Last year, Portalis moved to a larger space to accommodate the groups that come and linger for hours. If I lived in Seattle, I’d spend hours at Portalis, too, drinking and chatting—much like hanging out at a coffee­house, but without the jitters. " KRISTIN DONNELLY Read the Article Seattle Metropolitan - September 2006 Neighborhood Hot Spot: PORTALIS WINE BAR "If Ballard Avenue were a home, it would have a noisy kitchen (La Carta de Oaxaca), a civilized dining room (Volterra), an altogether unsupervised garage apartment (Tractor Tavern, Hattie's Hat)Ńand a tranquil wine cellar for the grown-ups. That's Portalis, newly relocated from its smaller digs down the street. It's sheathed in the same warm vintage brick and laden with the same well-chosen vintages, for sale by the bottle or the glass to quaff at the bar or at a table up front. Wine is the star of this wine bar, so don't go mistaking Portalis for a restaurant. That said, the place purveys the sorts of simple noshes wines adore, from an elegant little cheese-and-fig ensemble, to a bracing garbanzo bean-and-English pea salad frisky with herbs, or an onion-and-anchovy pissaladiereŃthe special when the spotlight region was ProvenceŃthoughtfully paired with a gentle Gigondas rosŽ. These parings are masterminded by proprietors who may know a lot more about wine than you do but wouldn't dream of acting like it." The Stranger - January 20 - 26, 2005 43 Bars - The Stranger's Inaugural Drinking Issue ..."Laid-back and welcoming enough for the wide-eyed novice, sufficiently sophisticated and well-stocked for the experienced pro, Portalis Wine Bar is a perfect place to pretend you live in a more progressive, cultured, intelligent nation. Beyond wine, Portalis serves light food (cheese samplers, soup, and sandwiches), rich coffee, and an array of schmancy imported beer. But go for the wines, a couple dozen of which are available by the glass, served in goblets big enough to stick your head into." DAVID SCHMADER Seattle Weekly - September 22 - 28, 2004 SIPS Wine Up Front by Roger Downey Read the Article Seattle Times - August 27, 2004 Dining Deals - Portalis: Varied culinary themes, world wines whisk diners 'round the globe by Kathryn Robinson Read the Article Seattle Magazine - March 2004 DINING GUIDE by Cynthia Nims, Food Editor ..."Our first foray to La Carta de Oaxaca was capped off by a stroll down Ballard Avenue to Portalis Wine Shop + Wine Bar (5310 Ballard Ave. NW, 206.783.2007). Such a warm and arty space, truly a wonderful spot to slip in for a glass of wine and a nibble of delicious cheese (our version of "dessert" that night). It's the kind of place every neighborhood should have." Seattle Magazine - December 2003 Collector's Issue: Seattle Best of 2003 BEST WINE SHOP >> At the Portalis Wine Shop and Wine Bar (5310 Ballard Ave. NW; 206.783.2007; portaliswines.com) - equal parts wine shop and wine bar - you can have your wine and drink it too. Store manager Gina Gregory likens the relaxed yet classy atmosphere to that of a coffee shop: One can read a book and nosh from the small bistro-style menu while sipping from a selection of wines from more than 15 countries. The half-year-old neighborhood hangout stocks more than 400 different labels at all times and boasts roughly 35 by-the-glass wines on its menu. With a public tasting offered every Sunday from noon to 3 p.m., this refreshingly unpretentious wine café is a gem. Seattle Post-Intelligencer - Wednesday, December 10, 2003 By Hsiao-Ching Chou, Food Writer Excerpt from article: "Do your holiday cooking online this year with help from tasty e-tailers" ..."www.portaliswines.com This charming new wine bar and shop in Ballard also ships. There are great values, and you'll find plenty you haven't tried or heard of before. The Gavi, for example, is a crisp, white Italian table wine that comes in a beautiful bottle with a golden-yellow label. Visit the shop online or at 5310 Ballard Ave. N.W.; 206-783-2007." Seattle Times - September 24, 2003 By Wine Advisor / Paul Gregutt Excerpt from article: Sorting out Aussie shiraz is something of a challenge ..."New shop: It's always a pleasure when a new wine shop opens, particularly one that features well-chosen wines and offers them by the glass as well. Portalis Wine Shop and Wine Bar (5310 Ballard Ave. N.W., 206-783-2007) has an eclectic international mix of wines, good glassware, and light cafe snacks, and bottles are available at the bar for retail plus a $7 corkage fee. Check it out."

Jens' Wine Articles
As seen at www.winesquire.com

Think Pink No, no, we are not talking about white Zinfandel or “blush” wines. We are talking about rosés. ... European consumers drink dry rosé wines regularly. The French drink even more rosé than white wine. Hot summer days, weekend family meetings and out-of-door lunches, they all call for rosé wines. So why don’t we touch the stuff? ... Washington Wines Washington wines are gaining popularity as they become more recognized for their superb quality and the unique flavors that come from Washington's fine vineyards. Washington state currently has five AVAs (American Viticultural Areas): Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley, Yakima Valley, Red Mountain (the newest) and Puget Sound. Washington's wine production is the second highest in the nation following California. Washington's wine region is at the 46th latitude which means the grapes get on average more daily sunlight (about two hours) than California... Wines For Everyday While looking for great wines with a great value but also excellent quality for $8 to $15, the response you will often hear to this statement is "yeah, right." But the fact is, more and more value-conscious consumers are trying to strike gold and there is something appealing about finding a really good value wine for not a lot of money... Oregon's Cool Wines Oregon's largest and best-known wine producing area is the Willamette Valley. Within 50 miles of the Willamette Valley are the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Cascade Mountains to the east. About 70% of Oregon's vineyards are located in the Willamette Valley. The seasonal climate and the coastal influence make the growing conditions ideal for cool-climate wine grapes like the Pinot Noir... Portalis Wines Grilling Tips Barbecue seems so downright American, but in fact, like so many other parts of our national identity (the Statue of Liberty; the colors of Old Glory), the word - if not the whole concept - is French. It was actually coined long ago by some Gallic gourmand who used the word to describe the process of grilling a beast from beard to tail, literally barbe-a-queue. From there, it was an easy leap across the Big Pond to our native tongue's less graphic and more easily spelled "barbecue"... A Truly American Bird Benjamin Franklin thought the turkey should be the American national symbol. Why? Because he thought the eagle was shifty and dishonest and liked the fact that the turkey was a true American original... All About Beaujolais Nouveau On the third Thursday of November (which will be November 21 this year), the most recent vintage of Beaujolais - called Nouveau or Primeur when it is released - goes on sale in wine stores around the world. Beaujolais Nouveau is marketed as the "first wine of the new vintage..." Viva Mexico! Mexico generally hasn't been known for making great wines in the past. That is changing faster than anyone can imagine. Contrary to popular belief, world-class wines are now being produced in our neighbor to the South... Wines From New Zealand and Australia (Part 1) Home to almost every possible climatic and soil condition capable of supporting grape vines, Australia and New Zealand produce a dizzying array of wines in every possible style and color. From sweet Rieslings, rich Semillons and creamy Chardonnays to elegant Pinot Noirs, dusty Cabernet Sauvignons and spicy Shiraz, wines from these countries offer something for everyone... Wines From New Zealand and Australia (Part 2) The wines from New Zealand's two islands could hardly be more different from those of Australia. Although the countries share a fondness for growing certain grapes (like Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, many of New Zealand's most exciting wines (Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir) are grown in comparatively small amounts in Australia... 2000 Vintage Report (Part 1) Welcome to an overview of the first vintage of the millennium. In a three part series, we will visit the vineyards of the Southern Hemisphere (Part 1), Europe and North America, reviewing the weather and other impacts on the vineyards of the focus area in 2000 and discussing what the 2000 vintage from this region has to offer... 2000 Vintage Report (Part 2) New Zealand The vintage 2000 growing season was very similar to the fine 1997 vintage with cooler summer temperatures and a warm, dry autumn, which was ideal for ripening grapes. The grapes have excellent levels of natural acidity and low pHs, a classic cool climate vintage after two warm vintages (1998 and 1999). The vintage 2000 wines show good complexity and elegance and will age well... 2000 Vintage Report (Part 3) California This state had a cool and moist spring with a heat wave in mid June and perfect weather in July and August with moderately warm temperatures. Stormy weather in October produced a mixed vintage. Very good to excellent vintage for Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay (especially in Napa, Sonoma County and Santa Barbara County) and Pinot Noir (Napa, Santa Barbara County), which were almost completely picked before a rainstorm on October 26...