Our Favorite Portland Wine Bars
by Grant Butler
Back in the '90s, Oregon emerged as one of the world's great wine-growing regions. Still, Portland had no wine-bar scene. Microbreweries were everywhere, but if you wanted to grab a glass of red outside of a regular restaurant, it probably came out of a box.

These days, terrific wine bars are found all over town, with different moods to match their clientele. Here are four current favorites -- perfect places to meet a friend for a holiday cheers.

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CAVA
Southeast Foster Road continues to be one of Portland's most eclectic streets, with an odd mixture of ethnic restaurants, gun shops and auto-repair spots. Now it has a promising wine and food destination, too: Cava.

Really a restaurant more than the typical wine-bar model, Cava still sports a long list of mostly European wines, with particular emphasis on France and Spain. Given the name, Cava pours a lovely sparkler, perfectly suited to go with steamed mussels with crispy french fries and a light aioli with hints of lemon. With the hearty, duck-studded cassoulet or the impressive burger, switch to a full-bodied Australian shiraz, or an intense Cotes du Roussillon, which captures the essence of southern French sunshine in a glass.