Northeast Portland's rabbit hole of obscure bottles
Northeast · Portland · Wine Bar · Visit Website ↗
Updated September 2026
Reviewed April 10, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Liner & Elsen’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Liner & Elsen feels less like entering a restaurant and more like stumbling into a serious wine person's personal cellar — one who has clearly spent time in obscure European regions most lists ignore entirely. The 300-plus bottle list signals immediately that this place isn't trying to play it safe. Romania, Madeira, Sherry, Emilia Romagna — someone here is paying attention.
The list leans hard into Europe without abandoning the Pacific Northwest, which is a genuinely difficult balance to pull off. You get serious Burgundy and Austrian Grüner Veltliner sitting alongside Sicilian reds, Port, and Romanian bottles that most wine bars in this city wouldn't touch. Local producers like David Paige Wines and Evesham Wood give Oregon its proper representation. The gaps are minor — if you came here for New World exploration outside of Oregon and California, you'll need to look elsewhere — but that's a trade-off worth making.
Twenty to thirty glass pours is an aggressive commitment for a shop-bar format, and Liner & Elsen earns it by rotating through regions rather than defaulting to the same Pinot Noir and Chardonnay rotation you've seen everywhere else. Expect the glass list to reflect whatever's interesting on the bottle list at any given moment. It's the kind of program where you ask what's open and let the staff steer.
Crowley Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2012 — $21.99
Restaurant price matches retail — you're essentially paying store price to drink it in a proper setting. That's almost unheard of, and for a Willamette Valley Pinot with some age on it, it's a no-brainer.
Romanian wines
Most people walk past anything from Romania without a second glance, which is exactly why you shouldn't. Liner & Elsen's willingness to carry them signals these are worth the risk — this is the kind of bottle you'll talk about at the next dinner party.
Clouet Champagne
Champagne is almost always a markup trap at wine bars, and while Clouet is a fine grower producer, you're better off putting that money toward something you genuinely can't find anywhere else on this list — like the Madeira or Sherry selections that actually justify the trip here.
Evesham Wood Pinot Noir Le Puits Sec Cuvée L&E 2011 + Charcuterie board
A Pinot Noir made specifically for Liner & Elsen, with some bottle age already doing the work, cuts right through cured meat fat without overwhelming it. It's a house wine in the truest sense — made for exactly this setting.
The Bottom Line
Liner & Elsen is what happens when people who genuinely love wine run a wine program instead of a finance committee. Send every serious wine-curious friend here without hesitation.
Dundee · Portland · Italian, French, American
The official site identifies The Dundee Bistro as closed. The wine selections described here are historical context, not current availability. This notice does not establish a closure date or a future reopening.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Pearl District · Portland · Italian/Mediterranean
A restaurant list with 15 pours by the glass from $11 to $17 and a bottle list from 40 to 1100, split by country. Start with the Hacienda Lopez de Haro Rioja Crianza '22 at $12, or the Tenuta di Lilliano Chianti Classico '22 at $16 alongside the Radiatore, and confirm prices because the list is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Southeast Portland · Portland · Charcuterie/American
A charcuterie restaurant with a natural-leaning wine list and a 12-pour glass list on the dinner menu. Start with the $14/glass Hoppenot gamay, or split the $55 Stick Figurine orange wine across a board, and confirm current availability. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
King · Portland · Spanish
A Spanish tapas-bar wine page with glass and bottle prices from 13/50 and a ten-sherry list. Start with the Pago del Cielo Celeste Verdejo at 13 a glass, try the chilled Vara y Pulgar Tintilla at 17 if you want something different, and order the Miquel Pons Cava with the croquetas. The page says the posted menu may differ from the restaurant's, so confirm prices. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown · Portland · New American with Asian Influences
A long list sorted by style, with glass pours from $9.50 to $20, a Coravin tier above that, and bottles that climb to $750. Start with the A to Z at $13.50 or the Roederer Estate Brut at $20, and confirm current prices because the list isn't dated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Alberta Arts · Portland · Italian
An Italian-leaning bottle list with an Oregon side, and no glass pours posted. Order the $65 Bow and Arrow Gamay, or the $65 Keltis 'Zan White' Slovenian Orange Blend if you want an orange wine, and confirm availability. This unrated guide covers the posted Spring & Summer ’26 beverage menu, not service, storage or markups.
Southwest Atlanta · Atlanta · Wine Bar
BOSK is quietly doing something interesting in a neighborhood that most Atlanta wine lists ignore completely, and that alone earns it a look. We need more data on specific bottles and pricing before we can tell you exactly what to order, but the concept is right and the vibe is genuinely welcoming. If you're in Southwest Atlanta and want wine without pretense alongside cauliflower bites or a BLT with candied beef bacon, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Acworth · Wine Bar
Broken Anchor isn't going to satisfy anyone hunting rare bottles or obsessing over markups — but that's not who it's for. If you're in Acworth and want to drink local wine in a room where trivia night is a real possibility, this is your place. We'd send a friend here with the right expectations firmly set in advance.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
West Cobb · Marietta · Wine Bar
unWine'd & Tap fills a real gap in West Cobb — a genuinely social wine bar with solid food, good energy on a Friday night, and a staff that seems to care even if they're not Master Sommeliers. We'd send a friend here for a low-stakes date night or a girls' night out, with the caveat that you should explore the list before anchoring to the obvious picks. Reservations on weekends are non-negotiable.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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