Two Hundred Pours on a Portland Side Street
Mississippi Avenue · Portland · French Wine Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 13, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Two hundred wines by the glass. Let that land for a second. Stem doesn't hand you a laminated sheet with eight options — it hands you a project. The room feels like a French café that wandered north on Mississippi Ave and decided to stay, complete with a patio and live music that somehow doesn't make the whole thing feel like a tourist trap.
The list is anchored in France and Oregon, which is exactly the right pairing for Portland — old-world discipline, new-world terroir, and a natural wine thread woven through both. Oregon heavyweights like Domaine Drouhin, Eyrie Vineyards, and Cristom share real estate with French producers, giving the list genuine range rather than the usual Willamette Valley monoculture you find at half the wine spots in this city. There are gaps in the research — South America and Spain aren't exactly the focus here — but that's not a criticism when the depth in the core regions is this strong. The natural wine presence keeps things interesting and signals that whoever is curating this list has an actual point of view.
Two hundred by-the-glass options is either a dream or a paralysis event depending on your personality — we'd argue dream. The price range of roughly $12–$25 a glass is honest for Portland and refreshingly un-greedy for a list this size. There's a wine club and regular tasting events, which suggests the glass program rotates with intention rather than coasting on the same twelve pours all year.
Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Gris — $15
Eyrie basically invented Oregon Pinot Gris, and getting it by the glass at a price that doesn't make you wince is exactly what this list is for. It's a piece of Oregon wine history in a stem, not a splurge.
Cristom Vineyards Pinot Noir
Cristom doesn't get the same headline rotation as some of its Willamette neighbors, but it consistently punches above its weight. Most people at Stem will gravitate toward Drouhin by name recognition alone — the Cristom is the smarter order.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir
Drouhin is a great producer and this is a solid wine, but it's also the most recognizable name on the Oregon side of the list, which means it tends to carry a slight recognition tax. With 200 options in front of you, defaulting to the most famous label is a waste of the opportunity Stem is handing you.
Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Gris + Wine Flight
Start a flight with the Eyrie Pinot Gris as your anchor pour — its savory, slightly oxidative character sets a baseline that makes every other glass in the flight more interesting by contrast. It's the wine that teaches you how to taste the rest of the list.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Stem is the kind of place that makes you wish you lived two blocks away — a genuine, deeply stocked wine bar with a point of view and staff who can actually help you navigate 200 options without making you feel stupid. Yes, send a friend here. Send yourself here first.
Northwest 23rd · Portland · Rustic French / Northwest French
St. Jack is the rare Portland restaurant where the wine list earns as much respect as the kitchen. The French-Oregon axis is well-executed, the staff knows what they're talking about, and the pot lyonnais format alone is worth the trip.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · Portland · Mexico City–inspired tacos and small plates
Tope is a Wild Card in the best sense — a rooftop taqueria that's quietly assembled a natural and low-intervention wine list worth paying attention to. If you're eating here and only drinking mezcal cocktails, you're leaving half the story on the table.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Portland · Texan–Pacific Northwest, Wood-fired American
Bullard Tavern is the Wild Card badge in its purest form — a smoked-meat joint that snuck in a genuinely considered wine list without making a fuss about it. Send a friend here if they think good wine and good brisket can't coexist.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown/Waterfront · Portland · Seafood, Pacific Northwest
King Tide earns its Wild Card badge by hiding a genuinely curious, well-priced wine list inside what could easily have been a forgettable hotel seafood room. If you're eating oysters on the Willamette, you could do a lot worse than Domaine de l'Écu in your glass.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Concordia · Portland · New American
Dame is the rare neighborhood restaurant where the wine list is genuinely worth the trip on its own. Send your friends here — just tell them to skip the safe picks and trust the list.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Buckman · Portland · Russian/Eastern European
Kachka is the best argument in Portland for drinking wines you've never heard of — the list is adventurous, the staff backs it up, and the food was built for exactly these bottles. Send every curious wine drinker you know.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.