Hip Chicks Do Wine

If you answer “yes” to any of following questions, you’re a good candidate to visit Hip Chicks Do Wine:

• You live in the Portland area and don’t have time to go to Willamette Valley for wine tasting, but you have a hankering for liquid enjoyment.
• Friends from out of town are visiting and you need something to do, something that’s fun and flavorful.
• You’re bored with manicured lawns and logo-wearing pouring staff, and long for some industrial edginess.

If you replied in the affirmative to any of the questions above, you should head to southeast Portland, near Reed College, and taste nectar of the gods (or rather, goddesses). Hip Chicks Do Wine is nestled in an old industrial park on SE 23rd — imagine concrete and rebar meets wine barrel and stemware.

Laurie Lewis and Renee Neely found joy in the Willamette Valley in the mid-’90s while touring wineries and decided that they, too, wanted to be part of the wine scene — in a big way. Rather than planting a vineyard on a south slope in the Dundee Hills, the two women opted to open an urban winery in the heart of Portland. By doing so, they have the advantage of selecting grapes from top growers in Washington and Oregon. They offer a variety of white and red wines, from chardonnay and pinot gris to cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir. Plus, with their urban location, they can draw in Portland wine lovers who seek a day trip or a spot for a family get-together or corporate event.

After considerable study and hard work, Hip Chicks Do Wine opened in 2001 and has been satisfying taste buds ever since to the tune of 3,000 cases per year. Laurie and Renee distribute their wines themselves, primarily through the tasting room in Portland and their newer satellite tasting room in Newberg. Their product is especially appealing to women; nearly 70 percent of their clientele are women who like the chic industrial feel, the labeling of the bottles, and the art that adorns the walls. But it’s the wine that knows no gender boundaries and appeals to both sexes. After all, Laurie and Renee may have packaged a winery in a fun motif, but they are quite serious about their wines.