Urban Wineworks/Bishop Creek Cellars

Portland’s Urban Wineworks/Bishop Creek Cellars is different. It’s different because it’s wonderfully educational. Where else are you given the ingredients and tools to blend your own wine? It’s different because it celebrates other wineries and not just its own. How often do you see “guest wineries” on a wine-tasting menu? And it’s different because it mixes local art with wine. The first Thursday of each month, Urban Wineworks is a featured stop along the community art walk. Check out its renowned barrel art at the tasting room — it’s like visiting the Portland Art Museum with one huge advantage: You can swirl and sip while taking in the art.

Urban Wineworks at NW 16th Avenue in the Pearl District is the name of the tasting room; Bishop Creek Cellars is the name of the winery. And the UW/BCC motto, “Wine country without the drive,” says it all. In addition, there’s another tasting-room locations in Newberg (614 E. First St.).

How empowering (and cool) is creating your own cuvée from singular Bordeaux varietals, including cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and merlot? For a price tag of less than $25, Urban Wineworks provides you with the tools — including a beaker, a syringe, and a blending placemat — to create your own personal red blend. There’s also an add-on feature that allows you to create your own label.

Speaking of empowerment, Urban Wineworks/Bishop Creek Cellars offers a full program that gives students hands-on experience, from harvest through bottling, to learn how to create their own winery. This approach stems from the UW/BCC philosophy of “we’re in this thing together.”

Winemaker Marcus Goodfellow collaborates with vineyard manager Jeremy Saville to create pinot gris and pinot noir under the Bishop Creek Cellars label. These guys are on a mission, and as they state on their website, “We want to make the best damn pinot noir, or die trying.” Now that’s passion! However, what’s refreshing is that they don’t take a myopic view of wines. They feature other wines on a monthly rotation: One month might highlight wines of South Africa; another month, California zinfandels; and the next month, acclaimed women winemakers. Urban Wineworks is also ground zero for May’s Indie Wine Month, which celebrates “guerillas, garagistes, and gung-ho winemakers” and their small-lot productions.

Different? Unabashedly so. Thanks to Urban Wineworks/Bishop Creek Cellars, WineTrail trekkers have a way to experience wine country without the long drive.