E & R Wine Shop

I looked up E & R because I needed several bottles of wine for gifts. The location is convenient for me so I went in just after what I thought was their opening. There were two people milling around inside and I asked if one of the two could help me and without looking up from what they were doing, said, «It will be a minute.» I have worked in retail & customer service for years so after standing there for what felt like way-​too-​freaking-​long, my blood began to boil. So I asked if I should come back at another time. The man looked up and said, «We aren’t really even open.» To which I said, your Facebook page says you open at 10AM. His response: «Well… we’re here.» Even if they are not open, how about treating ALL your customers with care and respect. After our verbal transaction, the man did take a minute to select several bottles of wine. The takeaway: I don’t know that I have ever felt more uncomfortable in any place of business. I’ll will never go back.

A solid 3 stars. If you are looking for great wine from outside the USA, head here, they have a huge selection of wines from around the world! Recommendations are solid.

E&R is an excellent wine merchant. Stephanie is very passionate, knowledgeable, and friendly. They travel the globe to find interesting wines and work directly with winemakers to import wines no one else does so you can always try something unique.

I have ordered through E&R ever since Richard left the old Burlingame Market and set up shop here. There is a wide range of selections, domestic and international, the owners are friendly and knowledgable, and they promote adventure. In addition to ordering bottles and occasional cases of known entities, I have on several occasions had them select a mixed case of wines that they feel represent real finds among their current collection. This technique never fails to disappoint, and some of their selections astound. They are extremely responsive to special requests.

One of the best wine shops in Portland that I’ve found. They have incredible selection of NW wines as well as some awesome Old World selections.
They feature a variety of price points and producers and will special order almost anything available.
E&R also hosts some really fun tasting events! Check ‘em out!

Wow! What a selection! Knowledgeable, friendly staff will take your criteria and make suggestions or leave you alone to browse.

Last night four of us popped the cork on the last bottle of sparking wine from a mixed case that Richard (the R in E&R) helped me select back on July 20, twelve weeks ago. Time flies. A bottle a week and sadly they are all gone. As we sipped, we reflected on several things worth sharing with Yeeps and other peeps.
1.There may be another retailer in Oregon with as good a selection of sparkling wines and Champagnes as E & R, but we haven’t found it.
2. There may be folks as knowledgeable and fun to work with as the staff at E&R to help you select wines, but there an none more fun or who know more from our experience.
3. From inexpensive but tasty Italian Prosecco and Spanish Cava to moderately priced domestic and European sparklers to spendy French Champagne, if you give the folks at E&R your budget, they’ll come up with fantabulous selections and keep you in bubbles and in budget too. Our fav of the latest case Richard assembled was an Alsatian sparkler that we would never have found on our own and which was also remarkably inexpensive.
4. Of course, E&R are merchants for all kinds of wine, not just bubbles. And it is worth sharing that my wino Italian heritage hubby thinks E&R is the best place he’s ever shopped to buy Italian wines. Cent’anni!
THE CRITICAL LIST
No longer publishing their paper newsletter, which was one of the most fun reads for wine buying, they do publish electronic information now from time to time. Including their wonderful «Critical List» that highlights great wines at great value prices. With a mixed case the prices are even better as you then receive a 20% discount. And «Critical List» wines are guaranteed by E&R. If you don’t like the bottle, you can return it. (We’ve been buying E&R selections for a decade now. Never had to even consider return. But really… who would?)
You can email the E&R folks to ask about signing up for their Critical List mail at this address:
. You can take a look at the recent Critical List at this web link:

THIS N THAT:
1) LOCATION: In a sort of hard to spot location in a small strip of store fronts on Macadam.
2) PARKING & ACCESSIBILITY: Paved lot includes accessible parking; the store is level in and throughout.
3) MUSIC: These guys know music and you’ll enjoy their selections as background while you shop. Seriously.
4) TASTINGS: E&R has wonderful wine tastings from time to time; you’ll learn a lot.

I’ve purchased a bottle of wine here about a dozen times and never walked away feeling good about having done so. Undoubtedly there are elements to wine that I could never understand but part of what makes people like wine it their belief that they are drinking a good one (check out the consumer reports blind taste tests on this).
When you start a sales conversation with «how much are you looking to spend» how can you not end up looking disappointed with the answer? Frankly, I would much rather deal with the sommelier down at Zupan’s or Fred Meyer’s than with people that make me feel like I snuck into their country club.

#1 — the owner is really friendly and he always has a wine to match my mood, event destination, or gifting decision.
#2 — the selection is out-​of-​this-​world, and they even carry wines from the tiny Livermore (California) vineyard I got married at!
#3 — while many of the wines are above $ 20, there are several tasty selections from $ 10-​$ 15. They are happy to adjust to any price range, so if you tell them your preferences, you’ll have a fine wine in no time!

Well, back from Portland town :(a few weeks now and thought I’d update my E & R report. No change except, damn, it’s good when a good thing doesn’t change, isn’t it? A quick in and out. The usual drill. What do you like? How much do you want to spend? Came out with a half case of very fine recs. Sadly, all gone now. But, happily, all were as advertised. That lassie knows her stuff about the grapes. I wish we’d bought a whole case. Or two.

I’ll give this place about as much attention as they gave us. Not much. While I loath Disney store freakish over helpfulness, it feels weird to be completely ignored. I definitely prefer the affability of some of the other wine shops to this one. Maybe we walked in on a bad day, maybe they found my brown shirt offensive, I don’t know.
To be fair we didn’t ask for assistance and I’m guessing they would’ve been helpful had we. It was just such a sharp contrast to Vino that we were at just before and Liner & Elsen that we stopped in after. There was warmth and laughter in both places that seemed absent here.
That being said they’ve got a decent selection of wines, including one of my new favorites Oregon produced Seven of Heart’s Pinot Noir.
Also intriguing is their guaranteed wines that you can return should you not like them… pretty ballsy.
Check it out if you’re hitting all the wine shops, but I doubt we’ll be back. With so many other choices there’s really no need.

E & R is a great wine shop — friendly and unpretentious help from everyone working there.
I recently ordered some wine from these guys, after returning back to San Jose. Richard was very helpful through the whole process. They usually used some other courier, but I requested FedEx because the FedEx depot is closest ot my home. He very graciously agreed, and in no time, I had my case of Stevenson Barrie. … delicious =) Great shop, with great attitude.
Just updated from a 4 to a 5 star. These guys are great… just tried another one of their recommendation: De Ponte Cellars, Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2004. Delicious! That’s 6 out of 6 recommendations that’s been just wonderful … it could be that I’m alcoholic and drink the most insipid muck, but I like to think not =)
I’m so fedup with these wine places where you either have pretentious smucks that don’t bother to entertain your questions, or these places where the people there don’t know anything. At E & R you get neither. they are friendly and have the most immaculate taste.