Liner & Elsen Wine Merchants

Out of the thousands of bottles of wine they have on the shelves the one they recommended had gone bad. You know sometimes shit happens. I used to manage a tasting room, occasionally someone would bring back a bottle and we would make it right. Not these guys.
I might of felt better of this business if my $ 34.00 was refunded, I might even have gone back. But I guess a purchase of 2 bottles is peanuts to these guys. Don’t bother walking in, they don’t make you feel welcome. I was surprised to see so many bottles stored upright too.
By the way the wine was a McKinlay Estate 2012 Pinot Noir. I should let them know the Liner & Elsen are not representing or standing by their product.

I purchased a case of wine on preorder. When I got to the store to pick the wine up, they said my case had been broken in shipment, so they offered to give me my money back. Sitting in plain view was another case of the same wine. I asked them about that case, but they said it was for someone else. Really? The real reason was that they did not want to honer the old, prepaid price. They could sell the wine for more after arrival. I asked them to take me off of their mailing list. I still get the mailer every month. Straight into the recycle. Very high on my terrible customer service of all time list.

Decent selection of Oregon pinots. Honestly haven’t been impressed with any of the recommendations I’ve received, and no one ever comes out from behind the counter to inquire about my needs– only the obligatory «let us know if we can help you» when I enter. Probably because I come at lunch and only buy a bottle or two in passing– given the good reviews it seems they are treating some customers well; probably those buying by the case. I suggest they focus more on educating and recommending good wines, and less on moving product– as can be the only motivation behind what I have found to be subpar recommendations.

I love Liner & Elsen!
This place has a HUGE space with a crazy awesome wine selection. The staff really know what they’re doing and can talk to you about any wine and are very knowledgable. I came in with a Pinterest board of wines I’d been snapping the last year and he helped me find all of them — and was able to order the ones they didn’t have. He made great recommendations and when he identified my palette could have sold me the world. Loved it. They also do a free tasting almost every Saturday — so come in, have a sip, buy some wine and then walk around 23^rd — best afternoon ever!

Great selection of wine but bad customer service — i just bought wine and then asked if they have any wine tastings. The salesperson said that they are already closed despite the fact that other customers are tasting wine as he spoke… Is it really «closed» when I was able to enter the store and purchase one anyway? I smell discrimation

I had read about the place in the WSJ and we checked it out for a Friday evening Woodward Canyon tasting yesterday. The tasting was underwhelming. After paying $ 35 each for a flight of five wines, we were given our gasses with the wine in them. There was minimal information about the wines – a WA or WS tasting note would’ve been greatly appreciated. Buy on the bread and sell on the cheese. it would’ve been nice to have some bread or crackers to cleanse the palate. Overall, quite a disappointing experience. The wine selection in the store was quite nice, however.

Anybody who gives this shop less than 5 stars hasn’t been to enough wine shops.
Staff is friendly and very knowledgeable about their product. No matter who you ask, they have almost always tasted the wines on the shelf. Once you become a regular and they know your tastes they’ll actually tell you what new wines you’ll like. This place is the definition of a neighborhood wine shop.
In addition to the expert assistance you’ll get from the staff you will find an eclectic and interesting selection of wines. You want a great $ 15 Italian red?– check. You want a $ 250 White Burgundy? — check. Oh, and by the way, everything in between too. There’s always a great monthly selection (newsletter picks) of wines in the front of the store in the 10 – 20 dollar range.
I have to say though, the thing that keeps me coming back here is the ambience and the staff. You cannot go wrong here. I am so lucky that this shop is actually in my neighborhood.

When I first became acquainted with Liner & Elsen Wine Merchants I honestly thought they were going to have sticks up their kazoo’s. You know kind of like a stuffy old fashioned law firm — But you know what? Not only do they have an amazing wine selection, and can procure literally whatever you want they are very nice, kind, knowledgeable and not stuffy or elitist!
There’s something here for everyone on any budget — for real.
I have found some of the best wine ever there.

Interesting Wine Shop. Great reputation. Knowledgeable staff with very particular palates.
Initially may seem intimidating inside, but use their knowledge to learn!
They host weekly tasting for no charge. Take advantage to learn about wines worldwide.
A lot of mail order business across the country.
High dollar to very affordable-​great shelf talkers to give you a bit of help, too.

Liner & Elsen is the place to go when you’re looking for a special bottle that is meant to be the talking piece of the evening, or when you’re looking for some bottles to squirrel away in the cellar for a mind-​altering experience in about 5 – 10 years. I realize most people aren’t looking to sit on a bottle of wine that long, but Liner & Elsen is just the place to go to learn why good things come to those who wait.
Their selection of french wine is particularly impressive. One whole floor to ceiling wall of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire, Rhone, and others… Plus a great selection of boutique Champagne. In addition there’s a healthy selection of German, Italian, S. American, Spanish, Portuguese, etc etc…
Their domestic selection is a bit limited, but that’s OK — plenty of other wine shops do that. It’s nice to have one in town with such a wide selection of old world wines.
The last thing to say about Liner, is that they have the absolute BEST wine tastings in town. Every 1^st and 3^rd Friday they open up 7 bottles of wine. It’s not cheap to taste, but you will be getting a world-​class wine experience. The bottle prices on what you get to taste usually span from $ 30-​$ 100+ You might get a chance to taste a 30 year old German Riesling or some Grand Cru Burgundy or a First Growth Bordeaux. Pretty awesome.

Great wine selection. However they could really work on their friendly costumer service… Perhaps we needed to look over 45 for someone to be nice and recognize we actually really do love wine?

Amazing selection with an incredibly knowledgeable staff. They can procure the most amazing bottles without hesitation.
Honestly, there is no point in going elsewhere. It would simply be a waste of time. :)

I went in to find a nice bottle of German Riesling. What I got was a big attitude. I have been buying fine wines for 35 years in some of the finest wine shops up and down the West Coast. Never have I been treated so badly by an owner of a wine shop. Your shop is not that nice! Customeer service is A1 in my book. Then, to top off my visit, a salesman came in to pour some wines and the pour guy left with his tail between his legs. It is one thing to not want to taste wines, but to treat a person so desrespectfully in front of customers is just wrong. The pour guy was probably just doing his job trying to put food on the table. Thank God there was another wine shop near by.
I will never set foot again in that store and I will be sure to tell my associates of my experience.

We typically think of Liner & Elsen when we’re looking for great German Rieslings (in particular Kabinett from Mosel), which are more difficult to find even at some of Portland’s other top notch wine sellers that we love to do business with. We’re always able to find German gems at Liner & Elsen and they are our ‘go to” store for those wines.. Nice people, although there have been occasions where we felt as if we were the «poor relations» stopping by the family barbecue. Still, Liner & Elsen is a shop we like and in particular we like this Quimby location much better for easy access than the previous store site.

Stumbled across this shop while checking out the neighborhood. Great place for wine. Prices are good and the staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. Went on a Sat. afternoon and they were offering free tastings of several wines mentioned in their monthly newsletter. Delic! The only thing I thought a bit odd was their NW selection is not as wide as I would have expected it to be, considering the space they have. If you’re into French wines and bubbly, you’ll be in HEAVEN! They also carry Palmina wines, one of my favs from Cali– but just their whites (due to price-​point or something.) I’ll be back!

I’m a complete rookie at the wine game but I really enjoy it. I found this shop about 5+ years ago thanks to a friend. Their new (larger) location is fantastic. I find 4 of the 4 employees really know their stuff — like REALLY know their stuff — probably better than any bottle shop or distributor I have ever partronized.
The only reason I don’t give them a 5 star is because of a few very minor reasons: a) only 3 out of the 4 people there are truly genuine, non-​snobish people who will truly help you and look out for your best interests and not treat you like a rookie; b) lack of «modern» conveniences like an email list (until just recently that is), lack of e-​commerce or at least a way to automate the process of ordering, and c) every now and then their prices seem high, but every now and then they are really low as compared to other sources so it is a little inconsistent, but I blame the industry more than them for this.
In summary, regardless if it is your first bottle or 10,000^th this really is the place to go in Portland.

The only wine store that gets my money in PDX.
Champagne, Burgundy, Riesling and Gruner.

I seldom admit to being wrong, but here were some of the assumptions I made about Liner & Elsen Wine Merchants:
I thought it’d be stuffy and elitist. WRONG.
I thought I wouldn’t be able to afford anything. WRONG.
I thought it’d be a small specialty shop with a limited selection. WRONG.
(ever notice how weird the word WRONG looks and sounds?)
With all these assumptions you might wonder why I was even headed here. Well, I’d heard from various sources that this was a wine shop worth checking out and since my oenophile friend was in town we added this to our unofficial PDX coffee and and wine shop tour. Looking back I was definitely RIGHT to do so.
To me the name «Liner & Elsen» evokes a classy law firmness about it. And while it is indeed classy without being stuffy, it’s not exactly a warm comforting space either. I of course am biased toward more earthy artsy neighborhoody shops, but I’ve no doubt more hard core enthusiast will find the space exhilarating.
The staff struck me as quite knowledgeable, friendly, professional, and extremely helpful. Never for a moment did I feel the kind of uneasiness that I feel in a Needless Markup (Neiman Marcus) or even Nordstrom. No tingling spidey senses blaring warnings of snobbery. Instead I found the discussions engaging, my questions quickly answered, and even some values shared that I would have otherwise overlooked.
Of course what really shines about L & E is the selection offered here. From $ 11 Château De Brague bargain Bordeaux to $ 1000+ Château Lafite Rothschild 2005 Pauillac they carry it. 1989 Riesling. Beautifully aged Barolo. Mandatory Oregon Pinot. It was glorious (save my serious lack of disposable income). It’s noteworthy that prices here are actually less than what I’ve found elsewhere around town.
So come one, come all. Be you a purveyor, a connoisseur, an afficionado, or just a wine nOOb. Great selection. Great staff.
You know, other than my preconceived notions there’s not a whole lot WRONG with this place, in fact there’s quite a bit RIGHT.
replacements for at least a thousand words, probably more:

L & E is a fantastic shop with top drawer wines at prices lower than other shops. The Saturday tastings are a great way for people to meet and experience a range of wines. Their staff is most expert at food wine pairings — have a meal your planning, let them know and they will guide you to the perfect complimentary wine!
Their ability to find hard to find and special wines is unparalleled!
A true gem of Portland!!!

This place is so amazing, I think its worth an ode…
Liner & Elsen, oh how I love thee,
Your fabulous tastings, all of which are free
Your wine selection reaches far and wide
And your expertise you are happy to provide
What makes you our favorite wine store in town
is your prices on wine are the best around.
Oh Liner and Elsen, how I love thee,
Now I’m off to enjoy my favorite glass of Chablis