Eugene's wine scene

The World Athletics Championships Oregon22 picked the perfect location for their first U.S. visit: Hayward Field in Eugene. If you head to Eugene July 15-24 to enjoy the competition, these recommended wine spots can fulfill all your celebrating needs.

Territorial’s wine bar is home to excellent wines and live music. It’s located in the Whiteaker district, where Deadheads never age, bell laps still ring for Steve Prefontaine and laughter from the neighborhood hostel fills the night. Enjoy the time machine.

Best bet: Territorial’s 2017 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is one of the best in Oregon.

5 p.m.-close Wednesday-Saturday, Territorial Vineyards & Wine Bar, 907 W. Third Ave., Eugene, territorialvineyards.com or 541-684-9463.

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Iris Vineyards’ new wine bar is the best thing to hit Springfield since that 30-foot tall Ken Kesey mural. The new wine bar, located just three miles from Hayward Field, offers wine, wine-based cocktails, beer and small plates.

Best bet: 2020 Iris Vineyards Willamette Valley Pinot Gris.

11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, Iris Vineyards Wine Bar, 322 Main St, Springfield, irisvineyards.com or 541-242-6588.

New Zealand expat Ray Walsh and Jennifer Hilliard-Walsh transformed a historic theater building into a delightful wine bar, tasting room and urban winery. Trying Walsh’s Oregon and New Zealand wines in a side-by-side flight is a real treat.

Best bet: the nights when Capitello hosts DOP ‘s mobile pizzeria.

Noon-8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, noon-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Capitello Wines, 540 Charnelton St., Eugene, capitellowines.com or 541-520-3092.

Want to cure the summertime blues? Head to Oregon Wine L.A.B., home to William Rose Wines and the Da Nang Vietnamese Eatery food truck. The Oregon Wine L.A.B. also has local beers and wines from other small Oregon wineries to enjoy on their outdoor patio.

Best bet: William Rose’s “Prohibition” Rosé paired with grilled chicken on vermicelli rice noodles.

Noon-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Oregon Wine L.A.B., 488 Lincoln St, Eugene, oregonwinelab.com or 458-201-7413.

This bottle shop, winery, wine bar and restaurant combination is a fantastic base camp for any Eugene stay. Owner Craig Weicker plans to have Civic Winery open every day of the championships, so drop by for bottles, sips and nibbles.

Best bet: 2021 Civic Winery Amber. This gewürztraminer, riesling, pinot gris blend aged in amphora is fantastic with cured meats.

Check the winery website for hours; Civic Winery & Wines, 50 E. 11th Ave., Eugene, civicwinery.com or 541-636-2990.

With more than two decades of experience, Broadway Wine Merchants owner Angus James is the perfect person to help you select wines for your Eugene visit. Just be sure to leave time for a glass of wine on the bistro side of Broadway Wine Merchants.

Best bet: a glass of Ricochet Grüner Veltliner with the “Tall Girl” quiche.

10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, The Broadway Wine Merchants, 17 Oakway Center, Eugene, oregonwineandmore.com or 541-685-0790.

Bo’s Wine Depots are well known to savvy Eugene and Springfield wine buyers. Now they are adding a tasting room next door to their Edgewood Shopping Center location. This is a great opportunity to taste before you buy Oregon wine gems at great prices.

Best bet: Bo’s Tasting Room will serve a flight of 6-8 Oregon wines for a $5 tasting fee during the WAC. The fee will be refunded with a purchase.

Noon-6 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday, Bo’s Tasting Room, 360 E. 40th Ave., Eugene, bosdepot.com or info@bosdepot.

Scott Wiskur’s business card says “wine wrangler,” and that is no lie. I found Oregon wines I had never heard of before sitting on his shelves at Blackboard. This tiny shop’s “all killer, no filler” approach to inventory makes it a Eugene “must visit.”

Best bet: 2019 Noburg-Oregon Willamette Chardonnay.

9 a.m-7 p.m. daily, Blackboard in Provisions Market Hall, 296 E. Fifth Ave., Eugene, provisionsmarkethall.com or 541-743-0660.

With more than 500 different Oregon pinot noirs alone, be prepared to spend some time perusing Sundance’s fantastic inventory. Only a retail store of a certain age —Sundance sold its first wine in 1983 — can offer back vintages of wine like these Oregon wine wizards.

Best bet: Friday and Saturday wine tastings, 5-7 p.m.

10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, noon-7 p.m. Sunday-Monday, Sundance Wine Cellars, 2441 Hilyard St, Eugene, orwines.com or 541-687-9463.

Two words: champagne brunch. The Lion & Owl does brunch really well and their sparkling wine options are impressive. Lion & Owl shares the building with Civic Winery, so a Eugene wine “twofer” might be in order.

Best bet: check out the indoor Airstream trailer while sipping a Mellen Meyer Willamette Valley sparkling wine.

10 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday-Monday, 5-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Lion & Owl, 60 E. 11th Ave., Eugene, lionandowl.com or 541-606-0626.

The rustic French cooking offered at Bar Purlieu is matched by a great wine list and a very creative cocktail program. Bar Purlieu is the place that always gets mentioned when you quiz Eugene’s “wine insiders for their dining recommendations.

Best bet: cassoulet with a bottle of 2019 Division Wine Co. “Renardière” Gamay Noir.

4-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, Bar Purlieu, 1530 Willamette St., Eugene, barpurlieu.com or 458-201-7044.

-- Michael Alberty writes about wine for The Oregonian/OregonLive. He can be reached at malberty0@gmail.com. To read more of his coverage, go to oregonlive.com/wine.

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