Friday night was a busy night, with a glass of wine and food at three different wine bars/restaurants: Bar Avignon, the brand new Metrovino in the Pearl, then Bar Mingo for the finale.
Bar Avignon
The first sentence of Bar Avignon’s poetic Mission Statement sums up our experience: “We like cheap red wine that tastes good”, followed by “a perfect piece of cheese on perfect bread”. We enjoyed both, the cheese a Vache Fermier and the bread from Little T’s. Two of the three wines were spectacular in taste and value. The 2007 Dona Paula Estate Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina was complex, smoky, and simply “good”, perfect with cheese and prosciutto. The Lucien Albrecht Cremant was fresh and lively end to the nibbles. GREAT Q.P.R. for a sparkling wine.
Overall, the experience was enjoyable, with attentive and knowledgable servers (who turned down the cold air conditioning upon request). Bar Avignon is bright and friendly, worth traveling across the river for a glass of wine and appetizers.
Metrovino
Our next stop was at the two day old Metrovino, located in old D.F. space by the Tanner Springs Park in the Pearl. We were surprised to see a practically full bar area, with mostly older “Pearlites”. There were TONS of staff hovering over patrons, and the bar itself reminded us of an upscale hotel bar, due to the new “corporate” feeling.
Options included purchasing a taste or a glass or bottle of a number of high end wines (they list over 80 wines by the glass, possible by the enomatic system). We ordered a glass of sparkling wine for $11, and were surprised by the paucity of the pour. Our appetizer was raclette, featuring a tiny amount of raclette cheese (which is supposed to be the main part of the dish) stuck to the bottom of the pan, with two pieces of potato, four little cornichons, and three slices of salami for $10.
Overall, we were not impressed with the quality of the wines or food, especially for the high prices.
After leaving Metro Vino, we ventured in to Wine Unwind (also in the Pearl), and had a free tasting of a southern french Languedoc wine. It is a very friendly, cozy space, which usually features live music on Friday evenings. The friendly employee of the shop that offered us the free taste also informed us of the geographical location of the Languedoc. It is near Sweden! Who knew??
Bar Mingo
While not a wine bar, Bar Mingo offers an extensive wine list by the glass (both Italian and American), with some frickin’ awesome appetizers. We ordered the “3 for $21″ appetizer special, and greedily consumed the goat cheese with spicy tomoto sauce, asparagus with a chopped boiled egg and pickled onions, and my favorite, the crespelle, a handmade crepe filled with salami and ricotta, topped with fruity tomato sauce. The Italian wine by Renato Ratti, a 2007 Barbera d’Alba was one of our favorites and was perfect with the tomato sauces (note: let decant for one hour plus on this wine). We always feel comfortable eating and drinking at the bar, and it’s one of our favorite establishments in all of Portland.
Wines:
2007 Dona Paula Estate Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina
Very good wine for the price, surprisingly complex and smokey, perfect with charcuterie.
Retail price: $12-$15 (Available at Whole Foods, Wine Unwind, Vinopolis- $12 here)
NV Lucien Albrecht Cremant
Delicious, creamy sparkler worth every bit of the $20, with or without food.
Retail price: around $20, readily available around town
2007 Renato Ratti Barbera d’Alba
Perfect with anything tomato, make sure to breathe for on hour plus.
Retail price: $19, seen at Cork, City Market
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Great review. Can you post location for wine bars in the future? Languedoc near Sweeden? hmm, maybe Switzerland?
You guys should go back to MetroVino again. I’ve been there 3 times in the last month researching a write-up for Northwest Palate, and I’ve had 3 incredible dining experiences. Maybe they were still working out the kinks when you went. Now it’s great! Andrea
Never been to Bar Avignon due to their policy of not allowing patrons to bring in their own wine. Having a number of friends with extensive cellars this is a non-starter for us. I really don’t see the harm in getting $15 corkage for no cost to the restaurant, but obviously they don’t want the money or patronage.