Burgundy…Bordeaux…Napa…yada, yada, yada. These regions lead the global market in attention, publicity, and price, but the cost of these wines–however fabulous they may be–is also influenced by supply and demand. This class will focus on value-driven wines from the world’s most famous wine regions, because it is indeed possible to find great value if one knows what to look for. Please know that this is not a “Bargain Wines from Bargain Regions” class, which is an entirely different story: we’ll be pouring bangers!

purchase tickets here

Join us for an introduction to the basics of wine. All of us, at some point or another, have found ourselves boggled by retail shelves or restaurant menus. Between regions, varietals, styles, and jargon, approaching wine can seem impossibly daunting. This class is geared toward those who love wine, but find themselves a little (or maybe more than a little!) lost.

We’re going to cover the most essential concepts surrounding wine production and how to read a wine label. With these skills, you’ll be equipped with the right set of tools and questions to tackle the world of wine.

purchase tickets here

Take your Champagne knowledge to the next level with this in-depth master class, taught by our very own Tanya Zumach, WSET3, Italian Wine Scholar, and most pertinently, Master of Champagne. As we taste through six outrageous wines, we’ll explore the diverse regions, cult grower-producers, and grand marques that define the world of Champagne. Dive into the nuanced roles of oak and reserve wines in crafting exceptional cuvées, and experience a live sabering demo! Whether you’re a seasoned enthusiast or a budding connoisseur, this class will refine your palate and deepen your appreciation for the complexity and artistry behind every bottle. 

Tanya’s been rocking the wine world for over twelve years, with gigs at Archetyp Alpine Wines, Argyle, Ambonnay Champagne Bar, and of course, Ora et Labora. She’s got some serious street cred too—she’s WSET Level 3 certified, aced the tough-as-nails Master of Champagne program, and is a recently-minted Italian Wine Scholar. Tanya’s wine obsession started back in her San Francisco days and really grew when she made the leap to Oregon nearly 25 years ago. She’s all about those bubbles (Champagne is her jam) and has a soft spot for Oregon Pinot Noirs. Before diving headfirst into the wine industry, Tanya spent years in brand strategy and marketing at top agencies and for social purpose organizations. When she’s not pouring wine, she’s probably cooking up something delicious, throwing a party, or getting down to some live funk and brass bands—especially when she’s hanging out in her favorite city, New Orleans.

purchase tickets here, $60

If you’ve come to appreciate how wine can elevate a meal, but want to understand how wine and food interact–in both desirable and undesirable ways–then this is the class for you. As we taste through our flight, we’ll be investigating how these wines interact with various food components (salt, fat, acid, and heat, as it were). We’ll empower you with the resources to ask the right questions of wine stewards and sommeliers when you’re looking for the perfect bottle or glass to accompany your meal.

purchase tickets here, $25

Featuring twenty bottles from five women and men who make wine from land that they farm. Engage some of Oregon’s rising stars, whose wines span a variety of styles and appellations, from those you’re well-acquainted with to those you’ve never heard of (really).

Also, Chef Sid Armand will offer a selection of delicious French-slash-Algerian-slash-Mediterranean food to accompany your tastings!

To read about the event, the winemakers, and to purchase tickets, click here!

The Rhône river flows through the south of France before emptying into the Mediterranean. The Romans carved out steep terraces in the hillsides lining the northern Rhône Valley, where Syrah, Marsanne, and Roussanne have their home. As the river moves southward, the steep hills become rolling plains, and the diversity of grapes explodes. While Châteauneuf-du-Pape is perhaps the most famous of the southern Rhône’s appellations, there exists a remarkable swathe of appellations throughout these Mediterranean plains. Join us as we explore the many styles and grapes of this storied region, running the gamut of daily drinkers to collectible bottles.

purchase tickets here, $45

Enjoy a cozy evening of conversation and carefully-curated wines, all while supporting Oregon Humanities' Give!Guide fundraising campaign. We are delighted to partner with our friends Ora et Labora Wine Shop to gather neighbors and supporters to the Vinum Lounge for a special Giving Tuesday event where 30% of all wine pours at the event will be donated back to Oregon Humanities. We also have a few extra incentives in store! 

This free event is open to the public and for all types of wine (and non-wine) drinkers. Invite a friend (or more) and help support our statewide work of strengthening relationships and building trust.

Questions? Contact Julia Martinez Soto at j.soto@oregonhumanities.org.

Kick off Thanksgiving weekend with an exploration of Champagne, wherein we’ll focus on the diversity of how the main grapes express themselves, and how different vinification styles impact the final bottle. As we geek out on the history and production methods of Champagne, we’ll taste through a remarkable series of wines from several different producers: Éric Rodez, Christophe Mignon, Louis Roederer, and A. Margarine. Our primary goal is to help you understand your preferences regarding this very complex style of wine, and be able to articulate those preferences better!

Tanya’s been rocking the wine world for over twelve years, with gigs at Archetyp Alpine Wines, Argyle, Ambonnay Champagne Bar, and of course, Ora et Labora. She’s got some serious street cred too—she’s WSET Level 3 certified, aced the tough-as-nails Master of Champagne program, and is a recently-minted Italian Wine Scholar. Tanya’s wine obsession started back in her San Francisco days and really grew when she made the leap to Oregon nearly 25 years ago. She’s all about those bubbles (Champagne is her jam) and has a soft spot for Oregon Pinot Noirs. Before diving headfirst into the wine industry, Tanya spent years in brand strategy and marketing at top agencies and for social purpose organizations. When she’s not pouring wine, she’s probably cooking up something delicious, throwing a party, or getting down to some live funk and brass bands—especially when she’s hanging out in her favorite city, New Orleans.

purchase tickets here, $50

Burgundy is certainly one of the most sought-after wine regions in the world, and its influence on the global wine scene is unparalleled. Ancient Romans and not-so-ancient monks shaped Burgundy’s history of winemaking, and nearly all the appellations in Burgundy result from monastic culture’s meticulous scholarship and study of vineyards. Given Burgundy’s storied history, it is a rather difficult place to understand, and Burgundian labels are notoriously befuddling. We’ll be discussing this history, cracking the code of Burgundy’s highly confusing appellations, and pouring a killer flight of Pinots and Chardonnays, including Premiers and Grands Crus.

purchase tickets here, $50

Our quarterly magic show has officially become a thing, with every single show having sold out! We’re delighted to host returning magicians as well as a new headliner for an evening of wonder and joy. You’ll enjoy walkaround and close-up magic in the bar for an hour and a half before heading into the Vinum Lounge for a seated show of parlor magic.

Click here to learn about the magicians, and to purchase tickets!

Kenny and Allison McMahon were among the first independent winemakers that we had in the shop, and we’ve been delighted to watch their little label explode with critical acclaim over the past couple of years. Come taste through a flight of their wines, from classic Chardonnay and Pinot to some of the best traditional method sparkling wine made in Oregon (the two have their doctorates in wine, after all).

Here’s some information about Arabilis, in their words:

Our name, ‘Arabilis’ (a-RAB-uh-lis), meaning arable or farmable land, embodies our close partnership with farmers and our aspiration to own a vineyard someday. Based in the Eola-Amity Hills in the Willamette Valley, we are a husband-wife team with two PhDs in wine, combining scientific expertise with meticulous vineyard sourcing to craft acclaimed Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and traditional method sparkling wines. Each sip of our wines embodies our journey of dedication, love, and relentless hustle.

purchase tickets here, $10

Your ticket purchase will be credited toward a purchase of two Arabilis bottles.

From the hospital bedside to the streets, caring for each other’s spirits is a necessary part of transforming our world. Together, we’ll explore how the work of creating social change can be informed by the practices of chaplaincy, drawing on Rev. Abigail’s experiences as a healthcare chaplain and in social justice movements. 

Rev. Abigail Clauhs is a Unitarian Universalist community minister who works as a healthcare chaplain here in Portland, providing spiritual care with a particular focus on palliative and end-of-life care. A Board Certified Chaplain who earned her M.Div. in Interfaith Chaplaincy from Claremont School of Theology, Rev. Abigail is deeply invested in the intersections of spiritual care and social justice work, from creating The Protest Chaplain's Handbook to ongoing organizing commitments. She's all about the good news of interdependence--from galaxies, to mycelium, to me and you--and the fierce love that liberation asks of us. She'll also happily nerd out with you about quantum physics, the lives of trees, and (as someone born and raised in the South) the beauty of "y'all" as a gender neutral plural pronoun.

RSVP here, FREE

If you have a foundational understanding of how wine comes into existence, and a grasp of the most essential concepts that surround wine, then it’s time to dive into wine tasting. Wine can (and should!) be mysterious, but we’re going to provide you with a firm foundation to understand—and thereby better enjoy—the wines you drink.

Before exploring the various areas of aroma and flavor profiles, we’ll talk about the key structural elements that compose a glass: sweetness, alcohol, acidity, and tannin. Alongside a little bit of science and a dose of psychology, we’ll provide tips and tricks to navigate the choreography and mechanics of tasting.

purchase tickets here, $25

Although many Willamette Valley vineyards have soils defined by ancient volcanic eruptions, some of the world’s greatest wines come from volcanically-influenced soils. From Mount Etna in Sicily to the Canary Islands off the Spanish coast to Campanian vineyards next to Mount Vesuvius, volcanic terroir results in wines that undeniably speak to their sense of somewhereness. Many of these vineyards are remarkably challenging to farm, and tend to overdeliver quality for their price points. Explore a swathe of volcanic wines from Oregon and all over Europe!

purchase tickets here, $35

Sam Parra and Adrian Cornejo (Parra Wine Co. and Nueva Aventura, respectively) were among the first independent winemakers we met when we opened Ora et Labora three years ago. We’re delighted to have these fellows back, as they’re making some highly unusual and delicious wines. Meet the winemakers, try out their wines, and take home bottles!

Your ticket will be credited toward a purchase of two bottles from the tasting.

purchase tickets here, $10

Christianity tends to radically mess things up, largely due to misinterpreting and weaponizing the Hebrew Bible. Thanks to the influence of individualism and capitalism, and the allegiance of institutional Christianity and forces of empire, many have forgotten that biblical literature originated from a people who were politically, culturally, socially, economically, and religiously oppressed. We’ll begin by surveying the historical origins of the Hebrew Bible before examining the creation mythology of Genesis, which will serve as our example of a tragically weaponized text: these literatures actively rebel against Babylonian and other ancient Near Eastern mythologies, directly arising from the authors' experience as an enslaved and oppressed people. Understanding the historical contexts in which biblical literatures were written unlocks their meanings, and helps us to interpret them for purposes of personal and social liberation, rather than weaponization and demonization.

These will be the driving questions for the talk: Why is it that the story of the seven days is the only ancient Near Eastern mythology that asserts the threefold goodness of God, the goodness of the created order, and the goodness of humanity? How does this myth actively rebel against the Babylonian myth of creation? And with regard to the story of Adam and Eve, is this really a story about Original Sin, given that the word "sin" (Hebrew chattah) never occurs in the narrative? Is the serpent really evil, or is it an archetypal trickster? Is the exile from the garden really a punishment, or is it a gift that results from our simultaneous pursuit of immortality and knowledge of good and evil?

Dave Gregory failed at becoming a Jesuit priest because the vow of obedience was not for him, and spent over a decade teaching theology in unconventional Catholic schools before opening Ora et Labora. He double majored in philosophy and theology at Georgetown University, holds a master’s in biblical studies from the Claremont School of Theology (where he studied the prophetic and wisdom literatures of the Hebrew Bible), and in 2021 completed a doctorate in educational leadership at Portland State, where his dissertation research focused on how theology teachers in Catholic high schools rebel against standard models of religious education.

All profits from glass pours will benefit the Simone Weil and Dorothy Day Catholic Worker houses in Northeast Portland.

RSVP here, FREE

Saké is the ancient, traditional beverage of Japan. You could say Japan in a glass. How on earth does it start as grains of rice and transform into an elegant, versatile, refreshing, and palate quenching brew? And, what the heck is Junmai, Koji, Daiginjo? Also, how do I even begin understanding what's on the label and in the bottle? Maybe you only had hot saké and want to branch out or love wine but want to see what all the saké fuss is about. This class is great for those already into saké wanting to dive a little deeper and saké-curious, open-minded wine drinkers who know they love wine but are game for trying new things.

With mystical origins being made by monks, the saké available today is a very modern beverage yet still with ancient roots. Join us and guest educator, Cole Youngner (Certified Saké Advisor and WSET Saké 3 Certified) to demystify saké and see how Japan's unique fermented beverage truly is for everyone. With dashes of history, brewing and production process, and, the super good part, tasting, Cole will guide you through a sakê crash course. Learn what makes saké unique among fermented drinks, its similarities and differences to wine, and four key styles from the Sake Service Institute of Japan to get started on your saké journey.

purchase tickets here, $45

While backpacking in Argentina, Cristina Gonzales stopped in Mendoza for dinner. The grilled steak was delicious, but it was the glass of Malbec that grabbed her attention. 

That glass of Malbec stayed with Cristina, even after she returned home. Soon it called her away to work harvests around the globe, from Australia to California. She worked at the side of winemakers creating all manner of styles of wines, but she also bonded with the vineyard stewards who were raising and processing the grapes. Their expertise inspired her, and the shared language bonded them.

In 2010, almost ten years after that first fateful glass of Malbec, Gonzales Wine Company was born. Cristina began making wines that she herself loves to drink—aromatic whites, like Riesling and Gewürtztraminer, and bold reds, like Syrah and Petit Verdot. Her signature wine, made vintage after vintage, is of course Malbec.

Come meet Cristina, taste through her wines, and take home some of her bottles! Your $10 ticket is credited toward a purchase of two of her wines.

purchase tickets here, $10

Join us for an introduction to the basics of wine. All of us, at some point or another, have found ourselves boggled by retail shelves or restaurant menus. Between regions, varietals, styles, and jargon, approaching wine can seem impossibly daunting. This class is geared toward those who love wine, but find themselves a little (or maybe more than a little!) lost.

We’re going to cover the most essential concepts surrounding wine production and how to read a wine label. With these skills, you’ll be equipped with the right set of tools and questions to tackle the world of wine.

purchase tickets here, $25

Join former cellarmaster of over 30 years Pieter Ferreira as he pours through a slate of wines from one of the premier (if not THE premier) sparkling wine houses in South Africa.

reserve tickets here, FREE

Of the great wine regions, in France and beyond, perhaps none offers a more diverse array of world-class wines than does the Loire River Valley. Justly celebrated today for the dry white wines of Muscadet, Sancerre, and Saumur, the Loire has a long history of producing magnificent late-harvest sweet wines. Red wines run the gamut from rich Cabernet Franc and earthy Côt (Malbec) to silky Pinot Noir and peppery, translucent Pineau D’Aunis. And don’t forget the sparkling wines from Champagne look-alikes to funky Petillant Naturel (“pet-nat”) wines. In fact, your entire Thanksgiving feast could be accompanied beautifully by Loire wines. A celebrated tradition of winemaking combined with an exciting community of naturally-minded, farming-focused young vignerons makes the Loire one of today’s most dynamic growing regions. Taste the diversity, and value, it offers.

A native New Yorker, Oliver Longwell caught the wine bug in 2012 after a number of years working in government and politics. He has worked for leading wine retailers in New York and Los Angeles, with a particular focus on organically-farmed and natural wines. Oliver is a Certified Sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers and works as a freelance wine consultant. He enjoys experimenting with fermentations, especially ciders. He and his wife moved to Northeast Portland in 2021, welcomed their first daughter in 2022 and their second daughter in 2024.

purchase tickets here, $45

You may know the Magic Castle—that legendary, members-only club for magicians perched in a Victorian mansion above Hollywood. For performers, receiving an invitation to grace its stages is the ultimate dream. Two of our favorite local magicians, John and Craig (both veterans of our "Magic Uncorked" stage!), are on the cusp of making that a reality. They've applied to perform at this exclusive institution and need our help to make their submission videos truly magical.

That's where you come in! Be part of a live studio audience and help us film their sets. We're hosting two special "Magic Uncorked" shows on the 19th, and we're offering tickets at a remarkable price to make this dream a reality. You'll get a fantastic evening of magic and the thrill of being part of something truly special.

Please note that even though the performances are 100% clean, the 7pm show is open to all (families, kids, and adults) while the 9pm show is geared toward adults, and that the format differs from past “Magic Uncorked” shows: there will be two shows at 7pm and 9pm, each running for a bit over an hour, and there will be no close-up magic before these parlor shows.

purchase tickets here, $5

This talk is in large part an effort  to unravel the contradictions that knit organized religion (specifically Catholicism), substance use (specifically alcohol), and existence outside of cisheteropatriarchal structures (specifically in transexuality) together in an ever turning feud. More practically, these three things are where I find myself divided into pieces, even within their similarities: Wine  as the spiritual Drink of Christianity, Christianity as a religion of the Persecuted, transexuality as an almost-mystical departure from the comfort of Worldly acceptance, the Christian tradition of bodily pain and suffering being divinely given, and the Blood of Jesus appearing as wine-like and intoxicating. Despite this all, wine has all but lost its hallowed status and the most outspoken and violent tentacles of organized transphobia, secular or not, profess that they are offering service to God. I believe these points of conflict are temporary and not intrinsic, and that looking into the past and into the future gives us, if nothing else, hope in the Great Rhythms of history always beating towards mutual and profound Love. 

Beatrice is from rural Northern California where she grew up on a small organic farm tended to by her father Joseph. After moving to Portland at 17, she continued to spend much of her time around agriculture, specifically the abandoned homesteads and orchard remnants  that dot the outskirts of this city, foraging and preserving their bounty. Although simultaneously pursuing a career in science, the  political upheaval of the late teens and early twenties showed her that tangible and material sustenance - food and drink - were closer and more actionable paths to the freedom and enlightenment that she was pursuing in academia. Since then, she has devoted herself to wine in all ways she can, working for several harvests for Vivianne Kennedy at RAM Cellars, and in the past year working to start her own project, just a vessel. Beatrice mostly makes wine from the high desert of central Washington, a dramatic place where the holiness of land without water has been broken by human irrigation and monoculture. Currently, she is also working with those same not-quite-abandoned fruit trees that permeate Portland and its surroundings, trying to make wine within community and as far on the outskirts of capitalism as possible. In her free time she writes poetry and waits for God. 

reserve your seats here, FREE

Taste through a whopping 12 wines from all over Austria in celebration of Austrian wine week! Dana Frank of High Five Selections and Josh Segal of Prufrock will be pouring a bunch of wines that span a variety of varietals, regions, and styles.

Also, check out all the other events across the city. We’ll be doing a glass pour takeover (of different wines from the Schatzi portfolio) throughout the weekend, or as long as supplies last.

purchase tickets here, $15 in advance (pre-sale closes Friday, September 10th) and $20 at the door

Once upon a time, a Californian living in Oregon met a French fellow working abroad. The two fell in love, traveled around a bit, and decided to make wine together after getting married and settling down in the Willamette Valley. Erin and Laurent have over 20 years of combined experience, are the winemakers at Andante Vineyards, and launched “The Drunken Horses” several short years ago. The two craft remarkable Syrah and Riesling from wonderful vineyards in the Pacific Northwest.

Purchase tickets here, $10 (free for OEL club members)

If you’ve come to appreciate how wine can elevate a meal, but want to understand how wine and food interact–in both desirable and undesirable ways–then this is the class for you. As we taste through our flight, we’ll be investigating how these wines interact with various food components (salt, fat, acid, and heat, as it were). We’ll empower you with the resources to ask the right questions of wine stewards and sommeliers when you’re looking for the perfect bottle or glass to accompany your meal.

purchase tickets here, $25

Some words from Paul on this talk: “I recognize there are a lot of tools that we may use in this time, I am hoping this is one tool that you can use in your tool belt of resources when navigating your walk. This talk will focus on the tools of grounding yourself in core beliefs, listening deeply, recognizing our own triggers and how to think about healthy boundaries amongst other topics. I hope you're ready to reflect honestly and dive deeply into curiosity and wonder. Maybe you will learn something new about yourself or another as we all walk each other home in this life.”

Paul Griego, M.Div. has served for almost 15 years as a hospital and hospice chaplain, both in the pediatric and adult worlds, and brings a myriad of experiences to share and understand how very little he does know. Paul is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, and is a staunch advocate for the differently abled/disabled. An original Bay Area native, Paul found his way up to the pacific northwest to attend Linfield College before being called by the mountains to the Iliff School of Theology in Denver. From there, Paul served the Children’s Hospital in Colorado as the Chaplain for their Intensive Care Unit and Emergency Department. In August, Paul returned home to the PNW, and is enjoying getting reacquainted with his new community and all the delicious treats Portland has to offer.

Perhaps more than any other grape, Riesling might very well be the most misunderstood and the most underappreciated. While a couple of companies-that-shall-not-be-named destroyed Riesling’s reputation by pumping their wines full of sugar decades ago, this varietal’s various styles ranging from dry to sweet predate that catastrophic era by many centuries.

We’ll be surveying Riesling from Austria, Alsace, and of course Germany, with the hopes of exploding your minds with how awesome Riesling can be, even when it has a bit of residual sugar. As a specialty bottle shop that’s come to specialize in German wines, we have access to some of the rarest Rieslings around, which will foreground this class. There’s good reason why 99.9% of wine geeks and pros declare their favorite varietal to be Riesling (that’s probably hyperbole, but only barely so): let an exploration of these wines obliterate the lamentable zeitgeist that plagues Riesling!

purchase tickets here, $45

More info coming soon!

purchase tickets here, $45

If you have a foundational understanding of how wine comes into existence, and a grasp of the most essential concepts that surround wine, then it’s time to dive into wine tasting. Wine can (and should!) be mysterious, but we’re going to provide you with a firm foundation to understand—and thereby better enjoy—the wines you drink.

Before exploring the various areas of aroma and flavor profiles, we’ll talk about the key structural elements that compose a glass: sweetness, alcohol, acidity, and tannin. Alongside a little bit of science and a dose of psychology, we’ll provide tips and tricks to navigate the choreography and mechanics of tasting.

purchase tickets here, $25