Our Vancouver Waterfront Wine and Food Guide is for everyone who wants to explore the best of this lovely Portland neighbor, that keeps growing and becoming more beautiful every day.
Vancouver Waterfront quickly became a hot destination in the Portland-Vancouver metro. Thanks to the rejuvenation and development project of the former industrial port area on the Columbia River in Vancouver, Washington, the area transformed into modern and beautiful oases that attract visitors from both sides of the river.
Some even think it may steal most Portland visitors. The downtown Portland area feels abandoned and is still recovering from lockdowns and riots of 2020-2021 and the ongoing homeless camps problem.
As locals, we prefer the modern look and party vibe of the Vancouver Waterfront anytime. We explored wine tasting rooms, bars, and restaurants, and here are some of our impressions and recommendations.
Vancouver Waterfront Tasting Rooms
Half a dozen tasting rooms are right along the waterfront promenade, and you can spend all day tasting wine and enjoying the views of the Columbia River and F-16 jets taking off from PDX airport.
There’s a good mix of well-recognized wineries, including Maryhill, Pepper Bridge, Amavi Cellars, and lesser-known wineries on the waterfront.
Speaking of the jets, one of the wineries is Airfield Estates, based out of Yakima Valley, Washington. The winery got its name from the airbase converted into Airport Ranch in 1946. While they’ve been growing and selling grapes to other wineries since the 1970s, Airfield Estate Winery was founded in 2005 when they started producing wines from their grapes themselves.
There were a couple of less prominent Washington wineries that sparked our interest.
Barnard Griffin Tasting Room
Barnard Griffin of Barnard Griffin winery has been making wines since 1983. The tasting room offers a wide range of wines, from refreshing Spanish white wines to full-bodied Bordeaux-like blends that may satisfy many tastes.
From the nine wines flight, we favored 2019 Albarino (Spanish grape) because of its apricot and lemon candy character and 2019 Roussane (Southern France grape) for pear-luscious aroma and flavor and refreshing pineapple aftertaste.
Brian Carter Tasting Room
Brian Carter Winery focuses primarily on the art of blending, and you can taste the same classic as well as innovative blends at their tasting room. The highlights of the flight were the aromatic 2018 Oriana white blend of Viognier, Roussane, and Riesling with creamy and oily-like texture and flavors of Golden Delicious apple, nectarine, apricot, and a touch of saltiness.
Another impressive wine was 2020 Abracadabra Rose, a Sangiovese-based blend with a cherry and red apple profile.
On the red side, 2015 Solesce Bordeaux Cabernet dominated blend, while atypical, nevertheless interesting with cherry and briny notes defining both nose and the palate.
Brian Carter also has a fully-functioning kitchen, and you can have both wine and dinner here. Yet, we found that, at times, food aromas were interfering with our organoleptic analysis of the wine. But hey, not everyone is a wine geek like we are.
Amavi and Pepperbridge
Pepperbridge is considered their flagship label, which focuses more on Bordeaux varietals. Amavi, on the other hand, is inspired by southern French varietals and offers tremendous value. Check out our recent visit notes!
As wine swingers as we are, sometimes food rules the day, and we go to one of the Waterfront restaurants.
Waterfront Restaurants and Bars
There are a dozen restaurants on the Vancouver Waterfront, but two of them are among our favorites.
Dosalas Latin Kitchen has a New York City vibe to it. Dosalas is among the most modern and city-dwellers favored restaurants in the Portland-Vancouver metro. They offer something you won’t find anywhere south of Seattle or north of San Francisco.
As attractive as Dosalas is, we tend to gravitate toward Wild Fin. Their light bite menu speaks to us. Moreover, this is the place when we’re in the mood for classic cocktails. They make all the stops and don’t cheat on alcohol. Having lived in NYC for over a dozen years, we must say, most New York bars pale in comparison. Yeah, it’s that good!
Well, what are you waiting for? It’s time for a trip to Vancouver, Washington!
What are your fun food and wine experiences in Pacific Northwest? Any favorite restaurants and city wineries?
Follow us for more professional non-sponsored reviews of wineries, bars, and restaurants. We paid ourselves for drinks and food at the establishments mentioned above.