Life By The Drop

April 08, 2010

The Good Drop Wine Shoppe in Downtown Bend, OR Story by Bunny Thompson - photography by Phillip Wise - centraloregonmagazine.com

If you’re starting a fine wine collection or having a special dinner event and would like to serve a wine that will be remembered and appreciated by your guests, then head downtown to the Good Drop Wine Shoppe on Minnesota Avenue, next to Kitchen Complements. Owner Chris Oatman is a vintage and rare-wine specialist. Whether you’re a wine aficionado or a novice, he is dedicated to helping you find the perfect wine for any occasion.

Oatman has collected, sold and shipped fine wines through his Web site since early 2009. Now many of those wines are available at his downtown store. Oatman designed the wine shop to be intimate and appealing to locals and visitors. Polished wood floors, a metal ceiling and racks of wine stacked throughout the shop make the small space feel cozy and inviting.

“I have room for only a limited number of bottles, so all of them have to be ones I can stand by,” Oatman says. “I’m here every day and I’m able to personally help each client select a bottle of wine.” Good Drop Wine Shoppe offers a wellrounded and diverse selection of wines. Vintage, rare and hard-to-find wines are right next to everyday wines at affordable prices. Many of Oatman’s selections are from Pacific Northwest vineyards of the Willamette, Yakima and Columbia Valleys. You’ll also find wines from Walla Walla, Washington—“an exciting wine region,” Oatman says, as well as many excellent wines from California’s Napa and Sonoma Valleys. International wines are well represented, with selections from France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

“I’m also known for my bubbles,” Oatman says. “I love champagnes and sparkling wines, not just for New Year’s, but paired with everything from appetizers to desserts. Champagnes and sparkling wines are wonderfully delicate. They cleanse and satisfy the palate at the same time and offer a refreshing alternative.”

For those fresh spring vegetables bursting with flavor, Oatman recommends L’Ecole Nº 41 Semillon, a medium-bodied white wine with nice round edges. This Walla Walla wine is an award winner, with richness and complexity that will enhance a spring meal. “I have some wonderful new releases of Oregon Pinot Noir and some great white wines that will surprise you,” Oatman says. “We have wine tastings every Friday and Saturday night from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.” CO