Classes & EXPERIENCES
Drink to learn. Learn to drink.
calendar
Need a date night? A new hobby? Something to break the monotony of the work week? Join us for classes taught by Sarah, Dave, and industry friends. We’re dialing down the pretension and judgmentalism, and leaning into the fun of tasting wines and learning about how they came to be. You’ll find all our classes and events over the next few months, and we update this page regularly as we add things to the schedule!
FOUNDATIONS
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
Just for fun
-
While Champagne absorbs much of the Holiday glow at this festive time of year, we also want to shine a light on the dazzling array of sparkling wines made outside of the Motherland. All our selections will be made in the “traditional” or Champagne method, where the bubbles are created naturally in individual bottles. But then the differences in grape varieties, terroir, and winemaking styles will come into play. Some are crafted as an homage to Champagne, others are made with local grapes to be distinctly different. All will offer festive flavors, versatility in food pairings, and compelling quality for the price.
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 and welcomed their first daughter in 2022 and second daughter in 2024.
EUROPE
-
Take your Champagne knowledge to the next level with this in-depth Master Class, taught by our very own Tanya Zumach, WSET3 and Master of Champagne. As we taste through six premium 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.
Not Europe
SPECIAL TASTINGS & EVENTS
-
This year’s winter wine market is all about German, Austrian, Alpine, and Champenoise wines! We’ll be featuring the wines of four importers ( Vom Boden, High Five, Archetyp, and Prufrock), each of whom will be pouring samples of two premium wines for your enjoyment and holiday shopping.
Your $30 ticket includes samples of eight wines ranging the spectrum of whites to reds to real deal Champagnes and small bites from Cow Bell. In addition to the wines, local makers and artists (to be updated as we confirm) will be selling their work.
Club members will have access to the market at 4pm, and early access also includes a bonus sample from each importer!
-
We’ve survived two years, it’s a bloody miracle, and we’ve been looking forward to a proper celebration. Wine is the medium, and not the goal, and we want to rage with all of you who have helped OEL become what it is.
Your ticket gets you a welcome pour from large format Champagne bottles and burgers or grilled cheese from Lo’s Burgers (which might be the best burgers in the city) along with their waffle fries. We’ve sourced a few killer wines to pour by the glass to accompany burgers and French Fries, offered at deeply discounted prices: back-vintage old vine Zinfandel from Perkins-Harter, Burgundian Pinot Noir, and Champagne. Maybe more, we shall see.
Even more exciting, Faith and Evan Lei (the Ginger’s sister and her husband) are Nashville-based musicians, and they’ll be jamming out.
-
Dave is teaching WSET Level 1 at OEL!