New Portland Rising: How Entrepreneurs of Color Are Turning Crisis Into Opportunity

"Founded by Bertony Faustin, the son of Haitian immigrants, the winery opened a hip-hop–themed downtown tasting room on Southwest Morrison Street called Crick PDX that sought to make wine more accessible; Faustin poured a sparkling Pinot Gris called Shining and guided visitors through a “five-track playlist” of wines while they nibbled on Caribbean-inspired snacks like fried plantains. “For six months, we were the only tenant,” he said, recalling the emptiness around the space during the protests. That downtown tasting room has since closed, but its pioneering spirit continues at the OG Crick headquarters in North Plains, and Faustin said, “Operating downtown was an opportunity I never thought I’d have,” adding that he is now looking to open a permanent tasting room near the gleaming Ritz-Carlton. “A lot of positive things have happened in Portland to weigh against the gloom and doom,” he said." - Tony Perrottet Tony Perrottet Tony Perrottet is a historian and journalist based in New York City. He contributes to Smithsonian Magazine, The New York Times, and WSJ. Magazine, and is the author of six books. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines