Liner & Elsen Wine Merchants

A broad and very interesting selection of wines. There were a couple of items in their on-line inventory that specifically prompted us to seek out this shop during our recent visit to Portland and, upon arrival, they were out of stock. The staff were all parked behind a long, uninviting counter and had no interest in helping. When we did ask about the bottles we couldn't find it was obvious that they are wine-knowledgeable, but service averse.

My wife and I frequent this wine store and love it! All of the staff are knowledgeable and friendly. Their Saturday wine tastings are always worth it. They put together newsletter wines that are typically wonderful. Their prices are amazing. I would say they changed entirely how we buy wine. Very happy.

I've been buying wines from Bob and company for 10 years now. They have educated me more than anyone else in my life about wines. Prices are the best in town. Go in and tell them what you like and then sit back and enjoy. Go into learn! My happy place....go in and leave the ego at the door

Whether you know wines or not, Liner & Elsen is the store to go to. Every time I shop here, I learn more about wine. I’m always amazed at how they can remember so much about wine and all the producers. In the years I’ve been coming here I think I’ve worked with all the staff and each time they help me find something I will love. I have yet to get a bottle of anything I wouldn’t want again! They undoubtedly have a greater selection than any store I’ve been in, and to top it off better pricing! Come here for your wine, you won’t be disappointed!

A wide selection of quality wines and knowledgeable staff. I recycle my corks here and occasionally buy wine. Several years ago I had a $100 gift certificate and the staff was great in helping me with my selections. Parking in front (limited but better than nothing) and just a block off of NW 23rd.

The friendliness of the staff is mixed. If you don't go in frequently, the customer service is not particularly good. I find the manager, Bob, by far the least friendly and helpful of the staff. I have since found other wine stores that are more approachable, so no longer patronize L & E.

Great location, knowledgeable owners! 5 stars!

Passed an order a couple of weeks ago for 2 bottles on wines around 10h30 PM, then realized i've made a mistake on the bottles. I asked to cancel the order about 25 minutes after order confirmed. Took about a week to receive an answer. They refund me but took me 15% of my total bill for "restocking fees"... Would definitely not buy there again, no courtesy and no services all. Big f*Ç#!%G ZERO!

Their tastings are great (some complimentary) which really help us explore wines as we enjoy it but are novices with understanding all the types/differences. They've also had some wines I wasn't able to find elsewhere after trying it at a local restaurant. Staff is always friendly and very helpful with their knowledge.

Online shipping: extremely fast, accurate, no problems at all. Purchased a specialty bottle to be sent to New Mexico, good experience with them, even if shipping cost was almost as much as the bottle.

During covid times, you need to order via phone or online. I was strolling around Northwest on a cold day and read some of the signs on the windows describing featured wines. I went with an Italian red for $14.99. I called and they brought it out in under 2 minutes. Delicious wine and a good price. The gentleman that helped me was very friendly and answered my questions and offered to show me their vermouths. When i finish my bottle, I will definitely stop by again. Went with a red from Cosimo Taurino in Southern Italy. Cool name and elegant label. Ciao.

I'm speaking from the perspective of ordering wine and having it shipped. Please DO NOT use Liner & Elsen. They can only ship via UPS ground (mind blowing), meaning if you live somewhere warm - they have yet to figure out a way to a)Expedite or b) temperature control. They either send via UPS (6 days) or you can wait months for the temperature to drop before they ship. Sadly, my shipment of 12 year old bottles showed up in a torn box with the wine well over 90 degrees. Such a waste of a beautiful Pinot.

Over the past two years, I've made a conscious effort to visit and learn about each of the wine shops in Portland. Thus far, I'd have to say this place appears to be the most balanced shop in town. Unlike some other places which have a larger selection, L&E offers tastings and hosts events (which some competitors don't unfortunately and it should be noted, the selection here is still better than most in town, which I really appreciate). The staff is friendly (Sam was very helpful in making some recommendations for my wife and I today), website and newsletter easy to navigate and prices are reasonable, in comparison to other retailers. I expect to visit and purchase more from them in the future.

L&E is my favorite place to purchase wine. Bob is extremely knowledgeable and knows a good value.

I tracked down two bottles of hard to find Barbacan at Liner & Elsen, but I am on the other coast. I contacted the shop and arranged shipping, which became tricky because of a polar vortex and various winter storms. They promised to ship when safe. They were patient with my constant inquiries, didn't rush, and they watched the weather along the shipping route. When a 4 day window opened they promptly shipped my wine, which arrived in great condition. Liner and Elsen offer quality service, and I hope to visit when in Portland.

The place is big enough and decent selection, but I found the whole inventory set-up to be counter-intuitive (hard to self-find bottles). That is important when the place is either under-staffed or the customer service is on the lazy side. They are nice enough, but not very forthcoming with help, and not really on the ball unless you ask exact questions like "Do you have this exact bottle of wine." It's serviceable and fine enough, but I wouldn't come here to have a great wine shopping experience and i wouldn't trust them to give the most insightful tasting in town.

I ordered a bottle of aged Port from their website. The order was confirmed by L &E and a charge was processed on my credit card. Two days later they emailed to say the price of the wine had gone up by over $100, but they could let me have it for just $40 more. I said no, we had a confirmed deal two days earlier and would they please honor it? No dice, but they did apologize for the "inconvenience". I won't be doing any business with these people again.

I seldom admit to being wrong, but here were some of the assumptions I made about Liner & Elsen Wine Merchants: I thought it'd be stuffy and elitist. WRONG. I thought I wouldn't be able to afford anything. WRONG. I thought it'd be a small specialty shop with a limited selection. WRONG. (ever notice how weird the word WRONG looks and sounds?) With all these assumptions you might wonder why I was even headed here. Well, I'd heard from various sources that this was a wine shop worth checking out and since my oenophile friend was in town we added this to our unofficial PDX coffee and and wine shop tour. Looking back I was definitely RIGHT to do so. To me the name "Liner & Elsen" evokes a classy law firmness about it. And while it is indeed classy without being stuffy, it's not exactly a warm comforting space either. I of course am biased toward more earthy artsy neighborhoody shops, but I've no doubt more hard core enthusiast will find the space exhilarating. The staff struck me as quite knowledgeable, friendly, professional, and extremely helpful. Never for a moment did I feel the kind of uneasiness that I feel in a Needless Markup (Neiman Marcus) or even Nordstrom. No tingling spidey senses blaring warnings of snobbery. Instead I found the discussions engaging, my questions quickly answered, and even some values shared that I would have otherwise overlooked. Of course what really shines about L & E is the selection offered here. From $11 Chateau De Brague bargain Bordeaux to $1000+ Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2005 Pauillac they carry it. 1989 Riesling. Beautifully aged Barolo. Mandatory Oregon Pinot. It was glorious (save my serious lack of disposable income). It's noteworthy that prices here are actually less than what I've found elsewhere around town. So come one, come all. Be you a purveyor, a connoisseur, an afficionado, or just a wine nOOb. Great selection. Great staff. You know, other than my preconceived notions there's not a whole lot WRONG with this place, in fact there's quite a bit RIGHT. replacements for at least a thousand words, probably more: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/XBUN3bgePZwuYT8P8M1J-g?select=eXrDDlOJrP2HoED9tzpCpQ

Had a tasting menu from Le Pigeon and found a few of the delicious wines we had the pleasure of tasting at the restaurant through an online search at this store. Should have ordered online :( The customer service in the store was non existent. Everyone seemed too busy drinking wine to bother with us. The aisles are confusing to navigate solo if looking for a specific bottle. After asking a few times was able to get someone to begrudgingly help us out. Find your wine elsewhere...

I like to support local business and have been to this store several times for its interesting selection, location, and knowledgeable staff. My wife had previously had a bad service experience in this store but I had always found the staff helpful. I came looking for a certain European premium wine producer with which I am very familiar and have enjoyed many times, both here and at the producer's winery. They didn't have it in stock but were able to order a small shipment for me and I made it up to a case with a few other nice bottles..... service great up to now. First bottle didn't taste right at all (had it with turkey at thanksgiving dinner and my wife and I both rejected the first glass) so I phoned them and they told me to bring it in for a refund or for something different. I was worried about the other bottles and not sure if this was a one off. Friendly guy in the store tried the wine, agreed it was "not showing very well" suggested I open another and if its the same bring them all in for something else. Second bottle tasted pretty much the same so I brought them all back to the store. Store manager (or owner Im not sure which) who sold me the original bottles and clearly shared my enthusiasm for the wine then proceeded to tell me that the bottles were all "perfect", that I was mistaken, that I could keep the wine for another 10 years (it was already 12 years old) and that he had lost all his profit on the transaction. He then proceeded to humiliate me in the store as he polled opinions from his colleagues on the wine, furthering the implication that I didn't have a clue and it was simply my lack of wine education and palate that was the problem. I was going to exchange the wine but decided to get a full refund - they refused the refund on the second opened bottle. He might have considered the fact that I had enjoyed the wine many times in the past and perhaps had some basic knowledge of what to expect from this producer and variety. It might have been more prudent to recognize the potential future gain from my continued custom rather than leaving me feeling patronized, vowing never to return, and writing this review.

We typically think of Liner & Elsen when we're looking for great German Rieslings (in particular Kabinett from Mosel), which are more difficult to find even at some of Portland's other top notch wine sellers that we love to do business with. We're always able to find German gems at Liner & Elsen and they are our 'go to" store for those wines. . Nice people, although there have been occasions where we felt as if we were the "poor relations" stopping by the family barbecue. Still, Liner & Elsen is a shop we like and in particular we like this Quimby location much better for easy access than the previous store site.

This place is so amazing, I think its worth an ode... Liner & Elsen, oh how I love thee, Your fabulous tastings, all of which are free Your wine selection reaches far and wide And your expertise you are happy to provide What makes you our favorite wine store in town is your prices on wine are the best around. Oh Liner and Elsen, how I love thee, Now I'm off to enjoy my favorite glass of Chablis

Liner and Elsen posts case discounts on its website. The discounts are clear and unambiguous. "Mixed cases -- 10% off retail price. Full cases -- Same as mixed cases, plus an additional 5% off retail price." This adds up to 15% off retail for a straight case of wine. BUT not in practice. L&E has been scamming customers a buck or two at the counter by miscalculating the discount. When spotted, L&E first argued: it's only a couple of bucks, you can't be all that upset can you? Then, it's not intentional, and then, by misrepresenting their own published discount policy. As if that's not bad enough, I just rechecked their website (at 3:30 PM on July 8, 2021)-- after my last exchange of emails with them-- and lo and behold, they had revised the discount policy on the website to cover their tracks. I have been a customer for many years and think they have a fine collection. But I'll never again do business with this store and I suggest that you read the fine print with these guys or suffer the consequences.

Amazing selection with an incredibly knowledgeable staff. They can procure the most amazing bottles without hesitation. Honestly, there is no point in going elsewhere. It would simply be a waste of time. :)

The only wine store that gets my money in PDX. Champagne, Burgundy, Riesling and Gruner.

Interesting Wine Shop. Great reputation. Knowledgeable staff with very particular palates. Initially may seem intimidating inside, but use their knowledge to learn! They host weekly tasting for no charge. Take advantage to learn about wines worldwide. A lot of mail order business across the country. High dollar to very affordable-great shelf talkers to give you a bit of help, too.

L & E is a fantastic shop with top drawer wines at prices lower than other shops. The Saturday tastings are a great way for people to meet and experience a range of wines. Their staff is most expert at food wine pairings - have a meal your planning, let them know and they will guide you to the perfect complimentary wine! Their ability to find hard to find and special wines is unparalleled! A true gem of Portland!!!

I'm a complete rookie at the wine game but I really enjoy it. I found this shop about 5+ years ago thanks to a friend. Their new (larger) location is fantastic. I find 4 of the 4 employees really know their stuff - like REALLY know their stuff - probably better than any bottle shop or distributor I have ever partronized. The only reason I don't give them a 5 star is because of a few very minor reasons: a) only 3 out of the 4 people there are truly genuine, non-snobish people who will truly help you and look out for your best interests and not treat you like a rookie; b) lack of "modern" conveniences like an email list (until just recently that is), lack of e-commerce or at least a way to automate the process of ordering, and c) every now and then their prices seem high, but every now and then they are really low as compared to other sources so it is a little inconsistent, but I blame the industry more than them for this. In summary, regardless if it is your first bottle or 10,000th this really is the place to go in Portland.

Out of the thousands of bottles of wine they have on the shelves the one they recommended had gone bad. You know sometimes shit happens. I used to manage a tasting room, occasionally someone would bring back a bottle and we would make it right. Not these guys. I might of felt better of this business if my $34.00 was refunded, I might even have gone back. But I guess a purchase of 2 bottles is peanuts to these guys. Don't bother walking in, they don't make you feel welcome. I was surprised to see so many bottles stored upright too. By the way the wine was a McKinlay Estate 2012 Pinot Noir. I should let them know the Liner & Elsen are not representing or standing by their product.

Liner & Elsen is the place to go when you're looking for a special bottle that is meant to be the talking piece of the evening, or when you're looking for some bottles to squirrel away in the cellar for a mind-altering experience in about 5-10 years. I realize most people aren't looking to sit on a bottle of wine that long, but Liner & Elsen is just the place to go to learn why good things come to those who wait. Their selection of french wine is particularly impressive. One whole floor to ceiling wall of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire, Rhone, and others... Plus a great selection of boutique Champagne. In addition there's a healthy selection of German, Italian, S. American, Spanish, Portuguese, etc etc... Their domestic selection is a bit limited, but that's OK - plenty of other wine shops do that. It's nice to have one in town with such a wide selection of old world wines. The last thing to say about Liner, is that they have the absolute BEST wine tastings in town. Every 1st and 3rd Friday they open up 7 bottles of wine. It's not cheap to taste, but you will be getting a world-class wine experience. The bottle prices on what you get to taste usually span from $30-$100+ You might get a chance to taste a 30 year old German Riesling or some Grand Cru Burgundy or a First Growth Bordeaux. Pretty awesome.

Great wine shop. Great selection. Wine prices are consistently lower at Liner and Elsen than at Zupan's Market or even Fred Meyer's. The people who work there are willing to allow you to browse on your own, or if you ask them for help, will work with you to help you find just what you might be looking for. Now that they know my tastes they often recommend a wine that I have not tried before. Their success rate on those suggestions is about 90%. Ordering wine that is not in stock usually takes a day.

Anybody who gives this shop less than 5 stars hasn't been to enough wine shops. Staff is friendly and very knowledgeable about their product. No matter who you ask, they have almost always tasted the wines on the shelf. Once you become a regular and they know your tastes they'll actually tell you what new wines you'll like. This place is the definition of a neighborhood wine shop. In addition to the expert assistance you'll get from the staff you will find an eclectic and interesting selection of wines. You want a great $15 Italian red?-- check. You want a $250 White Burgundy? -- check. Oh, and by the way, everything in between too. There's always a great monthly selection (newsletter picks) of wines in the front of the store in the 10-20 dollar range. I have to say though, the thing that keeps me coming back here is the ambience and the staff. You cannot go wrong here. I am so lucky that this shop is actually in my neighborhood.

My wife and I went to enjoy your brunello di Montalcino tasting. We love brunellos and were excited to taste what you had to offer. We tasted some great wines, but for $43/person our experience was not worth our time. Aside from knowing what elevation the vines are grown, we know nothing about the wines we tasted. The staff was too busy chatting with people they knew to share any information about the wines being tasted. Oh, did we mention we had to ask for our pours after paying our tasting fee? It was an awful, expensive experience. We will not be returning to Liner & Elsen to taste or buy.

I went in to find a nice bottle of German Riesling. What I got was a big attitude. I have been buying fine wines for 35 years in some of the finest wine shops up and down the West Coast. Never have I been treated so badly by an owner of a wine shop. Your shop is not that nice!. Customeer service is A1 in my book. Then, to top off my visit, a salesman came in to pour some wines and the pour guy left with his tail between his legs. It is one thing to not want to taste wines, but to treat a person so desrespectfully in front of customers is just wrong. The pour guy was probably just doing his job trying to put food on the table. Thank God there was another wine shop near by. I will never set foot again in that store and I will be sure to tell my associates of my experience.

Now this place is a find of a lifetime. Like finding a nugget of gold. I entered and was greeted by two nice gentlemen. I could not believe the selections in this store. They must have every brand of wine ever made in the world. AMAZING. You could stand in the middle of the store and make a 180 pivot and see every selection they have in the store. The shelves have eye level ease of viewing and tons of various wines to make a selection from. I was there for a business call, but left with the feeling that I absolutely need to bring everyone I know, who enjoy wine, to this store! I will be back and friends will be in tow.

I love Liner & Elsen! This place has a HUGE space with a crazy awesome wine selection. The staff really know what they're doing and can talk to you about any wine and are very knowledgable. I came in with a Pinterest board of wines I'd been snapping the last year and he helped me find all of them - and was able to order the ones they didn't have. He made great recommendations and when he identified my palette could have sold me the world. Loved it. They also do a free tasting almost every Saturday - so come in, have a sip, buy some wine and then walk around 23rd - best afternoon ever!

Great find while visiting Portland. These guys were friendly and had quality, hard to find wines at reasonable prices.

I stumbled upon their website while looking for an aperitivo called Cappelletti. I needed to know if it was a grain based spirit as I have celiac disease. I phoned them and I spoke to Bob and he went above and beyond to help me find out. He called either the rep or just someone in the biz who he said would know for sure what it was made with. He emailed me back within 30 minutes! Thank you Bob, I can't wait to visit the store in July when I plan to visit Portland.

Highly knowledgeable staff with a great selection of wines for all ranges of price point. They had one of my favorite Savennieres for a very reasonable $27, as well as delicious easy drinking Picpoul for $13. And when I asked about a Rochioli Chardonnay ($55) the gentleman working that day pointed me towards a Santa Cruz Chardonnay half that price the ended up being fantastic. A great spot to nerd out or just grab something for dinner.

Decent selection of Oregon pinots. Honestly haven't been impressed with any of the recommendations I've received, and no one ever comes out from behind the counter to inquire about my needs- only the obligatory "let us know if we can help you" when I enter. Probably because I come at lunch and only buy a bottle or two in passing- given the good reviews it seems they are treating some customers well; probably those buying by the case. I suggest they focus more on educating and recommending good wines, and less on moving product- as can be the only motivation behind what I have found to be subpar recommendations.

The greatest. You could stumble around with your eyes closed, grab an armful of bottles, and they'd all be good and less expensive than you'd think -- or that you'd pay elsewhere, even though it's a li'l independent shop. For example! A recent Cameron pinot gris was $4 less here than at Whole Foods, not even on sale. Plus the staff is unfailingly helpful, and the wine descriptions are beautifully written. If you're even remotely fond of wine, don't eff around; just go here.

I had some kick ass wine at A16 a while back and have been scouring wine shops for it. I couldn't even find it online. The kind gents at Liner and Elsen had it in their inventory and specially ordered it for me. Their service was friendly, quick, and they had great follow up. Totally recommend working with them to explore wines or find a bottle that's hard to get your hands on.

Have visited several times and have found some interesting wines each time. However, the customer service aspect is normally poor and sometimes non-existent. I took some friends in last week from the east coast and not only were we NOT greeted, but the staff was actually surly..as tho they couldn't be bothered. We bought a bottle of the one wine we were looking for, and quickly departed instead of doing more. Part of being a successful business is growth of customer base...the attitude towards 'non-regulars' is quite obnoxious. It makes a huge difference if someone enjoys a visit or feels appreciated. There are many other wine shops around. Time to brush up on normal courtesy and retail attitudes if they want to be a go to place. Sheesh -- how we still miss Harris Wine Cellars.

Stumbled across this shop while checking out the neighborhood. Great place for wine. Prices are good and the staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. Went on a Sat. afternoon and they were offering free tastings of several wines mentioned in their monthly newsletter. Delic! The only thing I thought a bit odd was their NW selection is not as wide as I would have expected it to be, considering the space they have. If you're into French wines and bubbly, you'll be in HEAVEN! They also carry Palmina wines, one of my favs from Cali- but just their whites (due to price-point or something.) I'll be back!

Great wine selection. However they could really work on their friendly costumer service.... Perhaps we needed to look over 45 for someone to be nice and recognize we actually really do love wine?

I purchased a case of wine on preorder. When I got to the store to pick the wine up, they said my case had been broken in shipment, so they offered to give me my money back. Sitting in plain view was another case of the same wine. I asked them about that case, but they said it was for someone else. Really? The real reason was that they did not want to honer the old, prepaid price. They could sell the wine for more after arrival. I asked them to take me off of their mailing list. I still get the mailer every month. Straight into the recycle. Very high on my terrible customer service of all time list.

I had read about the place in the WSJ and we checked it out for a Friday evening Woodward Canyon tasting yesterday. The tasting was underwhelming. After paying $35 each for a flight of five wines, we were given our gasses with the wine in them. There was minimal information about the wines--a WA or WS tasting note would've been greatly appreciated. Buy on the bread and sell on the cheese..it would've been nice to have some bread or crackers to cleanse the palate. Overall, quite a disappointing experience. The wine selection in the store was quite nice, however.

i had got an invite from an italian sommelier used to live in gig harbor so i was looking for qualities wines to bring with me. i found the best ones here after a long tour in pdx. the prices were fair compared with italy. i could not find franciacorta classic method sparkling wine and barriques grappa, but is practically impossible in pdx.

Great selection of wine but bad customer service - i just bought wine and then asked if they have any wine tastings. The salesperson said that they are already closed despite the fact that other customers are tasting wine as he spoke... Is it really "closed" when I was able to enter the store and purchase one anyway? I smell discrimation

I came into the store on a rainy day, excited to check out the selection of Oregon wines. It's a beautiful shop in the Pearl District. Despite the decor, no one offered assistance. It was truly the rudest staff I've ever met. This place has an attitude -- the wrong kind. I will never set foot there again and will let my friend who recommended it how poorly I was treated.