GORGE LOCAL – IN BUSINESS

Porrón Cellars makes wine accessible, educational, social

By Laurel Brown
Columbia Gorge News

HOOD RIVER — The gray days of the Gorge are officially here, but many new social rooms have opened over the last year to keep locals entertained and engaged with the town. One such place is Porrón Cellars on Second Street in Hood River.
Porrón is a wine bar and tasting room that opened Memorial Day 2023 by Owner Danielle Mounts. A porrón is also a type of communal vessel used for pouring wine into a glass or someone’s mouth. Sharing this social tradition from Spain and offering fun times by way of wine is what Mounts is all about.
“I love my wine accessories … In a more civilized manner, [a porrón] can be a wine decanter,” she said. After fostering her passion for wine over the years, Mounts is excited for her new chapter at Porrón, down to the details like naming the space for her good memories and love of wine.

Porrón Cellars

Originally from a small town in Illinois, Mounts considers Chicago home but has lived all over the world. For a period she resided in Europe for a career unrelated to wine; however, her love for it grew and she found herself exploring the regions through food and wine tastings.

Porrón Cellars

Mounts began working in hospitality in 2001 in Chicago, quickly rising to management and growing her passion as beverage director at the W Hotel. “I finally made my leap to the Northwest in 2008, with every intention of finding my place in wine,” she said.
She spent six years at La Bottega in Vancouver, Wash., enjoying the variety of her job, from managing to serving to hosting tastings. The chef there was an inspiration to her, which is when she remembers getting serious about wines.
They would sample international wines at work and Mounts began keeping journals and educating herself on winemaking processes and regions. She knew she had to take it further, so she decided to spend time in wine distribution and trained as a sommelier through the Court of Masters, all the while searching for a vineyard to call home.
“I always thought I would end up in the Willamette Valley, me being the Pinot Noir lover that I am, but I discovered the whole world of Columbia Valley wines,” Mounts said. “Washington State was so much more than just the beloved pinot noir. I actually foundmerlots I love!”
Mounts found a position at Cascade Cliffs Vineyard and Winery managing their tasting room and eventually became direct sales manager. She spent eight years there, learning about winery operations and nuances of the grapes and vineyards of the Gorge. “The smell of fresh barrels and harvest, I think I will have dreams of [the Cascade Cliffs vineyard] for as long as I live, it is that breathtaking,” she said.

Porrón Cellars

In addition to the beauty of the landscape, the Gorge offers a community-building aspect to Mounts’ understanding of wine. It is a common denominator that brings people together despite demographics or differences and is a huge influence in the international wine industry. “There’s something here for everybody,” Mounts said.
When she first dreamed of opening her own place, Mounts envisioned something like her local watering hole in Chicago called The 3 Arts Club. “It had an underground atmosphere, music, local artist displays, and a stellar wine list. I remember wishing I could have a place like that someday,” she said.
Fast forward to the day Mounts met local photographer Blaine Franger at Mylan Winery in Hood River and learned of his sharable gallery space. Of course, Porrón Cellars was born of this interaction and now The Blaine & Bethany Art Gallery splits space with Mounts’ business.
Franger prints most of his images on metal, giving the cellar a shiny, backlit atmosphere. The landscapes and nature scenes are often stunning, yet familiar views of the Columbia River that invite guests to more deeply appreciate the land and cultivation of their wine. “It’s like having windows to the Gorge,” Mounts said of the photos.

With ever-changing options, Porrón offers wine by the glass and occasional special events featuring guest pours from different regions or food spreads to pair. “Supporting small producers is very important to me, so I always feature them by the glass,” Mounts shared. She listed producers such as Willow Wine Cellars, ClyzmWines, Timothy Malone and Landmass.
“It’s a joy that my friend’s wines have become my best sellers. There are so many small producers that are finding their voice through wine, and I am always excited to be able to offer them here at Porrón Cellars.”
Select wines have become staples for returning patrons and bestsellers are often kept in stock or offered in curated club packages. The Diamond Club, for example, features all bubbles like champagnes and sparkling wines. She also offers holiday seasonals like ports and Madeira, which make for great winter sippers.
Mounts said that while her goal is to travel through wine and experience different cultures, she simply loves to see people having a good time. “I want people to feel comfortable with wine, not intimated by it. It is after all fermented grape juice.”
Each week at Porrón features a different wine experience with a new theme and region. This education effort is highly rewarding for Mounts and contributes to the gallery-speakeasy feel of the space. “The blackboard changes every week, different region, different map, different wines, different history, and different story. It’s wonderful to see so many wine lovers expanding their knowledge and palates,” she said.
She plans to continue her work of wine accessibility for locals too with her latest project creating a wine storage speakeasy on the opposite wall of Porrón. Once a coal room used to heat the entire building, Mounts plans to turn the space into underground wine lockers that people can rent for their personal collections. Storage would be offered at cellar temperatures and include a self-serve bar and lounge area.
For those interested in trying wines or exchanging notes with Danielle Mounts, Porrón is open Thursday through Monday from 1- 8 or 9 p.m. Mounts is also starting wine education nights with blind tastings for industry workers the first Monday of every month beginning in January.