With a snip of the ceremonial scissors, Hillsboro Mayor Steve Callaway cut a ribbon this week to declare Skywater Fine Wines “officially open for business.” The new wine shop offers Hillsboro area wine lovers a place to enjoy wine, snacks and community.
Skywater Fine Wines is the brainchild of Neil Thompson, formerly of Park Avenue Fine Wines in Portland. When Thompson and his partners closed Park Avenue earlier this year, Hans Ramos, Thompson’s husband, suggested a move to Hillsboro. “We loved the friendly people and the small town feel, and we thought Hillsboro would be a nice place to settle down,” Thompson said.
It was also an opportunity to co-brand a business name. As Park Avenue was closing, Ramos was preparing to open his Skywater Tea House in the old Tea’s Me space in Hillsboro.
The word “skywater” was initially coined by Kevin Geller, a former associate of Thompson’s at Liner & Elsen Wine Merchants in Portland. Geller claims that compared to Midwest downpours, Portland merely gets a bit of skywater.
Skywater Fine Wines is located at Fourth and Main in Historic Downtown Hillsboro, just a block from the MAX Blue Line’s Hillsboro Transit Center stop. The downtown blocks surrounding Skywater are filled with gastropubs, restaurants and the Carts on Main pod.
The nearby food options align nicely with Skywater’s “adults only” lounge. The space off the retail wine shop is filled with comfy sofas, chairs and tables where customers can relax in the lounge area with a glass of wine and in-house packaged snacks. People can also bring in food from outside sources as long as they serve them with wines purchased from Skywater. “We want people to feel at home, like this is their neighborhood living room,” Thompson said.
The retail area’s enormous windows provide plenty of natural light and a panoramic view of the activities on Main Street. The first time I visited Skywater, I sat at one of their outdoor tables to watch local artists fill the street with chalk art. Thompson said, “There’s always something cool going on out there.”
In addition to wines from around the world, Skywater also offers a wide variety of non-alcoholic beverages and pantry items running the range from hot sauces and Duke’s mayonnaise to gluten-free Wasa crispbreads and Better Made potato chips. Be warned: the grass-fed beef sticks they sell are particularly addictive.
For those looking to take full advantage of all that Skywater offers, Thompson offers three levels of club membership that include discounts, free tastings, priority seating for wine classes and personal wine lockers. Annual membership fees range from $600-$2,400. Consult Skywater’s website for details on each membership level’s services.
Since their unofficial opening in June, the local community’s response to Skywater has been wildly positive, with foot traffic increasing daily. Justine Jackson, for example, drives from Forest Grove to take advantage of Skywater’s extensive Old World selections. “Neil’s picks are always perfect,” Jackson said.
Skywater fills a rather large Hillsboro wine void left when Mike Plunkett closed his legendary Renaissance Premium Wines & Cigars store in the summer of 2019.
“I’m seeing lots of Mike’s former customers, and they are really enthusiastic about having Skywater here,” Thompson said.
Mayor Callan was also enthusiastic, telling the store’s grand opening crowd that “this unique store will certainly improve our quality of life.”
11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Skywater Fine Wines, 384 E. Main St, Hillsboro, skywaterwines.com or (971) 397-1392.
— Michael Alberty writes about wine for The Oregonian/OregonLive. He can be reached at malberty0@gmail.com. To read more of his coverage, go to oregonlive.com/wine.
