Urban Crush Toasts Portland’s Newbie Elites

Portland is a city that loves to drink, and loves to drink local. When you talk about the Yelp Elites, that sentiment goes double! That’s why Urban Crush is such a perfect venue for Yelp Portland’s Newbie Elite Events: all of their wines are made in-house! Sourced from some of Oregon and Washington’s best grapes, these wines are as local as you can get. What happens when you mix Yelp’s most active locals mixed with Urban Crush’s fantastic wine and signature hospitality? The perfect party!

As soon as guests walked through the door, they embarked on an epic progressive wine tour. In the tasting room, Yelpers sampled white wines with Laureen O’Brien, owner of both Urban Crush and one of the three in-house wineries, Angel Vine. The next stop was the production floor, where winemaker Ed Fus led tours. Meanwhile, Ed and Laureen’s daughter Alex poured sips of rosé! Finally, everybody made their way upstairs to the lofted lounge, where red wine was on the menu. It was here that Ed and Laureen declared their love for big, bold reds. It’s a love that led the two to produce Washington zinfandel right in the heart of Pinot Noir territory. Once the guests sampled the various zinfandel offerings, everybody agreed that the gamble had paid off handsomely!

And just as Ed and Laureen craft wines to perfectly suit their tastes, Yelpers learned that Urban Crush helps guests to do the same. Ed shared how the professional winemakers at Urban Crush guide groups in creating their very own wines! Through tasting exercises and blending experiments, guests create custom bottles which can even be replicated by the case! Before he was even done talking, Yelpers began to plan their next bridal shower, team-building event or date night!

By the end of the night, Yelpers had discovered a great local business and made a whole group of new Yelp Elite friends. Want to learn more about Newbie Elite Events at Urban Crush? Check out the photo gallery and read the Elite’s own reviews!

About our Sponsor:

Since 2015, Urban Crush has been home to a group of small, family-owned wineries that share a production facility, tasting room, and wine lounge. Grapes sourced from some of the Pacific Northwest’s most acclaimed vineyards are transported to Portland’s Inner Southeast, where traditional techniques combine with state-of-the-art equipment to craft award-winning wines. Visit their website for winery info, and see to what the locals say, check them out on Yelp!