Train of Thought

By Ron Scott At The Stazione (Italian for station), the sound of nearby trains forces its way into the room. Boisterous horn blasts abruptly interrupt casual chit-chat, prompting awkward chuckles from guests. The noise momentarily disrupts the spell cast by sunlight, slow-turning vinyl records and glasses of Gorge-grown wine in The Stazione’s old-world industrial Southeast Portland wine bar. For Graham Markel, founder and winemaker of Buona Notte Wines, the disturbance is so unavoidably foundational to the concept that he baked it into the name. “I’ve been dealing with it for a year and a half now,” explains Markel. “Every time one goes by, it’s a little annoying, but also part of the charm. That’s the reason we call this The Stazione.” The Stazione, which opened in April, is the new urban outlet for Buona Notte, Markel’s Portland-based winery built around Italian varietals and a deep affection for the fruit and terroir of the Colum

by Hilary Berg · source ↗