Portland Wine Shop Recommendations?

[BernieBrewer]

My extended family will be renting a house in Midcoat Maine this fall, driving up from Boston, with a swing through Portland on the way up. We plan to cook most of our dinners at the house, and plan to come with a menu planned in advance.

Any suggestions for a wine shop in Portland that could help us pair wines with our dinner menus?

Thanks!

[BernieBrewer]

Thanks everybody! We'll be staying near Harpswell, so the reco in Bath is quite helpful. Was mostly looking at Portland because I know we'll be passing through, and will likely be loading up on provisions in that area. But it's definitely good to know of a lot of options.

[Shooley]

Have a great time...

[ejohnson]

If you are really looking for wine pairings, then your best would be Old Port Wine Merchants. The owner is exceptionally knowledgable and would love to help out with pairings

[HDinCentralME]

I won't assume that you were assuming that you would find wine shops that could accomodate your request only in the "big city" of Portland, but I will mention Now You're Cookin in Bath and McKean & Charles in Waldoboro as worthy stops on the Route One path.

[cfrolio]

I love Old Port Wine Merchants on Commercial St (#223). They have a great selection of wine and a very friendly and knowledgeable staff.

[bobbert]

If you're looking for the absolute widest selection coupled with a knowledgeable staff, try Browne Trading Company www.brownetrading.com on Commercial St. They also have a great selection of cheeses, smoked and fresh fish as well as what's said to be a tremendous variety of caviar (I'm not a huge caviar fan). They supply some of the finest restaurants around.

[mainemal]

For great selection of interesting wines, bargains you won't find elsewhere, fair prices, and knowledgeable service, particularly regarding pairing food and wine, look no further than the Rosemont Market location on Brighton Ave: http://www.rosemontmarket.com/wine.html. Joe Appel, their buyer, also writes a column in the Portland newspaper that's now syndicated. He's not always at the store, so you might want to contact him in advance to make sure he's there when you come through.