Moully's Will Join Carnelian Coffee With Wine

A matchbook design for Moully's, a wine bar opening in the Foster-Powell neighborhood in Portland. Designed by Lindsey Walker. — Image credit: Moully’s. Designed by Lindsey Walker

Last week I had a chance to speak with Sarah Dubrule about her new project called Moully’s. It will be a kind of a weekly wine pop-up at the new location of Carnelian Coffee in SE Portland’s Foster-Powell neighborhood. Moully’s will offer wines by the glass and bottle, as well as nibbles, and a chance for neighbors to have a local spot where they can have a glass and relax.

Moully’s, What?

So what is a “Moully” and why use this name? “I have two cats, Banjo and Moully,” explained Sarah about the business name’s origin. “And I remember it sounded a little French, and with the possessive … you’re going to my cat’s house? I thought it would be funny.”

Sarah lives in Foster-Powell herself. She loves her neighborhood and the area in general. But, she said, when it came to wine, “I kept leaving the neighborhood.” Eventually she thought, “Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a little spot to pick up a bottle of wine or a drink?”

So she has stepped up to fill this void. Sure, you can get wine in this neighborhood (Bread and Roses, Street Disco), but those places are more structured; Moully’s will be a casual spot.

Sarah’s Background

Sarah admits she is more of a maven than a sommelier when it comes to wine. She began her wine journey as an undergrad, spent some time in Italy, and took wine pairing classes in her 20s. “I have no extensive training in wine pairings—I take wine seriously, but not that serious. I want to share and talk about wine, and have fun with it.”

“It’s a hobby and a passion,” she says. “I’ve met a lot of friends in the wine world, spent a lot of time with people in the industry, done tastings with them. Everything in my life kind of centers around wine.”

She plans to offer a rotating glass pour of one-to-two whites, reds, and bubbles. She’s also choosing not to focus on a specific kind of wine (say, natural wines). Also, if you like what you’ve been served, she’ll have the full bottle for purchase—basically a “try before you buy” setup.

As I mentioned earlier, as far as food goes there will be snacky thing (snack mix, chips) but not much more than that. Wine is the focus.

Sourcing is important, and her distributors are PDX Wines and Prufrock—she has done tastings with them to get a feel of their work. Her opening wine list is pretty much dialed in right now; she is especially excited about stocking the bubbly Milliard d’Etoiles.

I asked if she is going to offer any NA wines, and was told that was a no (I totally understand—non-alcoholic/dealcoholized wines still have a long way to go), but she plans to have some NA beverages available—premade drinks like Gia’s Lime and Salt (a “non-alcoholic apéritif”), and one or two additional options down the line.

The Carnelian Coffee Connection

I asked her about her connection to Carnelian Coffee, too. She’s a regular there and knows the owners, who have become personal friends. “The live in the neighborhood, too,” she explained. “I first met them by going in the the shop all the time. I like their aesthetic.” She brought up the idea of a wine program at the coffee shop and they said, “Oh, you could do a pop-up!”

As for Carnelian itself, the space is substantially bigger than they had up the street—four times the size of their previous location. And they have a full kitchen now. There’s also a gated patio area.

Moully’s: Looking Forward

I also wanted to know what she is looking forward to most with Moully’s. “Just meeting more people who are curious about wine, or already like wine or want to talk about it,” she said. “It’s a streamlined way to meet people with like minds.” She expects first and foremost for her customers to be locals, and a way to make new connections and expand her network of wine-loving adults. Basically, to have a good time, have fun, and enjoy wine.

“I don’t need Moully’s to pay my bills,” she says. But, she does want it to pay for itself. She works as a white collar professional in her day job.

Moully’s will open their doors on Friday, August 23 and also be open Saturday, August 24, from 6pm to 9pm, right there in the Cornelian Coffee space. They’ll be pouring wine on Fridays and Saturday evenings after that.

Here’s the start of a sweet pop-up wine spot!

Moully’s [opening August 23, 2024]
7950 SE Foster Road, Portland
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Updated August 22, 2024.