Via Tinto, a Wine Bar, Has Opened in Troutdale

The front of Via Tinto in Troutdale. — Photo credit: Via Tinto.

Via Tinto, a new wine bar, opened their doors earlier this month in downtown Troutdale. Previously this space was home to Grateful Coffee and Flowers, a coffee + plant shop. Via Tinto offers wine, beer, mocktails, nibbles, with the option for guests to bring local dishes in with them from nearby restaurants—all while providing a welcoming and warm atmosphere .

Getting Clued In to Via Tinto

A Bridgetown Bites reader reached out to me in late November with the following message: “There’s a new wine bar in Troutdale. It’s a well designed space and some sweet folks run it. They have n/a options too. It’s close to my work so I’m excited to have something new in that neighborhood.”

And then I realized a colleague had mentioned them back in late October as “coming soon.” So I reached out to owner Olivia Monti to learn more about Via Tinto.

Via Tinto: What’s in a Name?

The phrase “via tinto” means, essentially, “way of the red wine.” “Via is “the way” and “tinto” can refer to red wine. I used to drink something called “Tinto de Verano,” which is red wine with Limonata—it’s very nice, and especially refreshing during the summer.

Olivia’s Via Tinto is described as “a cozy wine bar offering a curated selection of wines, craft beers, and seasonal bites in a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere.” They soft opened on Saturday, November 22 and officially opened on Friday, December 5. Via Tinto is 21+ only.

Olivia Monti

Olivia is a native Oregonian and a proud Troutdale booster.

Choosing Troutdale

Olivia has lived in downtown Troutdale for the past nine years. Before that, she lived in a variety of places not too terribly far away—the Bull Run area and Portland, to name just a couple. So why did she find herself in Troutdale? “At the time, it’s all I could afford,” she said. “But I looked at [Troutdale] and thought, ‘This is actually exactly where I want to be.’ We have all these walking trails, I am walking distance to the river—and I have my dog.”

She continued, “I just saw the potential with the town and what’s happening there.”

Boosting Troutdale

Olivia says it’s changed a lot since she arrived. Some of those changes are the arrival of Wayfinder Beer that opened in 2024. There was a second beer space that was going to be at Second and Kibling, but that seems to have lost steam. There are a number of restaurants and food carts, and plenty of ways to appreciate Troutdale.

“We have a walking trail along the Sandy River that’s all paved and beautiful, and I believe they’re going to have a playground and more parking.” she said. “We have different community events, as well. We have a wonderful First Friday celebration that is June through September, where they close the street down and there’s shuttle buses that can help get people around. We have music in the park every Tuesday in the summer, and a great Windy Wonderland Christmas festival.” As the “Gateway to the Gorge,” it tends to be windy in Troutdale.

Olivia’s Founding Ideas Behind Via Tinto

She founded Via Tinto from a love of the values of community and hospitality, and with an enthusiasm for events and celebrating the Historic Downtown Troutdale.

Her time in hospitality over the years involves corporate event planning for the past decade, managing a brewery, as well as time learning the ins and outs of the restaurant industry. She studied Hospitality and Tourism at Mount Hood Community College, and spent some time in Mexico.

She’d been wanting to open her own place in Troutdale for a long time. She knew she could add something valuable to her community. That, mixed with her love of food, drink, and hospitality, was the engine behind her efforts to establish Via Tinto in the town she loves.

And she is the sole owner of Via Tinto. “This is my first project that I’ve built and designed by myself from the ground up,” she said. “So now I’m hooked!” She could see herself doing other projects, too.

She is dedicated to bringing a place where community and connection thrive, creating a place where everyone feels welcome.

The Via Tinto Space

As the sole person behind this project, she had the final say on all the many decisions you have to make to open a business like a wine bar.

She painted the walls and sourced all the furniture. “I have some old church pews in there that are benches, which are really neat,” she explained. “Some of the furniture—like the chairs—are old school chairs from … I don’t know what era, but we cleaned those up. So there’s some fun old furniture.” They also discovered the original floors that were hiding under vinyl hardwood, so those have been revealed. The building was built in 1997.

While they have mostly tables and chairs right now—and some softer chairs in the front window—she is looking to bring in some additional upholstered pieces. She wants to have more of a lounge feel, especially in the back where they’ll have live music going on.

The Via Tinto Location

I wondered what it was about this location that drew her to it. “Well, it’s funny because when I was drafting up—or dreaming, I guess—my ideas behind the scenes, I thought, ‘Well, I can plan this all day long, but I need a space.'” she explained. “I needed to find out what the space would be, and the rent, and whatnot.”

She continued, “I’m a runner and I would run through downtown Troutdale, and I thought, if this space ever became available, that would be a really nice spot. And sure enough, one day in the summer, I’m running by, and there’s a “for lease” sign in the window. And I was I like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me!'”

She called the number and chatted with the landlord for a long time, and a few subsequent times. As it turns out, there was a little bit of a bidding war with some other people. But Olivia was in luck.

“Eventually she said, ‘You know what? Everything you’ve got going on sounds like it’s exactly what Troutdale needs.'” Olivia said. And so, it was hers. It needed a lot of work, but she had a vision for what it could be.

Why Wine?

This location did formerly operate as a coffee shop, so she could have continued with that model. I wanted to know why wine instead of something else, like coffee.

“For me, living out here, growing up out here, the number one thing after work or for date night is I just want a good glass of wine and a really pretty glass,” she explained. “And you can’t find it anywhere, believe it or not. And so as Troutdale has grown up and now we have a brewery and SugarPine and this and that, I thought, ”Why don’t I just create the space where you get a really good glass of wine?'”

She added, “I’m not a sommelier— I’m not even a wine expert! I’m just an enthusiast with a hospitality background and an idea.”

She did her research and figured out the model, which she believes is beautiful in its simplicity: wine, beer, NA drinks, and light snacks. And you can bring in food from other establishments.

What You’ll Find at Via Tinto

Wine, Beer, and More

Along with a welcoming vibe, a big focus is on wine. Olivia brings her enthusiasm and her own knowledge of wine to her work. Their wine selection includes whites, reds, rosés, and sparkling, everywhere from the Willamette Valley to France, to New Zealand. They do not limit their offerings to any one part of the world.

And you can have the wine by the bottle or the glass; they do not do flights. The wine list is constantly rotating to keep things fresh and an opportunity to try new wines. And you can bring in your own bottle—they charge a $50 corkage fee.

They also have a couple of beer choices (canned beer but you can get it served in a frosty glass) and it’s nice to see some NA options—a few mocktails, NA sparkling wine, and some mineral water. She noted that Dry January is coming up, so she’s happy to be able to offer NA beverages then, and throughout the year.

“Our NA options don’t feel like mediocre or that you’re an afterthought,” said Olivia. “The mocktails are gorgeous! We use crushed ice and serve them in a big wine glass with a garnish. They look beautiful, they taste beautiful. It doesn’t feel like you’re just getting something cheap.”

To Eat

They have what they call “nibbles” there on the regular: snacky things like nuts, olives, and chips. Beyond that, there’s charcuterie boxes, but for that you need to order ahead of time—24 hours notice is required. Boujee Boards NW (Troutdale-based) provides them on limited days.

The more flexible option is to order takeout from nearby restaurants and bring it with you to Via Tinto, something they encourage. You can also order pizza through Lolo’s Boss Pizza after 4pm and they will deliver it to the wine bar—delivery fee waived. They’re about a block or two from Via Tinto, so it’s convenient.

Other places to consider takeout from are Bandits Bar & Grill, Ristorante Di Pompello, Rivertrails Cafe (Celebrate Me Home), Siam Sushi, Sugarpine Drive-In, The Highlands Food Carts, Troutdale Soda Bar, Troutdale Burrito Shop, and Ye Old Pub, all located in Troutdale.

Aside From the Food

They’ll have live music, a schedule which they are currently putting together. Other activities they’d like to arrange are tasting dinners, parties, and other gatherings (including private parties, which they can accommodate). They also have a retail section with greeting cards, gift bags, wine-related dog toys and gifts, and Via Tinto merchandise.

Retail wine and other products. — Photo credit: Via Tinto.

Positive Feedback

“The positive feedback has been absolutely wonderful!” Olivia exclaimed. “What I really like about us is that it’s a space forever everyone—it’s not super girly in one way or another, there’s no televisions anywhere.” That said, you can come in and watch the game on your phone with your headphones on. And it’s a place where people can come and do a little work, and then hang out.

“I’ve had women come and read their books,” said Olivia. “And so really a lot of the feedback has been that they feel really safe here, and that people feel like it’s a spot for all of them to hang out, no matter what its for, whether it’s a date night or just getting away. And that also drives a lot of communication and intimacy with people because there are no televisions, no distractions.”

One of the ways she encourages connection is that at each of the tables she has a display of little questions—fun, “get to know you” questions like “What’s the craziest thing we’ve ever done together?” or “What’s your favorite family recipe?” That sort of thing.

“I’ll see couples over there laughing,” she said. “One guy came over and had a little tear in his eye, and he said, ‘God, your questions just really got me!’ He and his girlfriend were sitting there going over questions, and I just love it when I’m behind the counter and I overhear a little conversation or see people getting a little extra cozy together.”

“Or even girlfriends, laughing and telling stories because these questions are just driving these conversations with people. And I feel like that’s something we’ve really missed out on. Who would have thought loaded questions and no TVs really does the trick?

“Another compliment that I love is this woman goes, ‘Never in my 20 years of being married. have I ever received a text message from my husband that says, ‘Hey, do you want to have your parents watch the kids and let’s go to the wine bar tonight?'”