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RhiAnnon, whose name she will tell you is pronounced like the Fleetwood Mac song (and Welsh goddess, by the way) & not the current popstar, says this is what happens when your hobby goes awry: you end up the bar manager at Portalis! She used to be in the medical field, but several years ago she got the wine bug, and started working in the tasting room at Isenhower Cellars and then at The Library in Woodinville (where she still works on her days off from Portalis), selling & educating buyers on Long Shadows Vintners, Den Hoed Wine Estates and Boudreaux Cellars. She has a long history of being a great server at busy local restaurants & bars. She’s gracious yet no-nonsense. She's friendly yet frank. She’s a great addition to the Portalis team, and we’re delighted to have her! 

Sky has been with us since 2005 and he may be the only tattooed, surfer-dude from Southern California who’s ever sold you a $100 bottle of Burgundy, but he does it regularly, so look out.  In all seriousness, Sky has many other personas (tax accountant, Barça tender, ultimate Frisbee maniac) but at Portalis, he’s a knowledgeable wine buff and excellent server who can get you to the wine you’re looking for as well as anybody.

Karli studied art history at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland where (just for the heck of it) she became a member of the St. Andrews Wine & Cheese Society wine tasting team, competing in blind tasting competitions (against the University of Edinburgh, Oxford & Cambridge), with scoring based on her ability to identify grape varietals, country of origin (including sub-districts) & the year the wine was produced.  So drop by with your wine questions and help her stay fit!

Travis has years of experience working in casual & fine dining. His knowledge of wine is vast, with favorite areas being Burgundy & Italian varietals. He's a marathoner, a fledgling screenwriter, and has the long-term goal of having his own restaurant one day, so keep on the look out for him!

How can you not hire a guy who reminisces in his interview about buying his first bottle of Albariño from Portalis back when we were in our original location (5310 Ballard Ave) almost 10 years ago?!  With a twinkle in his eye and fast with a grin, JJ will charm the heck out of you. He's funny (but not intrusive), has a lot of personal warmth, and wants to be darn sure you have a great time on your night out.

When we first opened, Gina and I were talking and she said, “We’re going to set the bar for wine in Seattle.”  And we do, so let us be your local wine merchant … your contact with the wine world.

We hope to see you soon & cheers!
Julie (pictured above with Jens)
Co-owner, Portalis Wines