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February 2024 by Emmy C
Tue-Fri lunch time tea service is nice; a cozy/relaxing break mid-day to recharge.
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October 2023 by Katie Rhyne
Absolutely gorgeous wine lounge with so many cozy spots to hang out over glasses of wine. They host fun events throughout the year, or you can just stop in for wine and a snack. The interconnected bottle shop gives you so many options for something new to enjoy, or they have a rotating menu of glass pours. Great for dates, girls’ nights, friend meetups, you name it!
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October 2023 by Gunnar Heidar
Very knowledgeable owner and the atmosphere inside is very nice! Excellent variety of wines, highly recommend!
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August 2023 by Tyler C.
The best wine lounge in town! So sheik and classy. Fairly priced and very helpful staff/owners. Highly suggest this place - it's grape!
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July 2023 by Hash S.
The Tualatin Valley tourism bureau loves to tout its wines. It'll send you down various country paths in Western Washington County to tasting rooms where they'll discuss the terrier, the value of the volcanic, wind-blown soil and the character of the pinot noir grapes that have given the area its reputation.If you're lucky, they'll waive the tasting fees if you buy a bottle.But should you expect a vast, curated collection of these wines at a shop in the region's largest city? Absolutely not. Here's a hint about Willamette Valley vintners (and basically any others): Even the ones who bring in their artist friends for the labels, dress like hippies and still play the Dead in the tasting room want to make as much off of their vintages as possible. That means they're either only selling out of the winery or limiting their distribution.This makes it incredibly difficult to run a functional wine shop in this area unless you're willing to do the legwork or make contacts that will bring bottles to you. Neil and Skywater have found a third way.Tracing his history back to Park Avenue Wines in Downtown Portland, Neil manages to keep a host of local offerings on hand and will guide customers through them when time allows. There are training-wheels vintages from local cellars like Resolu (which don't actually grow any grapes or own any vines of their own), and there are wholesale takeovers by neighboring vineyards like Dion. There are bottles than can break a $20 and there are reserves that are considerable investments.But there's also a far more considerable import business, which does a Jersey boy's heart good. To see Portuguese, Italian and Eastern European wines again among Bordeaux, Alsace, Rhone Valley and Malbec varietals was a bite of the Proustian madeline--transporting me to the wood-paneled, densely stocked wine shops of North Jersey's cultural gateway. Surrounding the wines with Italian sodas and mixers, European crackers and cookies, a fridge filled with Lambrusco and Sidre--all of it easily attainable--was a small bit of genius. But it didn't end there. There classes and tastings, dinners and wine-talks. Visits from California vintners, seminars, painting, live music. There are lockers for members and membership tiers that help subsidize the pricing seen on the floor. The lounge itself is a dark, cozy mix of Deco and Modern that echoes an Italian social club. and it feels completely foreign amid the barber shops, hobby stores, karate classes and half-block banks of Downtown Hillsboro.But it's hitting the place just as it's changing. People now have a drink at a tap takeover at Noble Hop before attending a Skywater event. Crowds that let out of Skywater attend performances at The Vault. I'm convinced that Skywater's "Surface Tension" subpar-Italian-restaurant-inspired wine-and-pizza nights prompted Pizzario to ditch the foodservice dough balls and start making its own crust.Neil's about to have a miniature city of affluent residents 55+ across from his shop. The Decadent/Collective block keeps hosting chefs and bolstering the menu. Both Chaat Wrap and Thai House have rebranded and reinvested. Chains like Top Burmese, Blue Ox, Sizzle Pie, Grand Central and Backwoods Brewing are coming. Last I checked, Syun Izakaya is still one of the best Japanese restaurants in the state.Neil timed Skywater's arrival just right and has given a long-dormant clientele reason to come downtown. This isn't the wine shop my family thought we'd find here at the top of the Willamette Valley, but it's one that these Jersey ex-pats didn't know we wanted or missed. We're now here an almost embarrassing amount, but make no apologies for it. I hope more people find their way in.
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April 2023 by Steven Taylor
The owner was excellent in multiple facets. Very hospitable, highly knowledgeable about all the product we brought up, and most importantly, clearly passionate about his business and people around him. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for some great wine selected by an expert.
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April 2023 by chlo bear
Very aesthetically pleasing inside, very welcoming, and everyone was very knowledgeable and was able to find me the perfect wine. Can’t wait to go back!
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November 2022 by wes talarek
Great wine selection. The owner is a wine expert and a nice person.
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August 2022 by Kristine P.
Neil, the ultimate wine guy. He's friendly, knowledgeable, he's decorated this space beautifully and offers an array of options to enjoy wine here. If you don't know anything about wine, go here he'll take care of you and if you know about wine well then, you probably already know and trust Neil's taste in wine. He's the best!
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July 2022 by Gary I.
If you're looking for a knowledgeable wine expert and a shop with great value-driven selections, look no further. Neil is very helpful and generous with his time and expertise. You won't be intimated. Bring your own food from some great nearby eateries.
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July 2022 by Sarah C.
Skywater celebrated their grand opening in July 2022! I am not in this area often but I've enjoyed owner Neil's previous work so I thought I'd check out their brand new shop. Located in downtown Hillsboro, this store has a lot going on:- The main shop offers bottles to go. The checkout counter doubles as a tasting bar, it's got large windows with lots of light, and of course rows upon rows of wine. Neil's a wine expert so if you're not sure what to get just ask. There's something here for every budget. - The lounge is a moodier, darker, more romantic space with velvet couches. Great for a wine date night!- They've got private wine lockers for members, which means they have memberships of a couple of levels. - They do tastings, events, classes, parties, etc.- They've got a wine club with subscriptions, local delivery, or shipping. It's a really cool space! In talking with others, I understand that this is a place that downtown Hillsboro will greatly benefit from having. If you're in the area I definitely recommend checking it out!
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July 2022 by Greg Clausen
Just now opening. Already a nice selection from well informed/experienced owner, and a good place to taste and hang out. Great addition to Hillsboro.
