By Ty Walker
The Mountain Times
To say that Bri Dittlinger loves wine is an understatement. You would have to search pretty hard to find someone on the mountain more passionate about wine.
The term “wine nerd” definitely applies to her. Bri loves telling stories about wine and winemakers at the boutique wine bottle shop she owns with her husband, Kevin Dittlinger.
There’s a story with every bottle at Cooper’s Wine Bar & Shop in Welches. She loves sharing her passion with regular, local customers as well as visitors to the Mt. Hood community.
“Cooper’s is our passion project that we do nights and weekends,” Bri said. The wine bar is something they do to supplement their careers as healthcare professionals. Bri owns and operates a private mental health clinic and Kevin has a day job as an optometrist.
They bought Cooper’s in the fall of 2021, but Bri started working there in 2019 for its original owners. The couple had recently relocated to Mount Hood from St. Louis for work and fell in love with the Welches community.
“Traditionally, with social work, you always have to have a side job because it’s not very high paying,” Bri said. “So I started here at this shop as my weekend job and I just loved it. I loved the culture here at the shop and here on the mountain.
“I really love wine and the stories of wine. They’re always so different and so unique. The story of the people and how they make them and grow them. The stories of the parts of the world that they’re grown in. it’s always just been a passion.”
Bri and Kevin like to share the passion with everyone who comes to Cooper’s. In just a few years, they have developed a regular local customer base that’s supportive no matter the season.
Cooper’s hosts special events and tastings that help customers learn about wine and not feel intimidated by the subject. Bri tries to dispel any snooty connotations wine may have. She presents stories that make it more approachable.
Asked to pick her favorite wine, Bri laughed and said, “There are hundreds that I love. Today it’s cabernet sauvignon from Frichette Winery on Red Mountain, Washington. I’m loving that.”
Cooper’s is mostly a bottle shop that sells local and imported wine and beer by the glass or by the bottle. It has 8 wines open for glass pours and flights of 4 beers on tap, pour over coffee, and loose leaf tea. Small charcuterie and brie plates are also on the menu. Its rustic decor includes a den dedicated to local art.
“Social work is a very rewarding career that has its own challenges,” said Bri, who specializes in trauma therapy. “I like the balance of leaving the heaviness of that job and coming to the wine shop and talking to people about a shared passion, hanging out with them and spending time with them.”
Cooper’s Wine Bar is located at 24540 E. Welches Road. For more information, go online to cooperswinebarandshop.com or phone 503-662-2025. Hours are 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.