Living Room Wines Wants to Build Community, One Glass of Wine at a Time

Partners Fabrizio Barbagelata and Justin Sedor want their new University Park wine bar to be a community hub. At Living Room Wines, everything is devised to be welcoming, from the business’s inviting name to the approachable price points and cozy vibe. “We love what it represents to have a space where you feel comfortable coming in and having a great experience that’s been imagined for you,” Barbagelata says.

Barbagelata and Sedor decided to settle long-term in Portland from New York City by way of the Bay Area. Charmed by a visit to Division Wines, which they consider their ideal wine bar, from the hospitality of the sommeliers down to the candlelit ambience, the pair want to offer a similar experience in a part of town that they feel is often overlooked. The couple worked with architect Mark Annen — who is also behind the design of places like Le Pigeon, Rum Club, and Stammtisch — to bring their vision to reality.

A free-standing, mid-century modern-inspired fireplace crackles in the corner, flanked by a couple of couches that make up a lounge-y seating area. The oval-shaped bar at the center of the space was designed to spark conversation. “We love sitting at the bar,” Sedor says. “It’s a great way to connect with people and meet with people, especially if you have the right person behind the bar to facilitate those connections.”

Holly Hursley

In staying dedicated to accessibility and the “needs of the neighborhood,” Barbagelata’s rotating list of 15 glass pours will include a few options under $10, with the most expensive glass going for $14. Patrons can also build their own flight — or have the bartender craft a custom flight — of three wines for $20. The by-the-glass list of bubbles, whites, oranges, pinks, and reds, which will rotate every couple of weeks, are also all available in half-glass pours.

“We’re trying to get people to try as many things as possible,” Sedor says. “As someone who doesn’t have a wine background, I’ve learned mostly through trying things that I might not think I’m going to like. We want to be a place where people can explore at their own pace and whim.”

Barbagelata enjoys showcasing smaller family producers that cultivate a sense of place in their product. “It’s almost this way of traveling and connecting to other people,” Barbagelata says. “These wine labels are real people that you’re supporting just by purchasing that bottle. It feels a little meta, but it’s kind of community-building on a lot of different levels.”

Since the bar isn’t equipped with a full kitchen, Living Room Wines will serve snacky plates like French onion dip with potato chips, a panini special, deviled eggs, roasted cauliflower bisque, and a selection of cheese sourced from Cowbell. The wine bar’s retail section also takes inspiration from Division Wines, displaying a selection from around Oregon and the world that encompasses different price points. Barbagelata and Sedor want to curate an inventory that’s fun for the customer to browse. “You feel like a kid in a candy shop when you’re into wine,” Barbagelata says.

Barbagelata previously worked at 45th Parallel Wines in the neighboring St. Johns neighborhood. It was there, he says, that he fell in love with the process of building regulars and connecting with people from behind the bar. At his own wine bar, one of his main objectives is to provide a high level of hospitality, something he finds Portland can lack at times.

“What’s been really galvanizing to me has been this feeling that what really matters is community and connection,” Barbagelata says. “Creating a space for fostering a more robust community feels really important and I feel privileged to do it.”

Living Room Wines opens today at 4818 N. Lombard Street.