Kann
Haitian fire meets Pacific Northwest soul
Southeast Portland · Portland · Haitian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 16, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Kann doesn't try to be everything — it tries to mean something. From the first glance, it's clear someone with a point of view built this list: BIPOC producers, LGBTQ+ winemakers, Pacific Northwest terroir, and a zero-proof section that actually earns its place on the page. This isn't a list assembled by a distributor rep on autopilot.
Selection Deep Dive
The list leans hard into Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, with Willamette Valley forming the backbone and Sonoma Coast adding coastal Pinot depth. Chosen Family Wines — a queer-owned Willamette Valley project — anchors the ethos of the whole program, and collaborations with Walla and Long Low Estate signal a chef who's actively curating relationships, not just SKUs. The selection is compact, probably 40-70 bottles, but the intentionality punches above the list's size. If you came looking for a deep Burgundy cellar, you're in the wrong room — but if you want wines made by people with something to say, pull up a chair.
By the Glass
By-the-glass runs roughly 8-14 options, which is respectable for a restaurant of this size and focus. The rotating cellar series events suggest the glass program gets refreshed with purpose rather than just sitting static for a season. Zero-proof wines are included in the pour options, which is genuinely rare and executed with care rather than as an afterthought.
Chosen Family Wines Willamette Valley Blend — null
A queer-owned Willamette Valley project poured at a restaurant that actually believes in what it's serving — the value here isn't just financial, it's finding a wine with a story that matches the food. Exact pricing not confirmed, but Oregon blends at this tier consistently overdeliver for the dollar.
Long Low Estate 2019 Collaboration
Most tables are going to default to a Pinot and move on. The 2019 Long Low Estate collaboration is the kind of project that gets made once — a specific vintage, a specific creative relationship — and it won't be on this list forever. Order it before it's gone.
Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Not a bad wine by any means, but Sonoma Coast Pinot is the path of least resistance on any Pacific Northwest-adjacent list. With producers like Chosen Family and Long Low Estate sitting right next to it, defaulting to the Sonoma Coast bottling feels like ordering the burger at a tasting menu restaurant.
Chosen Family Wines Willamette Valley Blend + Griot (slow-roasted pork shoulder)
The griot comes out of the fire with serious intensity — crispy edges, deep pork richness, Scotch bonnet heat lurking underneath. A Willamette Valley blend with moderate tannin and bright acidity cuts through the fat and holds its own against the spice without trying to outshout the kitchen.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Kann is building a wine program the same way Gregory Gourdet builds a menu — with intention, values, and zero interest in the generic. It's not the deepest list in Portland, but it might be the most honest one.
Comments
Get the Weekly Wingman
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.