You heard that right, we’re moving (again). Our fabulous new flagship tasting room location opens this Wednesday, December 1, in Downtown Hood River. But not to worry, you won’t have to go far. We’re walking everything just up the block to the former Salon Visio building at 708 Oak Street. (And spoiler alert: there’s FREE parking!) 

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A forever home

Before you think, “Ugh, more change?!” We’re going to stop you right there. Yes, this will be our second tasting room move in just over two years. However, once you step into this vibrant new space, it won’t take long to see that we finally got it just right.

Our owners Peter and Kristi Steinfeld have been decking out this new tasting room for months. According to Peter, “this feels like the forever home for Evoke Winery in Hood River.” 

“I enjoy its openness and the views. Even though it's modern it still maintains a cozy and comfortable atmosphere,” said Peter. “There’s plenty of space to accommodate all the different ways we as humans express ourselves and connect with each other.”

What we love about this space is it has a little bit of everything. The main room is super spacious with seriously high ceilings and enormous picture windows (with views of the Columbia River, no less!).

If you’re looking for a more intimate space to gather, it also has various tucked off nooks that each have their own vibe and ambiance. The inside is furnished with colorful decor and playful patterns than inspire a sense of fun and whimsicalness that you won’t find at another tasting room in the area.

(Our two favorite personal touches are: one, the large-scale neon installations of the illustrations from our labels; two, the large-scale macrame designed and made by none other than Kristi Steinfeld.) 

Then there’s our outdoor seating, furnished with fire pits, warmers, and the coziest shag blankets we could find. And – humble brag – our new location is the only downtown tasting room to boast both a free parking lot and spacious patio seating.

A brief history lesson

For those of you who are new to the party, we’ve been owned and operated from Hood River since 2005 under the name Naked Winery. 

Never ones to lean on tradition, we started this ride by making a splash in the industry as an irreverent winery that focused on bringing people together, sharing a glass of wine, and having fun. We made a name for ourselves by having provocative labels — like Penetration Cabernet Sauvignon and Climax Red Blend — and throwing some of the best parties in town. Our mission was to cut America’s divorce rate in half by encouraging couples to share a glass of wine and a laugh.

In 2018, the company was sold to longtime head winemaker Peter Steinfeld and his wife Kristi. Peter is responsible for taking our wine production from 8 barrels to over 35,000 cases, and bringing in our new head winemaker Alaina Waller, who you can thank for our recent lineup of award-winning and inventive wines. (We may be biased, but we think we have some of the best wines we've ever had.)

After years of navigating marketplace confusion with NakedWines.com, we changed our name to Evoke Winery in February this year. The name change was necessary for us to keep carving out a future for our company, but it also reflected the evolution of the Naked – now Evoke – brand, from a provocative winery to a more “grown up” one — that's still cheeky, suggestive and fun. We still sell (and love) Penetration and Climax, but have expanded our mission to encourage everyone – not just couples – to come together, have fun and make memories over a glass (or two) of wine. 

You're invited.

We believe this new location is an embodiment of that evolution. 

“The appeal of this tasting room is that it’s a representation of the brand as it exists in our minds and dreams,” Peter said. “This location reflects the new and contemporary aspects of Evoke, while continuing to encourage intimate moments and opportunities to bring people together. Which has been our mission since the beginning.”