Meet the Southeast Wine Collective, which includes Helioterra Wines, Vincent Wine Company, Division Winemaking Company, Fullerton Wines, and Bow & Arrow Wines all under one roof. The five urban wineries share the collaborative space during production times as well as responsibilities more...

For spring and summertime, Vincent Fritzsche, owner and winemaker at his namesake company, suggests "people try new whites from the Melon de Bourgogne grape (of France's Muscadet region at the mouth of the Loire River), specifically 2012's from Helioterra Wines and Grochau Cellars. Both lively, crisp, juicy whites, the Helioterra is laser-like with its acidity. The Grochau has a little more body from partial aging in older oak. I love these wines with lighter foods of spring and summer."

For a red, Vincent Wine's Fritzsche offers his 2011 Vincent Pinot Noir Ribbon Ridge. His largest bottling (192 cases), "the blend comes entirely from the Armstrong Vineyard on Ribbon Ridge," and "in 2011, this wine is the closest I’ve come yet to the kind of refreshing, energetic wine I’m looking to produce—old world in structure, new world in fruit." With an unfiltered, electric-ruby color, "the wine has a powerful fragrance of cherries, cranberry, black tea, flowers and all kinds of spice notes."

Winemaker Thomas Monroe of Division Winemaking Company says he produces "a few wines I think will be perfect for warm days and picnics! His "crisp, salmon-colored" 2012 Rosé of Pinot Noir "is a summer crowd-pleaser for rosé lovers, while "our 2012 Division Béton is a Loire-inspired red made from 60% Cabernet Franc, 15% Pinot Noir and 15% Gamay Noir. It's a quaffable red with a nice amount fruit, sultry tannins, and a good barbecue mate."

When considering the perfect pairing, just know that dogs and wineries go hand in hand—and the urban environment doesn't alter this truism. The Collective, which is already fond of hosting Yappy Hour, will up the ante on Memorial Day weekend with Wine Dazed and Dogfused (May 25, 4-7PM). There'll be "wieners on the grill, a casual atmosphere," discounts on wine, and new releases from the wineries, Fritzsche shares.

The collaborative coalition of PDX Urban Wineries has created the perfect way for you to tour their facilities and taste some wine. The PDX Urban Wineries Passport grants you a free tasting at each winery—including Hip Chicks Do Wine, Jan-Marc Wine Cellars, Alchemy Wine Productions, ENSO Winery, and Seven Bridges as well as three different winemakers in the shared space of the Southeast Wine Collective—plus other discounts.