SHOP'S A FIRST ON THIRD
Descendant adds wine selling to family's pioneer legacy
News-Register, By Karl Klooster: May 30, 2014: Until Thursday, Mac's central district had never before been graced by an independent wine shop. Now it is, thanks to Jeff Woodard, proprietor of Woodard Wines.
The business has been a dream of Woodard's for years, and he's delighted to have secured a high-profile space - the former Shutterbug building behind the U.S. Bank Plaza.
"It's a great spot for tourists and locals," he said. "They'll get a huge breath of Oregon in one stop." Once potential customers step through the door, they won't be able to resist being drawn in by the proprietor's infectious enthusiasm. "I've personally selected every wine here," he said. "I know them all and can guide a customer to precisely what he or she is looking for."
Woodard approaches his work with a level of energy and vitality that can be attributed to inherited genes. Far from denying that possibility, he celebrates it. Justifiably proud of his family heritage, he will readily relate that his great-great-great-grandfather, Jacob Conser, came to Oregon in 1847. That makes Woodard a sixth-generation Oregonian ...
... It's no exaggeration for Woodard to say he tastes everything he puts on the shelves. "How else can you wholeheartedly recommend something?" he asked.
Woodard Wines not only boasts an inventory of limited production releases from small Oregon wineries, it also features hand-selected wines from France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Hungary. And this isnโt just an accumulation of brands you could readily find elsewhere. These wines come from portfolios of importers who scour the European continent, seeking little-known finds and securing exclusives for their export.
With his knowledge of and passion for wine, supported by dozens of wine people from Oregon and elsewhere, Woodard is well positioned to succeed in making his dream of entrepreneurial success a reality....