Cooper’s Wine Bar and Shop Marks Five Years on the Mountain

By Marie Kennedy, The Mountain Times

At a recent educational tasting at Cooper’s Wine Bar and Shop, Bri Dittlinger placed two glasses of Grüner Veltliner on a side table and described their origins. The wine in the left glass came from Austria; the one on the right was from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. She repeated the comparison for guests throughout the evening.

Both wines came from the same grape variety, but their differences opened up a conversation about where wine comes from and how it is made. Old World wines often are lighter-bodied and earthy. New World wines tend to be more fruit-forward and ready to enjoy sooner.

“You can never know it all,” she told me. “Every day you go in, you always get to learn something new.”

That spirit of discovery has been part of Cooper’s since the shop opened in 2019. Bri began working weekend shifts there that fall. In summer 2021, she and her husband, Kevin, joined friends Michael Morlan and Ryan Black in taking ownership. When their friends moved on in winter 2023, the Dittlingers continued the business together.

Bri recently closed her clinical social work practice to give the shop her full attention. Kevin, a neuro-optometrist, continues to work full time and commutes to town every day. Bri said they share ownership and find their own way to make the business work.

“This is our passion project that we do together,” she said.

When Kevin is at Cooper’s, he enjoys connecting with customers. His specialty is sourcing local and imported beers.

The couple came to Oregon from southeast Missouri in 2019 after Kevin finished his residency. They sold most of their belongings, renovated an old travel trailer and moved to the base of Mount Hood. Bri stumbled into the wine shop while getting to know Welches, and the original owners offered her a weekend job.

The move was supposed to last three to five years. Instead, the Dittlingers grew attached to the community and stayed. For Bri, the shop has become one way to be part of it.

“Kevin and I love the mountain,” she said. “If it wasn’t this great, we would not still be here.”

The name Cooper’s connects to another part of Bri’s story. A cooper makes or repairs wooden barrels, and the couple liked the name’s connection to wine and woodworking. They both grew up in an agricultural area, and Bri’s family includes farmers and cabinetmakers.

Bri’s interest in wine is rooted in the people and places behind it. She holds a Level 3 certification from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and chooses wines from smaller producers whose work she can introduce to customers.

“I get to highlight the wine and highlight the people and the stories behind them,” she said.

Claire Lanning, who worked part time at the shop over the summer, noticed how Bri brings those stories to the table.

“She has a human-interest approach to each of the producers, so you actually have a soulful connection to what’s in the glass,” Lanning said.

Lanning, who grew up in Sandy and has worked in food and wine for 15 years, said she reached out to Bri after hearing about the shop from her mother.

“I love a strong woman in business, so let me help you,” Lanning recalled telling her.

Bri’s former career also shaped her approach. As a clinical social worker, she spent her days listening to people’s stories. She sees a similar connection in wine, where the stories of winemakers, land, and grapes come together in a bottle.

Bri wants customers to feel comfortable exploring wine without knowing special terminology or choosing an expensive bottle. She leads educational tastings at the shop and in customers’ homes, and also offers self-guided wine and food experiences. The shop carries alcohol-free wines and other drinks, including tea and pour-over coffee, and welcomes customers who bring food from nearby restaurants.

The shop offers more than tastings. It has space for local artists, games and puzzles, and quiet seating. One regular called it the mountain’s “local Cheers,” a description Bri said she loved.

Running a small business in an unincorporated community brings challenges. Bri said restrictions have made it difficult to advertise along the highway, and finding staff who share the shop’s energy and interest in wine can be hard. Support from nearby business owners has helped. They check in, offer advice and find ways to collaborate.

Five years into running the shop together, Bri is still learning, selecting wines and planning tastings. At Cooper’s, a glass can be the start of a lesson, a conversation, or simply a chance to unwind.