Ours is a story of a curious couple, challenging ourselves, curating stories, and focusing on community.
Our journey to owning a wine shop on a mountain 3,000 miles away from home has been a true adventure!
Kevin and I both found our careers in healthcare, him as an optometrist and myself as a clinical social worker. With short notice to engineer a cross county move from St. Louis to Oregon to get settled for a new job, we decided to sell most of our things, renovate an old travel trailer, and settle at the base of Mt. Hood in the summer of 2019.
I stumbled into this little bottle shop while exploring our new town, and the original owners asked if I wanted a side gig, so I started working weekends at Cooper’s in the fall of 2019. We fell in love with the local community, the regular customers, and the stories the world of wine has to offer. Along comes COVID, and with it, so many changes! The original wine shop owners decided to move to the sunnier part of the mountain, and we decided we absolutely love Welches and didn’t want to leave anytime soon. Our friends helped convince us that we could totally own a wine shop, have careers in healthcare, hike, travel, love on our fur babies, and be the happiest humans ever! So, naturally, the four of us took over the shop in the summer of 2021, and we began our new adventure! Our friends parted ways and moved onto their next new adventure in the winter of 2023, and Kevin and I doubled down on our wine passion project.
We sure stay busy and work long days, yet we have met the coolest people, enjoyed the most memorable adventures, created our own stories in the wine world, and have cultivated a community in our little mountain village that we wouldn’t trade for anything. This is our passion project, and we are so thankful to be able to share it with you! Cheers y’all!
❤ Bri and Kevin
Bri Dittlinger
Owner | Operator | WSET 3
[she/her]
Bri is one of our fearless owners, our WSET level 3 house sommelier, and may be slightly obsessed with wine! Bri combines her passion and love of wine with her skill and training as a social worker to seek out and share the stories in the world of wine that leave you with chills, in the best way! Ask Bri about the weirdest, most unique wines you can think of, pick her brain for wine pairings or suggestions, and come nerd out over a unique bottle!
Kevin Dittlinger
Owner | Operator
[he/him]
Kevin is our other fearless owner, with a passion for connecting with our customers, sourcing our local and import beers, and keeping the dance moves flowing! When Kevin isn’t supporting others as an optometrist, he’s cheering on St. Louis sports teams and keeping Bri sane [ish]! Ask Kevin about our beer selections, whatever sport is currently in season, and all things fresh and fruity!
What Our Guests Say
“I love this place! It’s the perfect stop en route to/back from the mountain. I had a great talk with the new wine shop owners – they were super welcoming and seem truly passionate about wine, without being snooty. They’re obviously foodies too. People I would hang with in real life! 🙂 That whole little Welches enclave has a lot to offer and it’s nice to see such a sweet community growing there. We will be back.”
-Jen B
“I really like the space and they have some nice outdoor seating as well. The service was also great.
I’m not super familiar with the area, but this is a really great place to get a drink and chat with friends. In addition to a huge selection of wine, they do have draft beer as well. And there’s also a little room with some local artwork that you can purchase. Definitely worth checking out this place!”
– Christopher M
Cooper's Wine Bar & Shop 