A Portland native, Hilary has extensive experience in retail, wine and beer buying, and merchandising honed from many years working with major grocers, distributors and makers. She began her career in grocery at just 16, working as a dishwasher for Natures. She soon found herself drawn to cheese and, naturally, wine!  Many moons later, she has developed deep roots in the local wine making and brewing community and we are lucky to have her here at Basics as an amazing resource for our shoppers.

Look for insightful informational tags and descriptions, wine pairing tips and recipes, and ongoing promotions in our wine and beer departments now that Hilary is on board. In her downtime, she grows heirloom tomatoes and hot peppers, and loves to preserve and cook them up into confits, conservas and hot pepper sauces.  A self-described homebody, she lives with her husband and adorable corgi Kingsley and dreams of becoming an heirloom tomato farmer.

Fave dish: BLT’s with her own homegrown heirloom tomatoes

Fave ingredients: tomatoes and hot peppers, of course!

Tips: People believe there are lots of rules around wines. While there some nice guidelines, at the end of the day people should drink what they like, don’t get hung up – get what you like.

If you want to expand with food and wine pairings, follow this simple rule of thumb – it if grows together, it goes together.