Ken Wright Cellars

The seed for a career in wine was planted squarely in Bourbon country of Lexington, Kentucky. While waiting tables to put himself through school, Ken was exposed to fine wines from regions around the world. The passion became avocation when Ken left the Bluegrass State to attend enology and viticulture classes at UC-Davis. Eight years were spent winemaking for Ventana Vineyards, Chalone and Talbott Vineyards in Monterey County of California’s central coast.  Friends from the Willamette Valley piqued Ken’s interest in the region when they would visit, and a trip to the Dundee Hills in 1976 convinced him that this was where the finest Pinot noir in North America was being grown.

In 1986, with family, belongings and 10 barrels in tow, Ken moved to McMinnville and started Panther Creek Cellars.  His concept of focusing on vineyard-designate bottling began during those years at Panther Creek and was cemented as a core philosophy in 1994 when Ken Wright Cellars was founded in historic downtown Carlton. Ken now makes a single vineyard bottling from 13 vineyard sites in the Northern Willamette Valley.

Given his appreciation of sense of place, it was a given that Ken would contribute to the locations and industry near and dear to his heart. Instrumental in organizing the six new American Viticultural Area (AVA)’s in the Northern Willamette Valley that define in detail the distinct growing areas within the region, he wrote the proposition for the Yamhill-Carlton AVA and served as the association’s first President.

For Carlton, his work with the Visioning Committee helped develop a 20-year plan for the community. He has been active in downtown improvements as well, from selecting the trees and vintage street lamps lining Main Street to purchasing and restoring historic buildings in keeping with the town’s rich, agricultural heritage. In 2003 Ken and his wife, Karen, bought the town’s train station that was built in 1923; after two years of extensive restoration, this beautiful building now houses the tasting room for Ken Wright Cellars. Here at the tasting room, you can taste a selection of Ken's single vineyard Pinot Noir. The staff provides an in-depth geological tour of the Willamette Valley and shares Ken's 40 years of experience of making wine.

Ken's accomplishments have been recognized over and over throughout the years. Including in 2005 when Ken was award the VINI Award at Classic Wine Auction for a lifetime of service to the wine industry and Oregon's community at large, in 2012 Ken and Karen were voted as the Oregon Wine People of the Year, 2013 as Salud's! Legacy Winemaker and in 2014 an American Winery of the Year Nominee. Ken Wright Cellars wine has received 111 scores of 90 and above in the Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, and they continue to year after year. In 2014, Ken's 2012 Abbott Claim Vineyard Pinot Noir was ranked the number one wine on the world, per Wine Enthusiast. His most recent recognition was being featured as the first Oregon wine maker on the cover of the Wine Spectator, in the May 2015 issue, with a 9-page article on his lifetime achievements in the Oregon Pinot Noir industry and his local philanthropies

All of our Pinot noir vineyards are located in the Northern Willamette Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) which was established in 1983. An AVA is a federally designated wine grape growing region in the United States that is distinguishable by unique geologic and weather features. The creation of six new sub-AVA’s, all located in the Northern Willamette Valley AVA began in 1995. This was in great part driven by the recognition by producers that the different soils and mother rock of the region heavily influenced the wine. Between 2004 and 2006 the six new sub-AVA’s were born. Ken Wright was very influential in this process, and authored the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. Ken Wright Cellars now produces a single vineyard Pinot noir from 13 different vineyard sites.

Yamhill-Carlton AVA

The vineyards of the Yamhill-Carlton District were planted mostly in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. The primary soil of this area is called Willakenzie, named after the Willamette and McKenzie rivers. It is a sedimentary soil with a sandstone base rock. The sand content is quite high and the soil therefore very well drained. The sites are generally on the lower slopes of a volcanic ridge. Wines of the area possess aromas of red and blue fruits, with added elements of cocoa, leather, anise, clove and fresh-turned earth. Acidity levels are generally lower than other regions, prompting these wines to be lush and agreeable in their youth.

Ken Wright Cellars is devoted to showcasing the inherent quality of selected vineyard sites. With a clarity and breadth that is unequaled by other varieties, we believe Pinot noir best expresses the character of these sites. Rather than stamping wine with a varietal trademark, Pinot noir is the ultimate vehicle for conveying the aroma, flavor and texture of the location in which it is grown. Ken Wright Cellars produces a single vineyard Pinot Noir from 13 different vineyard sites in the Northern Willamette Valley.

Wine Making Approach

It is the nature of human beings to tinker with things. While this is generally a good trait, certain things in the world are better left alone. Minimal handling of wine is essential to preserve what it is: a gift of nature. At Ken Wright Cellars we believe in small batch fermentation. Each vineyard, further separated by clones, is hand sorted, fermented in small 1 1/4 ton open vat fermenters until dryness, then pressed and aged separately. The wine is aged in 100% French oak barrels for about 1 year. Each single vineyard designated Pinot noir is made with the same approach so the consumer can truly taste the place in which it was grown.

Label History

Each of Ken Wright Cellars single vineyard Pinot noir, has its own label artwork designed by local artist, David Berkvam. Ken and Karen fell in love with David’s work while touring one of his shows in Portland. At the time, Ken and Karen were looking to upgrade from the current white and gold signature Pinot noir label to something that left a lasting impression on wine lovers. David certainly had the talent for creating a lasting impression on people with his unique beeswax based art. Ken and Karen wanted something that conveyed the hard work and perseverance it takes to create high quality Pinot noir in Oregon, focusing on the long and cold, wet days of winter pruning. From that thought, and relationship struck with David, the original Pinot Noir label was created. This original artwork now resides with Savoya vineyard. In 2009 Ken commissioned David to create new artwork for each single vineyard site. The original artwork, is done in 100% beeswax, and then painted. David worked closely with the Wright’s and vineyard owners to create a label that was unique for each site. To learn more about David and his work visit his website at www.DavidBerkvam.com