If you haven't heard of Ken Wright Cellars, they are one of the premier PInot Noir producers in Willamette Valley with a focus on single vineyard wines. As the first winemaker from the state to appear on the cover of Wine Spectator magazine, Ken Wright has been called "the Master of Pinot Noir in Oregon."
Each bottle denotes one of the 13 vineyards the grapes came from in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. Their very nondescript website features extensive tasting notes, historical information about each vineyard (including block maps), and harvest letters from Ken for every year since 2001.
Those extras may help a buyer swallow the price tag, since the single vineyard Pinots cost $90 per bottle. They all come in a half bottle format too for $65.
They also use certified organic practices, and the winery was pivotal in developing the program for high school students to learn viticulture firsthand.
These wines were so nuanced and tasty, they didn't 'need' food per se to make them palatable, but I decided to try anyway with the two wines I purchased.
Even though both wines were from the same vintage, winemaker, and grape varietal, they sung with very different foods. The difference between vineyards was both noticeable and surprising.
2017 Bonny Jean Vineyard Pinot Noir
This 20 acre parcel has a long agricultural history including growing cherries, which are featured on the wine label. Ken approached the farmer about converting the land to a vineyard. It made financial sense for the farmer because Willamette Valley wine grapes sold for so much more per pound than produce, and his wife could be taken care of after he passed. The vineyard is named after Bonny Jean, their daughter, who was born with disability, could never walk, and died at 28 years young.
Pairings
The color of tawny port, aroma of caramel and burnt orange, and refreshing flavor with still bright acids, this pinot paired surprisingly well with split pea soup, smoked gouda cheese, calabrese salami, and sauteed mushrooms.
2017 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir
Shea vineyards is one of the first where Ken Wright started single vineyard bottlings. Robert Parker gave the 1994 vintage 94 points, which at the time was the highest score ever given to an Oregon wine.
Pairings
This tasted a little brighter and fruitier than the Bonny Jean Pinot Noir with muted acidity and lean tannins.
This pinot also paired nicely with sauteed mushrooms but paired exceptionally well with a fresh fig and blue cheese tart with fresh thyme. The sweet, savory balance of this appetizer or dessert just hit all the right notes in the wine.
The Last Drop
Overall, I found these pinot noirs paired best with food that wasn't too fatty, strong in flavor, or creamy. They really did like mushrooms, a common pinot noir pairing, and they also fared well with lean salmon.
But the real fun with these high end wines was not taking them too seriously and playing with the pairings. Add split pea soup and blue cheese fig tarts to the 'Pairs well with Pinot' list.
Be sure to check out these articles from the Wine Pairing Weekend writers about pairings with Oregon wines!
- Wendy from A Day In The Life on The Farm is sharing "A Fall Celebration of Oregon Food and Wine"
- Culinary Cam is "Circling Back to Our Favorite Oregonian Pinot Noirs".
- Linda from My Full Wine Glass writes about "Beyond Willamette: Oregon's other wine regions".
- Martin from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog is "Pairing 2020 Vino Vasai Cabernet Sauvignon with Hearty Beef Nilaga".
- On Crushed Grape Chronicles, Robin is sharing "Rogue Valley Amphora Grenache from Upper Five and Grilled London Broil with chocolate BBQ Sauce"
- Deanna from Wineivore talks about "Pairing Organic Ken Wright Pinot Noirs from Williamette Valley, Oregon"
- On Wine Predator...Gwendolyn Alley you will find "Fall 4 Biodynamic Oregon Wines: Brooks Riesling, Cowhorn Viognier, Troon Rose, Montinore PN + Menu"
- David from Cooking Chat is pairing "Roasted Acorn Squash Soup with Willamette Pinot Noir".
MARTIN D REDMOND says
Thanks for the introduction to Ken Wright's wines. They sound positively delightful! I'm especially digging your fresh fig and blue cheese tart with fresh thyme pairing! Cheers Deanna!
Terri Steffes says
I'm making my "go to" list for Oregon and I am loving all the places that you mentioned. The recipes you have included, (chef's kiss) are on my list of ones to give to my husband. He loves pinot noir and I believe he will find these recipes to his liking.
Linda says
I'm impressed by the number of foods you've found to pair with Pinot Noir, including some unexpected ones like split pea soup and blue cheese fig tarts. Enjoyed learning about Ken Wright and the wines he produces. Great post!