A couple of years ago, I wrote how WillaKenzie stood out amongst its peers for the approach they took online. Anyone visiting their website's homepage is immediately connected to the sense of place that is WillaKenzie Estate. The ariel shot of their vineyards along with interactive descriptions of varietal plantings, sustainable practices, and wine products offers a terrific means toward understanding the who, what, and where behind this Oregon producer. Even better is the way WillaKenzie Estate integrates what it offers online with that provided offline in their tasting room. For example, the same ariel photo from their site's...

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Posted by Thad W. at 03:51 PM | Permalink

In the glass, the WillaKenzie 2007 Chardonnay Clos Marco Willamette Valley (13.5%) was a very light, greenish gold color, offering notes of pear, melon and yeast on the nose along with minerals and wet stone. This Oregon chardonnay had a very nice texture in the mouth, delivering a mix of crisp acidity and a bit of honey ending in a nice, lasting finish. Flavors of pear and peach were present as well. We paired the WillaKenzie with smoked salmon pasta that was tossed in a sauce of sauteed shallots, olive oil, this wine, and fresh dill. A green leaf...

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Posted by Thad W. at 09:28 PM | Permalink

The WillaKenzie 2008 Pinot Blanc Estate Willamette Valley (13.8%) was a clear, light green-yellow in the glass delivering floral fruit notes of peach, apricot and apple along with hints of talc and minerals. This Alsatian style pinot blanc offered a rich mouthfeel, with crisp acidity and a slightly sweet finish (.3% residual sugar). We paired this certified sustainable wine with some comfort food: black beans w/sauteed onions on steamed rice with grated cheddar cheese and fresh chopped tomatoes on top. At $18, the WillaKenzie 2008 Pinot Blanc offers a terrific quality-to-price ratio. I am glad to have picked up two...

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Posted by Thad W. at 12:48 PM | Permalink

This WillaKenzie pinot noir is a wine that I intend to drink more of in the months ahead. In the glass, it was a clear, ruby red, delivering terrific notes of red berry fruit with a subtle earthiness. Flavors of strawberry and cherry were balanced with good acidity creating a wonderful roundness to this wine. We paired the WillaKenzie 2007 Estate Cuvée Pinot Noir Willamette Valley (13.8%) with grilled pork chops, seasoned with salt and pepper after marinating over night with a garlic rub. Kari diced a few apples and cooked them down on the stove top, creating a...

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Posted by Thad W. at 03:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

What I Drank With Dinner (WIDWD) This is a wonderful Oregon pinot gris, which I picked up on sale at my local wine merchant for $15. We paired the WillaKenzie Estate 2007 Pinot Gris Willamette Valley (13.8% alcohol) with salmon pasta, an incredible dish Kari crafts with smoked King salmon lox over a bed of linguine pasta that has been tossed in a light cream-based sauce that includes shallots, white wine, garlic, and fresh dill. On the eyes, the WillaKenzie pinot gris is a clear, clean light golden green color. On the nose, it offers pineapple, melon and pear....

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Posted by Thad W. at 12:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

What I Drank With Dinner (WIDWD) Although this WillaKenzie wine may not be my style in pinot noir, the WillaKenzie winery is my kind of producer. Why? It's all because of what they do online. WillaKenzie Estate has one of the best designed homepages of any winery I have visited to date. On that single page, I connected to the wines, vineyards, and practices of this producer in ways unlike any other winery. Here is what you can learn using the interactive Flash elements on this homepage: &bull a bird's eye view pinpointing each vineyard location and the wine...

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Posted by Thad W. at 03:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)