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. On the palate, the wine had bright acidity throughout with tropical fruit notes that finished crisply but lasted long. It was a delightful wine, one that I would definitely buy again and recommend to others.

As I did with a WillaKenzie pinot noir, it is worth highlighting this producer's online presence. The WillaKenzie web site is a benchmark for other wineries in that it effectively connects the visitor to the people and places behind their wines. A visit to the WillaKenzie homepage will be enough to captivate you. While visiting them online, I learned that the WillaKenzie pinot gris is comprised of estate fruit from 18 acres planted for this variety.

I also discovered that purchasing a case of this wine from the winery generates a $15 donation to the Oregon Food Bank or Mercy Corps (your choice). What a great way to give back to the community. With each WillaKenzie wine I experience, the more I have learned about this producer, and the more impressed I have become for reasons that clearly go beyond the bottle.

Useful Links For This Wine
Tasting Notes for the WillaKenzie '07 Pinot Gris
Through the Walla Walla Grapevine's Visit to WillaKenzie