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 homepage was available in laminated form at the bar, enabling visitors to see the specific vineyards behind each current release.

This bird's eye view was referenced often by my server, Sherry, as she poured each of the nine wines available for sampling on the day I visited ($15 fee, refundable with $25 purchase). Overall, I was really impressed with Sherry's knowledge of each wine, which went from discussions about soil, clones, and vintages to stories about the winery's founders, Ronni and Bernard Lacroute, and the family names assigned to each vineyard.

For anyone strolling around the expansive, upper level tasting room, a variety of printed brochures, maps, photos, and other materials were readily available to learn more about WillaKenzie Estate. Each piece was either pulled directly from their web site or was integrated with how the winery's story is conveyed online. A consistency in both story telling and design existed between the offline and online worlds that comprise WillaKenzie Estate.

One of my favorite aspects to this tasting room visit was a large window box display containing a 4 foot deep soil sample, offering a worm's eye view of what exists underground in the vineyard. While many producers in Oregon incorporate soil into their winemaking narrative, WillaKenzie actually derives its name from the earth underneath its estate. Anyone interested in learning more about Willakenzie soil will take delight in this display.

After visiting WillaKenzie Estate virtually and in person, I came away connected to the people, places, and products in ways I have yet to experience with other producers. These folks know how to engage and educate visitors, regardless of the environment. Whether you are starting on WillaKenzie's website or in their tasting room, you can expect each experience to complement the other in a truly connected fashion.

Photos sourced from WillaKenzie Estate's image bank.