Ken Wright Cellars

Ken Wright Biography

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 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 the valley to begin his career in the wine industry.

Over 40 years of wine making has taught Ken a simple truth: source is everything. Located in rural Carlton, Oregon, Ken Wright Cellars specializes in single vineyard Pinot noir. With a clarity and breadth that is unequaled by other varieties, Pinot noir is the ultimate transparent vehicle for connection to place. The practice of nutrition based farming ensures that the wines express the full range of aroma and flavor.