Name: Ken Wright Wine Dinner
Start: 2024-05-23T18:00:00-07:00
Location: El Gaucho Portland

We are thrilled to partner with pioneering winemaker Ken Wright for a special dinner to celebrate Oregon Wine Month. Producing wine from 13 distinct vineyards across the Willamette Valley, his winemaking style is one of stewardship, allowing the inherent character in the fruit to reveal itself in the wine.
Join us for this spectacular evening, as Ken personally presents six wines paired with five courses created by El Gaucho Portland’s Chef Gabriel Rodriguez. Taste side by side comparisons of the two main soil types of the valley through his AVA series pinot noirs, as well as three of his single vineyard bottlings that each showcase a different side of Oregon pinot.
Menu
Alaskan King Crab Salad
endive, grapefruit, lemon mustard aioli
Ken Wright Cellars Willamette Valley Chardonnay 2023
Seared King Salmon
braised lentil salad, red wine vinaigrette, miso lemon butter sauce
Ken Wright Cellars Volcanic and Sedimentary AVA Series Pinot Noirs 2022
Roast Duck
shiitake creamy risotto, cranberry sauce
Ken Wright Cellars Tanager Pinot Noir 2018
Filet and Ahi Surf and Turf
ratatouille, bordelaise, miso glaze
Ken Wright Cellars Bonnie Jean Pinot Noir 2021
Dark Chocolate Lava Cake
rhubarb coulis, espresso chantilly, berries
Ken Wright Cellars Latchkey Pinot Noir 2021
Ken Wright
Over 45 years of wine making has taught Ken a simple truth: source is everything. Located, in rural Carlton, Oregon, Ken Wright Cellars is devoted to producing wine that showcase the inherent quality of world class vineyard sites. With a clarity and breadth that is unequaled, Pinot noir is the ultimate vehicle for conveying the aroma, flavor and texture of the location in which it is grown.
In 1986, with family, belongings and 10 barrels in tow, Ken moved to McMinnville and started Panther Creek Cellars. His concept of focusing on vineyard-designate bottling began during those years at Panther Creek and this was cemented as a core philosophy in 1994 when Ken Wright Cellars was founded. Ken Wright Cellars now produces a single vineyard Pinot Noir from 13 different vineyard sites in the Northern Willamette Valley.
Their approach to the craft of wine growing is one of stewardship rather than manipulation. They use organic certified practices as a base and expand upon that with advanced nutrition-based farming. By analyzing both soil profile and vines, maintaining proper crop levels, personally sampling each vineyard, and hand-sorting each cluster, they ensure that the inherent character in the fruit is revealed in the finished wine. Minimal handling of wine is essential to preserve what it is; a gift of nature.