Ken Wright Cover Story | Wine Spectator
Ken Wright made his way to Oregon in 1985 in a dilapidated pickup truck with his wife, two young sons and 10 barrels of California Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It was an unlikely beginning to a career that’s helped establish the state’s Willamette Valley as a homeland for Pinot Noir. But it says a lot about Ken Wright. The 61-year-old winegrower has proved to be pragmatic and persuasive. When his bank account could not finance the move to Oregon, he convinced his former employer, Talbott Vineyards, to let him take those barrels with him to sell when he started in Oregon. Though prohibited by several federal regulations, he convinced a federal agent to let him bottle and label the wines in 1986 as the debut offerings of his new winery, Panther Creek.