Fans of Oregon Pinot, do not miss these wines.
In our expert opinion, Ken Pahlow and Erica Landon's Walter Scott Wines is the hottest Oregon winery right now. Everyone's talking about them and for very good reasons.
When you combine one of Oregon's most respected wine salesmen with one of our best sommeliers and educators, you have the makings of a breakout winery. Ken Pahlow and Erica Landon are those two people, and now that they've settled into their own winery, their time is now.
Walter Scott Wines is named for two significant people in Ken's life, his grandfather, Walter, and nephew, Scott. The winery was founded in 2008 with a first small production of 60 cases (2 barrels) made at Patricia Green Cellars. Ken and Erica's first commercial vintage, an impressive 650 cases, was made the following year. They continued to make their wine at Patty's winery through 2011.
In 2011 Ken and Erica welcomed Andy and Sue Steinman as partners in their winery, and took the next step: they leased their new winery facility, located on property owned by Bethel Heights Vineyard. 2012 was their first vintage in the new space.
Today Ken and Erica have a conveyor belt, a Bobcat, a destemmer, a press, a pile of barrels, and all the associated tubes and equipment you need for making wine. Ken and Erica are all in, totally invested in their dream. And they have a daughter, Lucy, who helps in all aspects of winemaking and sales.
The People
Ken's knowledge of Burgundy was nurtured during his ten years representing French wines at one of Oregon's top Burgundy distributors. He was Oregon Sales Manager for Evening Land Vineyards in 2009, working with owner Mark Tarlov and consulting Dominique Lafon. Before that, he was at St. Innocent for 14 years where he worked in marketing, sales, and in the vineyard and winery making wine.
While working full time selling wine for nearly two decades, Ken also assisting in all aspects of winemaking at St. Innocent and Patricia Green Cellars. In 2009, he not only worked with the Patty Green team during harvest but also made his first commercial vintage of Walter Scott Wines.
Erica's early experience took her to both sides of the Willamette Valley from the top of Mt. Hood at Timberline Lodge's Cascade Dining Room to the heart of Oregon's wine country at The Ponzi Family's Dundee Bistro where she managed the wine programs and dining room. She was Wine Director for the Bruce Carey Restaurants and The Heathman Restaurant. She is also a member and instructor for the International Sommelier Guild, where she shares her passion and excitement about wine with her students.
Both Ken and Erica are deeply involved in the Willamette Valley's wine industry. Most recently, Erica has helped organize and run the Oregon Chardonnay Symposium.
Erica, Keira, Ken, and Finn
