WillaKenzie Estate

Founded in: 1995
Website: willakenzie.com
What is the one thing that you’d like to be remembered for? For having left the WillaKenzie Estate in a better condition than when I bought it: The pastures, the trees, the vineyards, the air, the springs, the wild life; Yes the coyotes are my friends; they feed on the rodents in the vineyard!
What is an example of a small change we could all make to make the planet a better place? We could all turn our lights off when not in a room, and we could replace the conventional light bulbs with LEDs. You would be surprised how much we could save in direct energy consumption and in landfill wastes (the LEDs last 1000 times longer).

Native Burgundian Brings Natural Practices to Oregon

wke-bernard-lacroute-resized Bernard Lacroute, owner of WillaKenzie Estate Vineyards in Yamhill, Oregon, was raised in rural Burgundy, France by a father who tended to his natural garden.

“That was the model in France, these natural practices that we used without saying words like organic.”

So when it came time to plant his vineyard in Yamhill, Oregon, Lacroute wanted to develop his property in a way that did not disturb the surrounding forests and streams. The winery, constructed in 1994 before sustainable building practices were formalized by US Green Building Council’s LEED program, was designed to duplicate the look and feel of the old barn on the property while respecting the surrounding land.

WillaKenzie was an early joiner of certified sustainable programs in Oregon, joining the LIVE vineyard certification program in 1997. WillaKenzie also become the first LIVE certified winery in Oregon (a winery certification program launched earlier this year) and the first winery to receive Oregon Certified Sustainable Certification.

Lacroute, also an innovator, has also incorporated more sustainable practices in the vineyard, like using compost and beneficial bacteria to control mildew rather than sulfur. Today, he is focused on energy issues and the reduction of water consumption of paper use in the winery. Lacroute believes that sustainability is not only crucial to protecting the environment, but good business for vineyards and wineries.

wke-aerial-100-resized “Sustainability not only makes you feel good, but it’s good business in the long term for wineries. If you do not maintain good soil structure, in 40 years time, grapes will not produce wines that best reflect the ‘place’ in the wine. We want to make wines that people enjoy, first and foremost. But we also strive for something more natural. The more natural it is, the more the wine is going to reflect a sense of place.”

Order Oregon Certified Sustainable Wines

2009 WillaKenzie Estate Chardonnay Cork-Free
2009 WillaKenzie Estate Cuvée
2009 WillaKenzie Estate Gamay Noir
2009 WillaKenzie Estate Pinot Blanc Cork-Free
2009 WillaKenzie Estate Pinot Gris Cork-Free
2009 WillaKenzie Estate Pinot Meunier
2009 WillaKenzie Estate Pinot Noir Jory Hills