Kana Winery Katie Mae White

Posted on 16 April 2010.

Located in Yakima Washington, Kana Winery has a knack for producing wines from some of the state’s less-popular grapes – like Lemberger, Marsanne and Tempranillo to name a few. Even though Yakima proper hasn’t really been known as a “winery town” – Kana seems to do quite well for itself. You’ll find its tasting room is frequently packed out by folks coming in to enjoy the reasonably priced wines and listen to live music.

It’s Katie Mae white table wine is a well-priced white wine that is very food friend and has changed its composition between the two vintages represented here.  The 2006 is a blend of 39% Pinot Gris and 61% riesling while the 2007 vintage is 100% riesling.

2006 Katie Mae – W.E.P. Rating: 80%

  • Grapes: 61% Riesling (Two Coyote Vineyard and Les Vignes de Marcoux), 39% Pinot Gris (Naches Heights Vineyard).
  • Alcohol: 12.9%
  • Price: $14

Nose: Honey, pears, apples, graham crackers, golden delicious apples.

Taste: Definitely a sweeter wine than the 2007 and is definitely not my style for a “table wine” as it gives a much stronger nod to deserts. Tons of pear and apples coming through but it’s almost like they’re coated in hone. Decent mid palate but the back-end, for me, is just to thick with the sugars to make this an enjoyable “table wine”.

2007 Katie Mae – W.E.P. Rating: 150%

  • Grapes: 100% Riesling from Two Coyote Vineyard
  • Alcohol: 12%
  • Price: $14

Nose: Apricots for days along with pears, apples and a nice back-end note of orange zest. I also get that very “old-world”-like richness that completely reminds me of a German white. REALLY love the nose.

Taste: I get the really nice apple-core and apricot flavors right off the bat – this wine has the structure and the richness (I don’t mean sweet) to compete head to head with the old-world style whites that I adore. The front attack slaughters your tongue in an apple/apricot spa-treatment and continues to provide all kinds of enjoyment across the mid-plate with a finish to die for. This is easily one of the most enjoyable whites I’ve ever had for under $30.

Winery website: www.kanawinery.com


  • Hampers

    Thanks for the research and review on this. I’ve seen it in the store and can feel better about buying it!

  • palmerwr

    Attended a 5-F Club (a Yakima wine club that's met monthly since '92) blind tasting of Rieslings from Germany, including Alsacian, with price points ranging fro low twenties to low forties and the $14 Kana Winery '07 Katie Mae, slipped into the tasting as a ringer, was the group favorite! And these folks have sophisticated palates and serious wine cellars/collections!.

  • palmerwr

    I must qualify the above and be transparent with the fact that I am the owner of Kana

  • Beeks

    I am not sure it could be considered professional, to go into a business you have never been in before, hand your server a business card and then proceed to inform her, because you are in the industry, “you always taste for free”. You said yourself, she was dressed unprofessionally and more suited to a beach, so perhaps, if it truly is “spreading the word” you are interested in doing, then asking to speak with the Vintner or onsight manager, would have been a better way to proceed.

    I manage a popular restaurant that proudly features the Kana winery and have always found them to be professional, friendly, helpful and very good at what they do.

    Now, if someone were to come into my restaurant from across the mountains, hand me a card and say they are in the restaurant business and usually eat for free because of it, I would be very put off at the audacity and while I would not honor your request with a verbal tirade, I would decline the implication and suggest you try McDonalds or perhaps the mission, where the food is always free.