Kathken Vineyards sits on 50 acres in Eola Hills, located seven miles west of Salem. The name of the vineyard comes from the names of its owners: Kathy and Ken Slusser. The Slussers bought the property in 1995, and have spent the past thirteen years transforming the vineyard into an award-winning producer of pinot noir and pinot gris grapes.
Kathken aims to hit the mid-range wine market.  

"We offer great wines at affordable prices," Kathy said. Maintaining a stable price can be tricky, given the ever-increasing cost of wine production, and the competition of 200-some wineries in the Willamette Valley.    

The dedication to providing a great product at a fair price extends to Kathken Vineyards' summer concert series. For a $5 entrance fee, folks can enjoy good music in a relaxing atmosphere.

"The summer concerts are fairly unique in this area," Ken said.

The idea for hosting concerts in the summer had appealed to Ken for years.

"I always had a vision about the summer concerts," Ken said. "There are a lot of talented musicians around here, and they didn't have a lot of venues."  

This is the seventh consecutive year for the concert series. The concerts were originally held on Sunday afternoons. The time and day did not work -- Ken and Kathy discovered that Salemites had other things to do on Sundays than drinking wine and listening to music.  The following year, concerts were moved to Friday and Saturday nights. The move was a success, and concerts now draw anywhere from 75 to 200 people.  

On concert nights white lights are hung from tree to tree. Tiki torches provide additional light, and this year propane heating lamps will provide warmth on cooler summer nights. Ferns growing on the hillside provide a natural green backdrop to the stage.

This year's lineup includes musicians such as Ty Curtis, a blues/rock singer and guitar player and Jake Blair, a blues singer who has been popular with crowds in the past.  

Food and wine are available for purchase. Kathken seeks to combine the food, which is provided by local vendors such as Tuckers at the Mill and Happy Hippie Barbeque, with the music. For example, Pound for Pound, featuring John Pound and Kita Montgomery, plays blues music that goes well with Cajun food. Ricky and the Rockets, a band performing 1950s music, will be paired with foods associated with the `50s.

Kathken wines include pinot noir and pinot gris. They also will make their first rosé available, along with a cabernet/syrah/merlot/pinot blend, which Ken refers to as "Remedy Red." Wines are available for purchase by the glass or by the bottle. For oenophobes, beer, soda, and water are available.  

Folks can spread blankets out on the lawn, and those looking for fabulous views can make the trek to the top of the hill.

"We're trying to make it possible to enjoy good entertainment without going out of town," Ken said.

On concert nights, food and beverage service begins at 6:30 p.m., with the music starting at 7 p.m.  For a complete listing of  summer concerts, check out the Kathken Web site:  kathkenvineyards.com.