Oct 16thAfternoon at Brianza Gardens and Winery

In this disturbing year, finding a safe place to relax and enjoy an afternoon break is a great find. Our place is Brianza Gardens and Winery. On bad days, on good days, or just Wednesdays, stopping at Brianza and sharing a great Cabernet Sauvignon makes it all better. We’ve shared picnic lunches, ran into friends, and just visited with Tony and talked about wine.

Fall in the vineyard has been beautiful. Kentucky wine lovers would enjoy a visit. Try a tasting flight and choose the wine you love most. Enjoy!

Oct 8thHummingbird Bakery Company

If you’re missing the Chrisman Mill Vineyards and Winery, Hummingbird Ridge Distillery, and Fuego Grill, you might be interested in the pop-up sales from their newly opened Hummingbird Bakery Company.

Denise Nelson has created custom design sugar cookies. She uses only natural ingredients – Potassium Bromate free flour and 100% natural Madagascar vanilla. They are not only delicious but also a work of art.

Check out their Facebook page.

Oct 7thChrisman Mill Vineyards and Winery

The last Saturday in September, we enjoyed a wonderful meal and amazing wine on the patio at Fuego Grill. The Grill, the Chrisman Mill Winery, and Hummingbird Ridge Distillery are closed until spring. They will be missed!

                  It was a beautiful night and the winery was looking its best.

The owners, Chris and Denise Nelson, are to be congratulated and thanked for providing their visitors with a safe and responsible way to have quality meals and drinks during the Covid 19 pandemic. From delivery and carry out to VIP safe-distanced dining on the patio, they have been a welcome respite from the worry of contagions.

Oct 5thA New Winery in Rabbit Hash

A few years ago residents and visitors spotted the beginnings of vineyards just outside the town of Rabbit Hash. Wine lovers know that it takes three years for grapes to produce wine. That time has passed, and this summer visitors were able to stop by and enjoy that wine at the Gunpowder Creek Vineyards in downtown Rabbit Hash. In a rustic, homey tasting room on a hill overlooking the General Store and the Ohio River, tastes, glasses, and bottles are available to visitors.

Long-time farmers in Boone County, Gina and Jeff Ogden are the owners and operators of the vineyards and the winery. While caring for the vineyards themselves they brought in a regional winemaker, Alex Sena, to create their wines. From sweet wines to dry wines, they produce a variety of wines to appeal to any wine drinker. Most of the wines are produced from grapes grown in their vineyards, such as Stueben, Catawba, Arandell, and Norton. They also produce a Malbec from Argentinian grapes. For those who enjoy the taste of wines aged in Bourbon barrels, wine lovers can try a Blackberry and and Arandell.

Rabbit Hash attracts many visitors and is a gathering spot for locals. After suffering a devastating fire a few years ago, the General Store was rebuilt and once again charms visitors with its quaint offerings. If you visit this fall, you will be enthralled by the local election. Rabbit Hash has gained notoriety for many years of electing a dog for mayor. The town is covered with posters of the candidates including the poster of Diezel hanging on the door of the Gunpowder Creek Vineyards.

A visit to the well-known river town just across from Rising Sun is a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Aug 28thNational Red Wine Day 2020

Has 2020 gotten you down? Are you missing wine festivals and visiting your favorite wineries? For wine lovers who’ve been feeling blue and need a reason to celebrate. August 28 is National Red Wine Day.

As a lover of big, dry, robust red wines, that is good news! Some favorite red wines in our house are Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Sagrantino, Cabernet Franc, and of course, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Choose a bottle, pour a glass, and relax! Enjoy a day made for Wine Lovers!

Aug 4thSmith-Berry Vineyards and Winery

2020 has not been a good year for visiting wineries. As a Kentucky wine lover who loves to visit wineries, yesterday was a momentous day. We visited our second winery of the year. While running an errand in Henry County, we visited Smith-Berry Vineyards and Winery. We enjoyed a couple of hours sitting outdoors, tasting a flight of wines, and talking to owner and winemaker, Chuck Smith.

Smith-Berry has been one of our favorite wineries for many years. Chuck makes good wine and has a variety of wines available for all wine lovers. From a crisp Pinot Grigio to a dark purple Petite Sirah, his wines will appeal to someone looking for a good dry wine. A lover of sweeter wines will enjoy a Moscato or Chambourcin. The winery also offers some sweet fruit wines like Strawberry, Blueberry, and Blackberry that offer the sensation of enjoying the fresh fruits.

Being back at a winery, enjoying the views, the wine, and the ambiance was a great way to spend a couple of hours. It’s been too long and we look forward to visiting other Kentucky wineries soon.

Jul 31stA Wine Lover’s Week

For the first time in months, this week was more typical for this wine lover. Typically, we visit wineries and share wines with friends regularly. We visit wineries while on trips. Sometimes a visit to the winery is just because we are nearby. But, of course, this hasn’t been happening. This week I met a friend and over wine, we enjoyed ourselves talking the afternoon away with glasses of wine. Later in the week, my husband and I stopped for some wine after a trip to the farmer’s market. And, as an end to the week we are going to a winery to enjoy an evening of wine and music on the lawn. We’re still not traveling but with the wearing of masks and social distancing, we have enjoyed a week of wining at our local winery, Brianza Gardens and Winery.

Jul 31stWine and Cheese Pairings

On National Wine and Cheese Day, we both wanted to enjoy a nice wine with one of our favorite cheeses  but we couldn’t agree on the wine. I wanted white and he wanted red, but we both wanted a Kenny’s Farmhouse Swiss Cheese. We discovered that we could enjoy what we wanted. Sauvignon Blanc from Barboursville Vineyards and Winery and Syrah from Brianza Gardens and Winery both paired nicely with our cheese choice. I’d recommend either.

Jul 25thNational Wine and Cheese Day

Wine lovers can celebrate their love for wine and cheese today with Kentucky wines and Kentucky cheese.

Kentucky is home to around 70 wineries and offers a variety of excellent wines. Some examples of excellent pairings are Cabernet Sauvignon and Extra Sharp Cheddar or Chardonnay and a Colby Jack. Of course, the best pairing is your favorite wine with the cheese you prefer.

Wine lovers know that wherever you are in the state you can find Kentucky wines by visiting the wineries or shopping one of the many wine stores that sell the state’s wines. But many may not be familiar with some of the state’s cheese makers. Three of the best are Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese in Barren County, Ed-Mar Dairy in Kenton County, and Wildcat Mountain Cheese in Laurel County. Look for these cheeses at Kentucky wineries as well as specialty food stores, or check their websites.