Sep 7thBaker-Bird Winery

We were able to return to the Baker-Bird Winery for the first time in two years. I was impressed with the changes and renovations that Dinah Bird has been able to accomplish. Baker-Bird Winery is unique among the wineries of the state because it is located in the same building that held the winery owned by the Baker family in the 1800’s. When I visited in December of 2010 to interview Dinah, we went on the first weekend the winery was open to the public. Dinah was enthusastic about the winery, its history, and her plans for the future. Most of those plans have come to fruition.

Three German craftsmen, in the early 1850s, constructed a 40 by 100 foot stone building to house a winery for Abraham Baker, Jr. Baker and his son constructed a wine cellar. In 1860, when the census reported that Kentucky was the third-largest producers of grapes in the country, Abraham Baker’s wine cellar was well-known as one of the finest in the nation. Visitors can tour the cellar, as well as hold a special event there. The winery building was a commerical winery as well as being the Baker home. In the winery building, visitors can taste wines created for the winery by other vintners in the state.

The historical ambiance that greets visitors is appealing. With my lifelong interest in history, the visit was a treat.