Jul 23rdTotal Wine & More

Wine lovers often go into liquor stores, both large party style stores and small neighborhood shops and wish for a better wine selection. In some, wine even seems like an after thought. Wine shops are popping up, but are generally small and the choices are limited. Kentucky wine lovers have now joined a group of wine connoisseurs in other states and have a new place to go. Both Lexington and Louisville are home to a Total Wine & More, a liquor superstore chain that focus on fine wine.

The company originated in Delaware in 1991, as a small independent store and according to their website, has grown into the country’s largest independent retailer of wine, with each superstore featuring more than 8,000 wines (along with over 2,500 beers and 3,000 spirits). Total Wine & More can be found in over 20 states, and more outlets are opening.

Conveniently located, off Nicholasville Road, in Lexington Green, Lexington’s new Total Wine & More opened in the spring. We visited first in May on a day that unfortunately experienced a power outage. In an effort to console the many customers that were turned away, the management met visitors at the door with a gift of stemless wine glasses. We went again this month and were glad we went back. For a wine lover, the selections are exceptional. Kentucky wines, regional wines, domestic and foreign wines of just about every varietal. If that isn’t enough, the prices are better than most places we’ve shopped.

We just discovered Total Wine & More, with the opening in Lexington. But other wine lovers in Kentucky have known about it for a while now. Louisville has had a Total Wine & More in the Paddock Shops, on the corner of Brownsboro Road and N. Hurstbourne Parkway since 2016. Some sources in Louisville are saying that a second store is coming soon.

I recommend a visit to one of these superstores; it’s worth a drive. Or maybe a stop while vacationing to one of their other more than 175 superstores. Check out Total Wine & More online to find out more about it.

Jun 30thBullitt County Wineries

Some of Kentucky’s best wineries are in Bullitt County, but unfortunately we live far enough away that we don’t often get to visit them. As luck would have it, we needed to pick up a purchase we had made at a furniture store in the county last week. Of course, we planned the day around visits to some of our favorite wineries.

Our first stop (after picking up our purchase) was at Brooks Hill Winery. It had been a while since we had visited and did a full tasting. We were pleased to find that they have a red blend that is both unique and great. The full-body dry wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Lemberger, that has been aged for 14 months in Kentucky white oak barrels. There are tastes of spice and blackberries with a wonderful aroma and aftertaste. Needless to say, we had to have some to take home. If you are a fan of dry red blends, you will want to give it a try.

Next, we traveled a bit south to Forest Edge Winery. The wine here is always going to please visitors, from the somewhat exotic Java Vino to the very traditional Cabernet Sauvignon. Our favorite, as you might guess, is the Cab. It has lush flavors of dark fruit. There’s also a really great dry Riesling for the white wine lovers. For those with a taste for the more unusual wines, the Java Vino is a dessert red wine with coffee flavors that will give you a boost.

Our last stop of the day was at Wight-Meyer Vineyard and Winery. Jim Wight, one of the state’s finest wine makers, always has a wine ready for visitors no matter what style of wine they enjoy. He makes a great dry red Norton. Possibly his most unique wine is a dry white called Cabernet Doré, a hybrid grape varietal using Cabernet Sauvignon and Norton grapes. Great grapes varietals are often cross bred using two other varietals. Cabernet Sauvignon was created from the Sauvignon Blanc and the Cabernet Franc grapevines. Cabernet Doré wine shows it direct link to its grandparent, Sauvignon Blanc. The wine is crisp and perfect for a hot summer day.

Jun 7thJane’s Saddlebag’s Annual Wine Festival

Just a reminder, Jane’s Saddlebag’s Wine Festival is this weekend. From 11 to 6, on June 9 and 10, wine lovers can enjoy a festival with wine, artisans, music, and food.

Jane’s Saddlebag is just a couple of miles from Big Bone Lick Park in Boone County. The grounds are a great spot for a festival. Check their website, in my links, for more information.

Jun 7thLovers Leap Vineyard and Winery

On Memorial Day Weekend, we celebrated our 50th Anniversary with a relaxing day at Lovers Leap Vineyard and Winery. We shared a bottle of one of our favorite Kentucky wines, a Cabernet Franc Reserve. This vintage has aged well and is a fantastic example of a great vinifera wine made in the state.

Jun 7thBluegrass Wineries

Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region is home to some excellent wineries. Over Memorial Day, we were able to visit our three favorites, Prodigy Vineyards and Winery, Lovers Leap Vineyards and Winery, and the Chrisman Mill Winery at Fayette Mall.

Prodigy Vineyards and Winery is just off I-64, between Frankfort and Versailles,  in one of Kentucky’s loveliest regions. Beautiful farms dot the countryside. Prodigy is one of those wineries with wines for every taste bud and they are all very well made. Our favorite is Lemberger, a dry red with spicy undertones. This wine is of German origin and is sometimes called Blaufrankisch.

Lovers Leap Vineyards and Winery is off the beaten path outside of Lawrenceburg. The winery is one of Kentucky’s oldest but has undergone changes in ownership. Today the winery has set a standard for its fine wines. Cabernet Franc Reserve and Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve are our definite favorites here.

The Winery at Fayette Mall has closed and Chrisman Mill Vineyards and Winery will be open weekends at the vineyard. This has long been one of our favorites wineries in the state and we will be looking forward to visiting the vineyard soon. They make an excellent Norton Reserve.

All in all, for a wine lover it was an enjoyable weekend!

May 4thKentucky Wineries are Convenient Stops

Who says running errands or shopping can’t be fun; not anyone who has ever combined the trip with a stop at a nearby winery. Many of Kentucky’s winery’s are conveniently located and make a spur of the moment stop a way to brighten any day. April was one of those months when we had a lot of things to do.

The Whole Foods store in Lexington has become one of our regular shopping spots. The store offers a wide line of many healthy choices and many hard to find varieties. As a plus, just minutes away is The Winery at Fayette Mall. Chrisman Mill Vineyards has a tasting room in the front of the Mall near the southern end. A glass of wine (or two) is a perfect way to follow-up shopping for healthy foods, after all wine can be healthy too.

Beef cattle farmers are familiar with a trip to a butcher shop. With one located near New Castle, our visit there was a perfect time to fit in a stop at Smith-Berry Vineyards and Winery. A glass of red wine pairs as well with a trip to pick up some beef as it does with that steak dinner.

Living in Northern Kentucky, any trip can easily include a trip to one of our favorite wineries; Brianza Gardens and Winery is so close to home that a visit to our local Kroger, our family doctor, or even our grandson’s basketball games can be followed by a relaxing glass of wine.

Being an efficient and inventive person, I’m always looking for a way to make life more enjoyable. All wine lovers should look for a way to visit a winery to brighten up their day.

Apr 30thMay Wine Festivals in Kentucky

Wine lovers have two chances for wine tastings this month. On May 1 and 2,  the Kentucky Derby Wine Festival, on the Belvedere at Waterfront Park, is one of Louisville’s first events leading up to the Kentucky Derby.

The $45 cost for the WineFest includes a complimentary wine glass, an event pin and samples of some Kentucky’s wines.

Kentucky Wine and Vine Fest in downtown Nicholasville takes place on May 12, with the preliminary events on the 10th and the 11th. (check out their website http://www.kywinefest.com for information about what’s going on those days)

The Kentucky wineries that will be pouring tastes at the festival are:  1922 House Vineyard, a new winery in Nicholasville, Cave Hill  Vineyard & Winery, Eubanks, Chrisman Mill Vineyards, Nicholasville, McIntyre’s Winery, Bardstown, Old 502 Winery, Louisville, Prodigy Vineyards and Winery, Frankfort, Rising Sons Winery, Lawrenceburg, Wildside Winery, Versailles, Springhill Winery, Bloomfield, and Three Horses Vineyard, Stamping Ground.

Wine lovers will want to make plans for these wine tasting events.

Apr 27thSpring time at Kentucky’s Wineries

Most wineries are open during the winter but at a different pace. That is beginning to change. Warm weather is finally is sight. (We hope.) The vineyards are beginning to bud, the wineries are readying for more visitors and hosting events. We took advantage of a few nice days and made some visits.

In March, we spent a day in Central Kentucky at Lovers Leap Vineyards and Winery and Prodigy Vineyards and Winery. If you happen to be around Frankfort, these two winery stops are sure to brighten your day. Both wineries offer a wide variety of wines and each one is really good. Loving big red wines, our favorites are a Reserve Cabernet Franc from Lovers Leap and a Limburger from Prodigy.

We also enjoyed a lovely spring day visiting wineries and tasting wines from the barrel at the McConnell Spring’s event. We returned to Lovers Leap Vineyards and Winery and were able to taste the upcoming release of a new Reserve Cabernet Franc. It was amazing. The release this summer is expected to be limited, so wine lovers will want to get there early. We stopped at Prodigy Vineyards and Winery and tried a new vintage of Chamboursin. For those who love this grape, it will be a good release. At Chrisman Mill Vineyards, we got to try the new vintage of Norton and also got a chance to taste what will be a new wine for Chrisman Mill – a Zinfandel. Red wine lovers will be pleased at the results. Our other visit that day was to a new winery outside of Georgetown. Three Horses Vineyards and Winery has recently opened with both Vidal and Norton wines. Wine lovers will want to give this new winery a try. It is a lovely spot surrounded by the beautiful countryside.

Kentucky is doing well as a wine producer. More wineries are opening; the number now is over seventy. New wines are being developed. It’s all good news to wine lovers.

Mar 21stMcConnell Spring’s 2018 Barrel Tasting

Kentucky wine lovers who have been looking forward to the McConnell Spring’s annual spring barrel tasting can start counting down the days. In just 10 days, wineries in the Bluegrass will welcome visitors for a special event – the chance to taste your favorite wines while they are still in the barrels. Winemakers will be there to answer your questions and wine will be available for enjoying at the winery and for taking home.

This day is somewhat unique. Each of the 18 wineries are within an hour’s drive of Lexington and wine lovers can start at any of the wineries and visit whichever ones they choose. For $20, visitors can pick up their entry bracelet, their commemorative wine glass and a map of the participating wineries. This is a major fundraiser for the preservation of McConnell Springs, so your participation will help preserve a part of Kentucky history. Not to mention enjoying a day tasting some excellent Kentucky wines.

The following wineries will be ready to welcome visitors: Harkness Edwards Vineyards, Three Horses Vineyard & Winery, Black Barn Winery, Chrisman Mills Vineyards, Chuckleberry Farm & Winery, Equus Run Vineyards, First Vineyard Winery, Grimes Mill Winery, Hamon Haven Winery, Horseshoe Bend Vineyards & Winery, Jean Farris Winery & Bistro, Lovers Leap Vineyards & Winery, McIntyre’s Winery and Berries, Prodigy Vineyards & Winery, Rising Sons Winery, Springhill Winery, Talon Winery & Vineyards, and Wildside Winery & Vineyard. 

After a long winter, join other wine lovers for a fun day of spring in the Bluegrass. Driving from winery to winery through the gorgeous countryside, visiting wineries, meeting the winemakers, and trying out some really good wines – what a way to spend a day!

We are looking forward to it. We’ve participated in the past and have always had a great time. Maybe we’ll see you there!

Mar 17thHappy St. Patrick’s Day

Wine lovers can celebrate St. Patrick with their favorite wine and still be honoring his traditions. St. Patrick was a citizen of the Roman Empire, and they were well-known wine drinkers. So pour a glass of your favorite wine of choice, and say “Cheers to Ireland and St. Patrick!”