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.
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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!
by admin2020 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.
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.
by adminOn 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.
by adminWine 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.
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Enjoy the day! As you celebrate, remember it is a day for equality and freedom for all! Take care, be considerate, and be safe!
The reds, like Cabernet Sauvignon, the whites, like Sauvignon Blanc, and the blues, like Saffire and the Uppity Women. (Sorry, I just don’t like the new blue wines.) We enjoy a lovely bottle of Claret, a favorite wine of the Founding Fathers, and the nerd in me re-reads the Declaration of Independence. (I taught Political Science, after all.)
Happy Independence Day to all!
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Spring of 2020 has not been what Kentucky wine lovers are used to. Wineries have just begun opening up for visitors. But here’s a sign of hope that Mother Nature is still at work. Here’s a small promise of what is to come. These Vidal Blanc grapes will become wine one day.
Most wine lovers in Kentucky have heard of Chrisman Mill. Opening in the late 1990s, it is one of the states oldest wineries. Today the vineyards are home to not only the Chrisman Mill Winery, but also the Hummingbird Ridge Distillery and Fuego Grill. Under the ownership of Chris and Denise Nelson, the vineyard is being readied to reopen in early July under all new protective health measures to keep visitors safe and allow them to enjoy all the winery, the distillery, and the grill.
Visitors to Chrisman Mill are familiar with the wine making and distilling skills of Dr. Chris Nelson, a well-known pediatrician in Lexington. But most are probably not aware that he is indeed a man of many talents. This is a work of art created by Chris of a subject near to his heart, a metal sculpture is of an old Zinfandel vine. Chris’s Old Vine Zinfandel wine has become a favorite with visitors, the wine maker, and the Kentucky Wine Lover.
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For all Kentucky wine lovers who have been languishing at home for the last couple of months just longing for a visit to your favorite Kentucky winery, your wishes are coming true.
Kentucky’s wineries are beginning to open or are making plans to very soon. Northern Kentucky’s Brianza Gardens and Winery opened today. In Bullitt County, Brooks Hill Winery, Forest Edge Winery, and Wight-Meyer Vineyards and Winery opened yesterday. So did Purple Toad in Paducah. Other wineries, such as Chrisman Mill Vineyards and Winery and Grimes Mill Winery are making plans to open on the weekend of July 3. Most of the other wineries will be opened or opening soon. Just check out their websites.
You might find some new hours, social distancing rules, masks, and changes in tastings, but most importantly, you’ll find their wine. Go and enjoy!
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