May 30thChateau Ross Vineyard and Winery

Several years ago, on a trip to Nashville, we discovered a special winery in Tennessee. Special, because their wine is exceptional. Generally, I would say that the wineries in Tennessee make mostly sweet wines. Chateau Ross is an exception. They make a variety of wines and all but one are dry.

While searching the internet looking for wineries along the drive to Nashville, I found Chateau Ross. Their choices of wines are from some of my favorite grape varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Barbera and Chancellor. Their website described the wines and I was intrigued. We had to call ahead because they don’t have regular hours. We visited and enjoyed the wine and the visit with Deborah, the owner. Every wine we tasted was excellent.

This weekend, we made our third visit to Chateau Ross. The wine was just as good as it had been in the past. This visit we also met Deborah’s husband Ross, the co-owner and winemaker. From creative names like Big Bitch Red to Midnight Cabernet Sauvignon, their wines are exceedingly well made.

While I seldom visit wineries that require an appointment for a visit, this is a delightful exception. I’m glad to call ahead. I recommend a visit if you are near Nashville. They are just a few miles from the Kentucky border.

Mar 14thMonkey Hollow Winery

While in southern Indiana, we chose to visit one of Indiana’s newest wineries. After all, who could resist a winery named after a monkey. Following the posted directions down a scenic roadway, we found a lovely tasting room set in the midst of a vineyard. This early in the spring, the grapevines have not begun to turn green, but it was easy to imagine the beauty just weeks ahead. The tasting room was just as lovely and inviting inside, with a natural wooden decor. Local arts and crafts are displayed among the racks of wine. The atmosphere encourages visitors to stay for a while.

The winery is truly a family run business. Daniel and Anita Hedinger and their family planted grapevines in 2003, and opened the winery in May of 2011. From grape harvesting to corking the bottles, the family is involved in the wine making process. Though still a young winery, they are greeting many visitors and have plans for growth.

Not only does the name of the winery intrigue visitors, but the wines also have interesting names and labels. A visitor might want to try a Pasture Mark – a Catawba Rose aged in a Kentukcy bourbon barrel, or a  Ol’ Grandad made in a port style with the Chambourcin grape. The creativity is quite appealing. Visitors will be pleased they stopped by.

Mar 14thFrench Lick Winery

Spring Break means time to travel. We took a day trip to southern Indiana this week to visit our favorite Indiana winery. French Lick Winery is located in the historic town of West Baden. West Baden and neighboring French Lick were towns that grew from the popularity of the springs located there. Americans flocked to the towns in the early twentieth century to enjoy the benefits of the springs.

We discovered the towns when we made our first visit to French Lick Winery in the early 1990’s. We go back as often as we can for the same reason, the wine. The winery makes some of the finest wines in the state of Indiana. Our favorite is the Norton. A visit to French Lick Winery also includes an amazing meal at their Vintage Cafe and a shopping excursion at one of the best winery gift shops that I’ve ever seen. A bottle of wine, an exceptional pizza, and a few gift items made the trip an enjoyable way to spend a Spring Break day trip.

Mar 14thIndiana Uplands

Kudos to the wineries in southern Indiana. Indiana Uplands became an official American Viticultural Area in March of 2013. This is one of only 204 such areas in the United States. This designation recognizes the quality and the importance of the wine industry in Indiana. The geographic area is approximately 4800-square miles.  The area, marked by the remnants of an unglaciated plateau, has created a unique terroir that leaves a mark on the wine grapes that grow in the area.

Wineries in the United States show the geographic pedigree of their wine by noting on the label the specific AVA where the grapes were grown. American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) were established by the United States Government to guarantee to buyers that 85% of the grapes making the wine they are buying comes from a specific geographic area. Again, congratulations to Indiana’s southern wineries, especially to those wineries who have worked so hard in the last few years to obtain this recognition.

Feb 25thBarboursville Vineyard

As readers of my blog or my book know, Barboursville Vineyard and Winery in Virginia holds a special place in this wine lover’s heart. I wanted to share with you a bit of news from Virginia.

The 2009 Octagon, 12th Edition, won the Virginia Wineries Association’s Governor’s Cup. This is one of the nation’s premier competitions and this year marks the fourth time Barboursville has won this award for one of their wines.

The wine was already awarded 90 points at Wine Enthusiast, the Gold Medal of the Beverage Testing Institute in Chicago and the Platinum Medal of the Sommelier Challenge, in California.

 Barboursville’s Octagon is a Meritage-style blend of the best Bordeaux varietals from the winery, made only in top vintage years. The 2009 vintage is comprised of  70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.

We will be visiting this summer and I am looking forward to tasting this award-winning wine. Previous vintages have been amazing.

Jan 23rdFrench Lick Winery

Buying wines from other states is not always easy and is prohibited by laws in many cases. Kentucky residents are not permitted to have wine shipped to them except for rare occasions. Indiana laws keep most of their wineries from shipping outside their state. When you find wines you love in other states, visiting them and purchasing is your best choice.

Since we haven’t traveled much this year, we’ve really missed our visits to the French Lick Winery in Indiana. At least once and sometimes twice a year, we have enjoyed the winery as well as their vintage cafe. We have also missed their wines.  We did go to the Swiss Wine Festival in the summer and bought a few bottles, but they have some new wines since then that we were looking forward to trying.

We have some friends to thank for visiting French Lick Winery for us. Thanks to them, we are able to taste their new wine selections of Dry Traminette, Noreit, and Cabernet Franc, as well as enjoy our old favorites of Norton and Heaven’s View Port (made with Norton).

Buying wines you haven’t tried is sometimes risky, but we know the quality of French Lick  wines.  I’ll let you know what the Noreit and Dry Traminette are like as soon as I get a taste.

Dec 9thOliver Winery

South Central Indiana is home to one of the most beautiful wineries in the state.  What began as a hobby for Professor William Oliver turned into one of the largest wineries in the eastern United States. Oliver Winery celebrates its fortieth anniversary this year, opening in 1972. Bill Oliver, son of the founder, operates the winery and makes the wine today. Wine lovers are drawn back to the winery over and over, both for the wine and the georgous setting.

 Oliver Winery, north of Bloomington, welcomes visitors every day of the week. My husband and I first visited the winery in the mid-1990s and keep returning every chance we get. The tasting room is large enough to accomodate the large number of visitors who stop by daily.  Tours are regularly given of the facility. The gift shop offers a variety of wine gifts and food items to enjoy with your wine. Outdoors, the deck and the lake invite one to sit, sip wine, and soak up the atmosphere. Even if you don’t find a wine you love, you will still enjoy your visit.

The wine is excellent. Our favorites are their Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Shiraz, and Shiraz Reserve. They are also know for a line of ciders and their Camelot Mead. Our last visit, we were especially impressed by their Maximum Port. Whatever your wine tastes, there is something at Oliver Winery for everyone.

Dec 6thThomas Family Winery

In historic Madison Indiana, visitors will find one of my favorite places to spend a relaxing afternoon. Several years ago, my husband and I discovered Thomas Family Winery and since then we try to get to Madison at least a couple of times a year. The atmosphere and ambiance of the 1850’s stable and carriage house invite one to order a glass of wine or cider and sit for a while.

The winery is owned and operated by Steve and Elizabeth Thomas greet visitors to the winery as if they are old friends and after the first visit, they will be. Whenever we stop by, it feels like we’re spending an afternoon with friends. Visitors can sit at the bar, or relax at tables enjoying board games or an assortment of books.

Steve is an excellent winemaker. Wine lovers are pleased with his many selections of whites and reds, both drys and sweet. My personal favorite and what I recommend to you is his hard ciders. Named after his grandfather, Gale’s Hard Cider is put into old barrels, fermented and aged, creating a strong dry cider made in the old Celtic style.

The pub-style winery is an inviting place to visit. Once you do, I’m sure you’ll plan to return.

Sep 7thLavender Hills of Kentucky

Last Sunday when we visited Baker-Bird in Augusta, we decided to drive over to Brooksville to visit a farm business owned by friends of ours. Unlike many farms in Kentucky where one finds horses, cows, or even vineyards, at this farm you also find Lavender.  Lavender Hills of Kentucky has been in business for several years. They grow several types of lavender, from edible to the plants grown mostly for the scented flowers. Even though the lavender had been harvested for the year, we were given a tour and received explanations about the lavender. I thought all lavender was purple, after all it is called lavender. However, at the Bracken  County farm, they grow many varieties including purple, pink, yellow, and one that looks like a honeycomb. Next year, I’d like to visit when the lavender is in bloom.

We also visited their gift shop. Items scented with lavender from sachets to bath salts and soap are available for purchase. Edible lavender is available with some recipes on how to use it in the kitchen or you could buy some items from the kitchen made for you. 

It was a lovely place and a delightful visit.

May 16thBarboursville Vineyards

While traveling to the Monticello Wine Festival, we took the time to return to our favorite winery, Barboursville Vineyards. It was our first visit here in 1993 that created our interest in visiting wineries.

Barboursville Vineyard is one of Virginia’s oldest and most renowned wineries. Both the owner and the winemaker are Italians. Some of their most popular wines reflect this heritage – Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese, and Barbera. However, the winery is best known for their Octagon, that recently won three Best Bordeaux blend citations in competitions for the 2007 vintage. In the gift shop, on display, is a 2000 year old Roman Amphora. The winery is located on the grounds of the ruin of the home of Governor Barbour (designed by Thomas Jefferson). They also operate a Bed and Breakfast at the 1804 Inn and offer food at the Palladio Restaurant.

If you’re ever in Central Virginia, it is definitely worth a visit.