Jun 21stA Kentucky Wine and Vine Review

Compliments to the planners of 2019’s Kentucky Wine and Vine Festival. The festival was the best we’ve attended for several years and by far the best Wine and Vine Festival ever. Part of the reason was its new location at the R. J. Corman property. The grounds are gorgeous and the part of the property devoted to the tents and festival goers was perfect. Mother Nature cooperated and the weather was good.

As we arrived at the property, there were people directing parking. With so many visitors, we were a bit far away but were immediately picked by a cart that took us to the entrance. There was an inviting walkway through a tunnel to the festival itself. After paying admission and getting our glasses and tickets for tasting, we began our walk through the booths. There was a large number of vendors with a variety of wares. A few of the notable booths were hot sauces, olive oils and balsamic vinegars, cork gifts, handmade jewelry, hand painted signs, and of course wineries. Food trucks provided food choices throughout the day and musicians entertained providing a musical background for the day. We were just there for a few hours, so we missed the evening festivities, but really enjoyed the day.

We enjoyed the wineries that we visited with, touching base with Rose Hill Farm Winery, meeting the people from Bluegrass Vineyards and having a glass of old vine Zinfandel from Chrisman Mill Vineyards and Winery. There were other wineries from around the state as well. My only suggestion to improve the festival in the future would be to have more wineries and a wider variety of wines to taste.

With the change of venue, the larger number of vendors, the food choices, and the entertainment, the festival was a good one. Looking forward to next year!

Jun 12thKentucky Wine and Vine Fest 2019

Saturday is a good day for wine lovers in Kentucky. On June 15, the annual Wine and Vine Fest will be held in Jessamine County. (For those who don’t know the history of wine, the first commercial winery in the United States was established in Jessamine County over 200 years ago by Jean Jacques Dufour.) Kentucky  has celebrated the states’ wine industry with a Wine and Vine Festival for nearly two decades. The biggest difference this year is the location. For years, the festival was held in downtown Nicholasville. This year the festival will be held at the RJ Corman Grounds, a beautiful site for a wine festival.

From 1 PM to 9 PM, there will be vendors featuring local artists, food vendors and trucks, live music, and wineries from around the state pouring tastes for visitors. The festival ends with a balloon show and fireworks. You can get your tickets at the gate on Saturday.

We’ve attended the festival for years and are looking forward to the new venue. Saturday is a great day to celebrate Kentucky wine. Hope to see you there!

Check the link at http://www.kywinefest.com/ for information on the wineries and the event schedule.

May 5thJane’s Saddlebag Annual Wine Festival

Every year since 2013 Jane’s Saddlebag, in Union, has hosted a wine festival in Boone County. This year’s festival takes place on June 18 and 19, from 11 to 6.

Lots of people in Northern Kentucky have discovered Jane’s Saddlebag over the years. It is a lovely spot to visit, explore, and relax for an interesting afternoon. There are shops, food, wine, a petting zoo, and they are making a bourbon. This pastoral location is a perfect spot for a wine festival. Visitors can stroll around the grounds, relax on the lawn, enjoy the music, and especially try some wines.

Check out their Facebook page for ticket information.

Apr 13thA Successful McConnell Springs Barrel Tasting

For the past several years, McConnell Springs has hosted a Barrel Tasting at some of the Bluegrass wineries as a fundraiser and, again this year, it was a success. Wine lovers spent the beautiful spring day traveling from winery to winery talking to wine makers and tasting their wines from the barrel. We chose four wineries to visit this year.

We started the day at Prodigy Vineyards and Winery in Frankfort with lunch and a taste of Cabernet Sauvignon. Both were lovely. Next we visited a rather new winery in Nicholasville, 1922 House Vineyards and Winery. We tried a very interesting Chambourcin and a Norton. Our next stop was at Talon Vineyards and Winery. We’ve visited many times in the past, but it had been a while. We tasted a new Malbec and will be back to try it. Our last visit of the day was to try the long awaited Zinfandel from Chrisman Mill Vineyards and Winery, and were also surprised with cocktails made from spirits from their soon to be open distillery.

Mar 23rdMcConnell Springs Barrel Tasting 2019

Kentucky wine lovers get ready. There will be fun to be had at the wineries in the Bluegrass. Next Saturday (March 30)  is the date for the McConnell Springs Barrel Tasting. If you’ve never been to a barrel tasting, you are in for a treat. Tasting a wine that is new and hasn’t been bottled  gives you the opportunity to gain an insight into the depth a wine can reach as it ages. We’ve gone to many and have enjoyed them all. It is especially fun to try a favorite wine and then later look for the changes that have occurred after a few weeks in the bottle. You’ll gain a new appreciation for your wine. As a special treat, the wineries will usually have a few surprises ready for their guests.

Here is a link to the brochure for the event. Check it out for the wineries that will be pouring, the time, and the cost.

http://mcconnellsprings.org/images/2019_Barrel_Tasting_Brochure.pdf

Hope to see you at one of the wineries. We’re looking forward to a good day!

Feb 28thSpring Festivals at Kentucky Wineries

Though it’s still February, signs of warm weather are springing up. Tulips, Daffodils, Hyacinths, and other early spring flowers are popping out of the ground, giving us hope of an early spring. Wineries are showing signs of spring too.

One of the early signs that spring is just around the corner is the start of wine festival season. Wine festivals are a chance for wine lovers to taste wines from many of our state’s wineries and choose their favorites to visit later.

First on the schedule is the McConnell Spring’s Barrel Tasting, on March 31, featuring the wineries of the Bluegrass. The month of May offers two chances for wine tastings; May 1 and 2, at the Kentucky Derby Wine Festival, on the Belvedere at Waterfront Park and Kentucky Wine and Vine Fest at Nicholasville, on May 10, 11, and 12. On June 9 and 10, Boone County’s Jane’s Saddlebag will host their annual wine festival.

Spring is a lovely time to get out and enjoy what the state has to offer, so mark your calendars. Watch for more information in the coming weeks.

Sep 29thKentucky Wine Festival

On September 9, Kentucky put its wine on display at the 6th Annual Kentucky Wine Festival. Visitors were treated to food, vendors, live music, and wine. Prodigy Vineyards and Winery, Forest Edge Winery, Purple Toad Winery, Rising Sons Home Farm Winery, Brooks Hill Winery, and Springhill Winery were just a few of the wineries that were pouring their wines. The highlight of the day was the VIP Experience.

Visitors who chose that special experience were given tastes of the states’ wines that had recently won awards at the state competition. Those pours were accompanied by food treats to enhance their flavors. While tasting, some of the best-known figures in the Kentucky wine world shared their knowledge about the wines.

Aug 31stNorthern Kentucky Wine Festival

Wine lovers in Northern Kentucky should mark your calendars. Once again, MainStrasse will be the site of one of the state’s premier wine festivals. From 3 PM to 10 PM, on October 21, 2017, wineries from around the state will be offering tastes of their wines.

I’ll share details of the event when they are available. One thing for sure now, it will be a good time!

Aug 31st6th Annual Kentucky Wine Festival

Just a reminder for Kentucky wine lovers, the Sixth Annual Kentucky Wine Festival will be September 9, 2017, from Noon to 10 PM, at the Bullitt County Fairgrounds, sponsored by the Kentucky Wineries Association.

There will be Kentucky wineries, craft vendors, food vendors, and music to appeal to all visitors. For $20, get 12 wine tastings, a festival program and a souvenir glass.

Mark your calendars to enjoy a fun day of trying some of Kentucky’s finest wines.

May 24thKentucky Wine and Vine of 2017

Kentucky’s annual Wine and Vine Festival was a resounding success. Wine lovers came from many miles away to enjoy a day of tasting some of the state’s best wines. With music playing, wineries pouring, and vendors offering some unique shopping, visitors wandered around enjoying themselves from 10 to 7. It was a perfect day for an outdoor festival!

Purple Toad, Horseshoe Bend, Chrisman Mill, Prodigy, Springhill, Talon, Hamon Haven, Wildside, Elk Creek, Rising Sons, First Vineyard, Equus Run, Cave Hill, and McIntyre’s hosted booths and shared their wines with the visiting wine lovers. Those interested in some shopping could buy olive oils from Stuarto’s, Tupperware, hand made jewelry, Larry Mac’s Beer Cheese, Good Ole Boys Leather items, Mary Jo’s Country Crafts, and many other specialities. I bought a gorgeous hand crafted clock made of wine corks.

If you love wine, you missed a great opportunity to enjoy a taste of what Kentucky has to offer. But, you’re in luck, the Kentucky Wine and Vine is an annual event. Watch for next year’s date. Maybe we’ll see you there.