Wine in Bourbon Country? Try these 8 wineries within an afternoon's drive of Louisville
Nestled among the horse farms of Bourbon Country is another libation often seen but certainly less spoken about — wine.
Vineyards and wineries are scattered among the Commonwealth, and its grape and wine industry has seen rapid growth and expansion since the mid-90s. The Bluegrass State has more than 113 grape producers and more than 60 small farm wineries, according to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.
Now that weather has thawed and the sun is shining, this is the perfect time to get acquainted with them.
Baker-Bird Winery
4465 Augusta Chatham Road, Augusta, Kentucky; bakerbirdwinerydistillery.com; 859-620-4965
This Northern Kentucky winery features a stunning, 19th century stone tasting room and a impressive Civil War-era wine cellar nestle 90 feet into a hill that's 40-feet-tall, 40-feet wide. This unique spot on the National Register of Historic Places is the only winery in the country that survived a Civil War battle.
It produces five white wines, including a Sweet Vidal Blanc, and four red wines, including a Cabernet Franc and a Chambourcin. The distillery on the property also produced two types of bourbon. The winery ages several of its wines in bourbon barrels, and is well-known for its smooth, dry red Thunder Bolt. Baker Bird Winery offers tours, guided visits and presentations. The winery is open every Saturday and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. throughout the year.
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Bluegrass Vineyard
5016 Smiths Grove Scottsville Road, Smiths Grove, Kentucky; bluegrassvineyard.com/the-winery; 270-853-1718
This Western Kentucky hotspot offers wine samples, wine by the glass, wine by the bottle, cheese trays and snacks daily, and winemaking tours after 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Bluegrass Vineyard is also children and pet friendly. It's a small family operation, so the tour usually only takes about 10 minutes. The winery also invites its visitors to take self-guided tours through the vines as long as long as guests are wearing appropriate shoes for its uneven ground.
Bluegrass Vineyard offers an extensive selection of wine. Some of its more unique options are dandelion wine, caramel apple wine, rhubarb wine and cotton candy wine. The winery also offer a more traditional selection, including sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio and merlot.
Forest Edge Winery
1910 Clermont Road, Shepherdsville, Kentucky; forestedgewine.com; 502-531-9610
The charming winery offers is known for its bold-tasting Cabernet Sauvignon as well as its wide variety of fruit wines a specialty wines. Its "Java Vino" is a coffee infused wine and its Toasted Tawny port has been aged eight years in a Kentucky bourbon barrel.
The winery is open seven days a week and tastings are $6 for five samples. The winery offers an assortment of cheeses from Kentucky Proud cheesemakers, but it also encourage guests to bring a picnic and enjoy the grounds.
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Huber's Orchard, Winery and Vineyards
19816 Huber Road, Starlight, Indiana; huberwinery.com; 812-923-9463
So the Commonwealth can't truly claim this hotspot, but it's so close to Louisville it's certainly a must-visit. Huber’s has more than 65 acres of vineyards, and grows Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Seyval Blanc among other varieties of grapes to make their award winning wines. Tours and tastings can be booked online, and Huber's is open seven days a week.
The business also boasts an impressive gift shop, farm market, bakery, fudge shop and creamery. Huber's also has a Family Fun Park. Also, don't skip a visit to the Starlight Distillery, also located at Huber's.
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430 Nealy Roa, Alvaton, Kentucky; reidsliverywinery.com; 270-779-6313
This cozy family-owned winery near Bowling Green has won the more than 300 medals in a variety of winemaking competitions since it first opened in 2009. Reid's is most well-known for its black raspberry wine, which is the three-time winner of the Kentucky Commissioner’s Cup for Boutique Wines. The winery is open from "Morning until O'Dark Thirty" and the ownership encourages you to call ahead to make sure you're visiting at the right time. If you come just before sunset, there’s a good chance you might see deer or wild turkeys pass through, the grounds are also home to a variety of chickens, peacocks, horses, dogs and cats.
Reid's is known for its Norton 2017, a dry red aged in a French Oak Barrel as well as its Berea Rose 2015, which is a dry red from Baco Noir Grapes grown in Kentucky at Hilltop Vineyard. Reid's is also has a large selection of fruit wines, including Verrry Berry Cherry, Peachy Keen, Cranberry Pleasure and Alvaton Apple.
Talon Winery and Vineyards
7086 Tates Creek Road, Lexington, Kentucky; 400 Gordon Lane, Shelbyville, Kentucky; talonwine.com; 859-971-9797
Come for the wine, but stay for the entertainment. Talon Winery, which has locations in Lexington and Shelbyville, offers free live music "rain or shine" on Fridays and Saturdays. The winery encourages its guests bring lawn chairs or picnic blankets, and enjoy the stunning landscape. Tastings are offers seven days a week, and guests can enjoy six wines for $5 Monday to Thursday and three wines for $3 Friday to Sunday.
The winery offers a variety of red, rose white table wines, bourbon barrel-aged wines as well as fruit flavors such as chocolate strawberry and blueberry.
Turtle Run Winery
940 St Peters Church Road NE, Corydon Indiana; turtlerunwinery.com; 812-952-2650
This Corydon, Indiana, gem is among the 10 largest wineries in Indiana, and the company prides itself on not adding sugar to its line-up of delectable dry and sweet white and red wines. Tastings are $5 for eight samples, and the winery is open from noon to 6 p.m. daily.
The vineyard grows a strong variety of grapes including Chambourcin, Vignoles, Corot Noir, Noriet, among others. If you plan your trip for a Sunday, you can enjoy live music through the winery's Sunday concert series.
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Waters Edge Winery and Bistro
114 S. Mulberry St., Elizabethtown, Kentucky; wineryetown.com; 270-737-9463
Located in downtown Elizabethtown, this charming winery is a little different than some of its Kentucky competitors because it doesn't grow its own grapes. Instead, Waters Edge buys quality crushed grapes from award-winning vineyards around the world, including California, France, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Chile, Argentina, Spain and South Africa. At the attached bistro guest can enjoy lunch, dinner or Sunday brunch. The bar also offers wine flights and a strong variety of sangrias.
The winery has a wide range of options including a riesling, rose, shiraz and chardonnay blend. The variety of grapes it brings in from all over the world also gives the winery the opportunity to make some less conventional wines such as German wine with distinctive with notes of grapefruit, rose petal and lychee nut.
Features columnist Maggie Menderski writes about what makes Louisville, Southern Indiana and Kentucky unique, wonderful, and occasionally, a little weird. If you've got something in your family, your town or even your closet that fits that description — she wants to hear from you. Say hello at mmenderski@courier-journal.com or 502-582-4053. Follow along on Instagram and Twitter @MaggieMenderski.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: 8 wineries to visit near Louisville, Kentucky, and Southern Indiana
