Over two hundred Kentucky wines were entered into the 2011 Kentucky State Fair Commercial Wine Competition held on Saturday, August 13 at the Fair and Expo Center in Louisville, KY.  Twenty-one Kentucky wineries earned 112 medals, including 31 gold medals. 

Two gold medals each were awarded to Forest Edge Winery of Shepherdsville, MillaNova Winery of Mt. Washington, Springhill Winery of Bloomfield, and Talon Winery of Lexington.  Acres of Land Winery of Richmond, Elk Creek Winery of Owenton, Prodigy Vineyards & Winery of Frankfort, Purple Toad Winery of Paducah, and Wight-Meyer Vineyard & Winery of Shepherdsville each won one gold medal.

Bullit County’s MillaNova and Wight-Meyer led the parade to the medal stand with 13 each. In addition to its two gold medals, MillaNova took home five silver medals and six bronze medals. Wight-Meyer had five silvers and seven bronzes.  The full results are posted below:

Congratulations to the Kentucky wineries that were awarded medals at the fourth annual Commercial Wine Competition.  Kentucky is proud to have such great wineries.

Vintage Kentucky, a Toast to Henry Clay,” Kentucky’s premier wine festival, will be held from 1-7 p.m. Saturday, September 4, at Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate on Richmond Road. The event will also feature the DiMartino Osland Jazz Orchestra performing at 5 p.m. on the back lawn of the estate.

Admission is free, although there will be a charge for wine samples. Food will be available for purchase. Each winery will be selling their wine selections. Festival-goers are also invited to bring their blankets and picnics.

The cost for wine tasting will be $20 for 10 tickets and that includes a wine glass. The event is sponsored by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, the Kentucky Grape and Wine Council and Smiley Pete Publishing

Title: Nicholasville Vine and Wine Fest
Location: Nicholasville, KY
Link out: Vine and Wine Web page

Description: Saturday, May 15, 2010, The Kentucky Wine & Vine Fest.  A day of wine, food and fun in downtown Nicholasville!

Kentucky arts and crafts, and gourmet food vendors as well as traditional festival fare.
10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Kentucky Wine and International & Domestic Wine Tasting Tents — sample, savor and celebrate to your heart’s content! Tickets $20.00 includes commemorative wineglass. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Wine School 101: The rising popularity of blending!
A hands-on tasting experience sponsored by the Euro Wine Bar.

Run for the Merlot – a light-hearted race open to festival-goers willing to run the gauntlet in the hopes of arriving with a full glass of Merlot! 3 p.m.

Entertainment – Let the good times roll with some romping Dixieland, String and Jugband music. It’s such a treat that some just come for the music!

These Wineries will be showcased in 2010:

• Lovers Leap Vineyard and Winery
• Chrisman Mill Winery
• Elk Creek Vineyards
• Wildside Winery
• Talon Winery
• Acres of Land Winery
• La Ferme du Cerf
• StoneBrook Winery
• Equus Run Vineyards
• Wight Meyer Vineyard and Winery

Start Date:5/14/2010

Start Time: 8:00am
End Date: 5/15/2010

End Time: 8:00pm

Title: Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront
Location: Louisville, KY
Link out: Click here
Description: The WineFest will be held Tuesday, April 27th, and Wednesday, April 28th, at the Overlook on the Waterfront, in Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville. Tickets, which cost $35, include a complimentary wine glass, event pin and samplings of some of Kentucky\’s finest beverages.

These Wineries will be showcased in 2010:

•Acres of Land Winery (Kentucky)
•Broad Run Vineyards (Kentucky)
•Chrisman Mille Vineyards & Winery (Kentucky)
•Elk Creek Vineyards (Kentucky)
•Equus Run Vineyards (Kentucky)
•Horseshoe Bend Vineyards (Kentucky)
•Huber’s Orchard & Winery (Indiana)
•Indian Creek Winery (Indiana)
•Lover’s Leap Vineyards & Winery (Kentucky)
•Orchard Creek Vineyards (Kentucky)
•River Bend Winery (Kentucky)
•StoneBrook Winery (Kentucky)
•Wight-Myer Vineyards & Winery (Kentucky)
Start Date: 2010-04-27
Start Time: 17:00
End Date: 2010-04-28
End Time: 21:00

Winter is almost over, but most of us are already tired of being stuck in the house.  McConnel Spring shas the cure.  Take a relaxing country drive and enjoy Lexington and several surrounding counties by participating in a wine Barrel Tasting for the Springs on March 27 from 11 am to 5pm. 

Twelve Bluegrass wineries, each within an hour drive of Lexington, have agreed to host a wine barrel tasting of pre-released wine to benefit McConnell Springs.  A barrel tasting is a one-ounce sample of wine in its final stages before actual bottling and release of the finished product.  The tasting is not the finished product; however, it may have some of the final characteristics. 

Each tasting will give participants the change to experience up- and coming wines and opprotunity to discuss the soon-to-be released sample.  Each winery will also have its tasting rooms open for regular tastings of their released wine.  (A separate charge will apply.)

How can you participate? Partakers may starta t any participating winery and travel toas they wish for the cost of $20.  At the first winery participats will receive a wristband entitling them to one free barrel tasting to each winery visited that day. There will be a limited number of commemorative McConnell Springs wine glasses available.  Partakers may decide the order of, and which wineries they choose to visit. 

 Don’t want to drive?  McConnell Springs has you covered.  Five winery tour vans will be visiting at least four different wineries.  Call 859-272-0682 by March 24 to reserve your spot.  You must be 21 years or older to participate.  Participants are asked to drink and drive responsibly.  Maps and brochures of each winery participating are available at the McConnell Springs registration table at each winery.  Tour buses are not permitted.  All proceeds benefit McConnell Springs to fund various project.

 Participating Wineries:

 Acres of Land -www.acresoflandwinery.com- (2285 Barnes Mill Rd., Richmond )

 Black Barn Winery- (4200 Newtown Pike, Lexington)

 Chrisman Mill Vineyards- www.chrismanmill.com (2385 Chrisman Mill Rd., Nicholasville)

 Equus Run Vineyards and Winery- www.equusrunvineyards.com (1280 Moore’s Mill Road, Midway)

 Harkness Edward Vineyard- (5199 Combs Ferry Rd., Winchester)

 Horseshoe Bend Vineyard and Winery- www.horseshoebend-ky.com (1187 Lawson Lm., Willisburg)

Jean Farris Winery & Bistro- www.jeanfarris.com (6825 Old Richmond Rd., Lexington)

 Long Lick Farm Winery- www.longlickfarmwinery.com (1187 Lawson Ln., Willisburg)- at Horseshoe Bend Winery

 Lovers Leap Winery and Vineyard- www.loversleapwine.com (1180 Lanes Mill Rd., Lawrenceburg)

 Springhill Winery and Plantation- www.springhillwinery.com (3205 Springhill Rd., Bloomfield)

 Talon Winery and Vineyard- www.talonwine.com (7086 Tates Creek Rd., Lexington)

 Wildside Winery and Vineyards- www.wildsidewinery.com (5500 Troy Pike, Versailles)

Title: McConnell Springs Wine Tasting
Location: Various Wineries
Link out: Click here
Description: 3rd Annual Wine Barrel Tasting for McConnell Springs (Lexington), March 27, 2010. At least 11 wineries within an hour\’s drive of Lexington, have agreed to host a wine barrel tasting of pre-released wine to benefit McConnell Springs. Each tasting will give participants the chance to experience up-and-coming wines and an opportunity to discuss the soon-to-be-released sample. For further information on participating wineries and description of the event contact www.mcconnellsprings.org or 859.272.0682.

Date: 2010-03-27

Title: McConnell Springs Wine Tasting
Location: Various Wineries
Link out: Click here
Description: 3rd Annual Wine Barrel Tasting for McConnell Springs (Lexington), March 27, 2010. At least 11 wineries within an hour\’s drive of Lexington, have agreed to host a wine barrel tasting of pre-released wine to benefit McConnell Springs. Each tasting will give participants the chance to experience up-and-coming wines and an opportunity to discuss the soon-to-be-released sample. For further information on participating wineries and description of the event contact www.mcconnellsprings.org or 859.272.0682.

Date: 2010-03-27

Title: Winery Dinner
Location: StoneBrook Winery
Link out: Click here
Description: Dinner begins at 7p.m. Music by Nelson Henning. Wine tastings before dinner are from 6:15-7:00p.m. $5.00 for 5 tastings, with souvenir glass $7.00
Meat choices for the evening are:B.B.q.ribs, pork tender loin, grilled chicken, or a rib and chicken combo. Sides: salad, green beans, red seasoned potatoes, and your choice of one of our many desserts. Call or e-mail for dinner reservations.
Phone# 859-635-0111

Start Time: 6:15p
Date: 2010-02-27

Title: Stone Brook Winery Dinner
Location: Stone Brook Winery
Link out: Click here
Description: Dinner begins at 7p.m. Music by Nelson Henning. Wine tastings before dinner are from 6:15-7:00p.m. $5.00 for 5 tastings, with souvenir glass $7.00
Meat choices for the evening are:B.B.q.ribs, pork tender loin, grilled chicken, or a rib and chicken combo. Sides: salad, green beans, red seasoned potatoes, and your choice of one of our many desserts. Call or e-mail for dinner reservations.
Phone# 859-635-0111.

Start Time: 6:15pm
Date: 2010-02-13