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

 “Throughout the country, wine lovers are discovering what we already know: Kentucky’s wine industry is back,” Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer said.

Acres of Land Winery of Richmond earned double gold and Best of Class for its Concord wine along with a silver medal for the Vidal Blanc.  This is the second year in a row Acres of Land Winery won a Best of Class for its Concord wine.  Jean Farris Winery of Lexington picked up gold medals for its Petite Syrah (which also was Best of Class) and Cabernet Sauvignon as well as three bronze medals for Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Tempest.

 Wight-Meyer Vineyard and Winery won double gold in the French-American Blush/Rose class for its Diamond/Concord wine. The Diamond wine earned a gold medal and Best of Class in two categories: the Diamond category and the American Late Harvest Category.  Wight-Meyer Vineyard and winery also won gold for its Concord wine.  The Shepherdsville winery also brought home four silver medals for Diamond Winter Solstice, Norton Reserve, Vignoles, and Chardonnay. 

Purple Toad Winery of Paducah won five medals total: gold for Peach Chardonnay, gold for Concord 2008, silver for the Merlot and Lauren’s Blackberry and a bronze for Paducah Blue.    

Other Kentucky wineries that won medals at Indy International was Black Barn Winery of Lexington, a silver was awarded for its Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc V blend and a bronze for its VI blend.  Chrisman Mill Vineyards and Winery of Nicholasville earned a silver medal for Traminette while Equus Run Vineyards of Midway also won silver for Pinot Noir and bronze for Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Lovers Leap Vineyards and Winery of Lawrenceburg was awarded a bronze for Riesling and River Valley Winery of Carrollton brought home two bronze medals for their Loretto and Bobby’s.  A silver medal was awarded to StoneBrook Winery of Camp Springs for the Chambourcin wine and Talon Winery and Vineyard of Lexington also was honored with silver for their Cabernet Sauvignon.  Wildside Winery of Versailles and Horseshoe Bend Vineyards and Winery of Willisburg were both awarded a bronze medal for their Cynthiana/ Norton wines.  Horseshoe Bend was also awarded a bronze for Cabernet Sauvignon.  Black Oak Vineyard of Princeton was received a bronze for its Chardonnel

More than 50 judges evaluated commercial wines from 39 states and 12 countries at the Indy International competition, the largest scientifically organized and independent competition in the United States.

In July, three Kentucky wineries brought home 12 medals, including four golds, from the 2010 Mid-American Wine Competition in Ankeny, Iowa.

Harkness Edwards Vineyards of Winchester won three medals, including gold medals for its Vat 32 Viognier wine and for the wine’s label in the Most Unique category. Wight-Meyer won gold for its Diamond wine and earned five medals in all, the most among Kentucky wineries. Elk Creek Vineyards of Owenton won a gold medal for the Best Series label on its Orchard Creek Series and three bronze medals.

The fourth annual Mid-American Wine Competition on July 9-11 was open only to commercial wineries in Kentucky and 15 other states across the Midwest. Proceeds from the competition support the Enology International Internship program at Des Moines Area Community College, which hosted the event.

            For additional information about Kentucky wine visit www.kentuckywine.com.

Harkness Edwards Vineyards in Winchester won two gold medals – one for its Vat 32 Viognier wine and one for the wine’s label in the Most Unique category. Harkness Edwards also received a silver medal for the label on its Taste the Sun bottle.

Wight-Meyer Vineyard and Winery in Shepherdsville won five medals, the most among Kentucky wineries. Its Diamond wine won gold, its Vignoles wine received silver, and its Dry Chardonnay, Chambourcin and Norton Reserve each got bronzes.

Elk Creek Vineyard and Winery in Owenton won a gold medal for the Best Series label on its Orchard Creek Series. The series also received three bronze medals for its Sweet Blueberry, Sweet Pomegranate and Sweet Strawberry wines.

The fourth annual Mid-American Wine Competition on July 9-11 was open only to commercial wineries in Kentucky and 15 other states across the Midwest – Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

The Mid-American is the first competition in the nation in which wines are judged with carefully selected, food-friendly dishes, allowing the wines to be evaluated based on their synergism with food. Wine labels were also judged in seven categories: Best Label, Best Imaging, Best Series, Most Humorous, Most Humorous Series, Most Sophisticated and Most Unique.

Proceeds from the competition support the Enology International Internship program at Des Moines Area Community College, which hosted the event.

“Vintage Kentucky: The Vine to Wine Experience” was honored by the 31st annual Telly Awards with two Silver Telly awards, the organization’s highest award, in the Cultural and History/Biography categories and a Bronze Telly in the Travel/Tourism category. The Telly Awards honor the best local, regional and cable television commercials and programs, video and film productions, and work created for the Web.

“This documentary very effectively told the story of our wine industry’s rich history and its bright future,” Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer. “These awards will bring new attention to Kentucky’s outstanding wines and some of the talented, hard-working people who produce them.”

A judging panel of 350 accomplished industry professionals, each a past winner of a Silver Telly and a member of the Silver Telly Council, judged more than 13,000 entries from all 50 states and around the world. Fewer than 10 percent of entries are chosen for the Silver Telly.

“Vintage Kentucky: The Vine to Wine Experience,” a project of the Kentucky Grape and Wine Council and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, is a 30-minute documentary that tells the story of Kentucky’s wine industry from its status as a national leader in the 1800s to its demise as a result of Prohibition to its current re-emergence. The documentary was co-produced by New West LLC of Louisville.

KET, which first aired the documentary in November 2009, has added more showings to its upcoming schedule. “Vintage Kentucky: The Vine to Wine Experience” may be purchased on DVD.

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

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

 Kentucky wineries picked up gold, silver, and bronze medals at the Kentucky Derby Wine Festival held Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, KY.  118 different wine samples from 14 Kentucky and Indiana wineries were tasted by judges from the American Wine Society.  The competition is part of the Derby Festival to be held on Louisville’s River Front on April 27 and 28, 2010. 

 Two Indiana wines participated: Huber and Simmons Winery.  The remaining 12 are Kentucky wineries.  See the table below for a full listing of awards. 

 These medal winning wines will be available for sample at the Derby Festival WineFest on Tuesday, April 27, and Wednesday, April 28.  Visit www.kdf.org to find a complete list of the wineries to be showcased at the event. 

 Tickets to Derby Festival WineFest on the Waterfront are $35 each and are on sale now.  The price includes admission to the wine tasting session, an event pin and a souvenir wine glass to use for tasting Kentucky’s fine wine.  Tickets are available online at www.kdf.org OR purchase tickets at The Melting Pot in Louisville and receive FREE valet parking for the event.

 For more information contact the Derby Festival Press Office at 572-3822.

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)

 Acres of Land Winery, Richmond KY, brought home a silver medal for Willie Maes Blackberry Wine, a bronze for Concord, a bronze for Vidal Blanc, and Maggie Adams Blush earned a bronze as well. 

Purple Toad Winery, Paducah KY, earned silver for the 2008 Kentucky Cabernet Franc, a silver medal for Laurens Blackberry, and bronze medal was received for the Paducah Blue Wine. 

StoneBrook Winery, Melbourne KY, was awarded two gold medals.  Gold medals were earned for the Pomegranate and 2008 Estate Bottled Cabernet Franc.   A bronze medal was awarded for Strawberry Wine and a bronze for Raspberry Wine.