Kentucky wine is on my mind. Am I mistaken? Don’t I mean Bourbon? I can’t believe you don’t remember I already covered Kentucky Bourbon in my Low Wine, High Wine, Bourbon Time! post! So yes, I do mean Kentucky Wine! Wine not, I just covered Kansas wine and no one complained – well at least not to me anyway!
Candidly, prior to visiting Kentucky last fall (ok, I admit I’m waaaayyyy late on this post!) I had zero expectation of tasting any wines during our Bourbon trip. I had even done a little recon with a friend from Kentucky and was told not to bother.
Apparently, there really weren’t any notable wineries in the state. Fair enough, Kentucky has the Derby, Mint Juleps and Bourbon, wine might be a distraction.
With no formal agenda on our last day in Lexington, we chowed down a huge breakfast and hit the road with no agenda. A quick stop at Woodford. A few drive by’s of gorgeous and enormous horse farms. And what do you know, a sign on the side of the road Wildside Winery. Well what do you know?!!! Of course, we (ok, maybe just me) simply had to pop by and check out the scene.
Wine was on my mind, but in Kentucky?
Tasting room on one side, bottling happening on the other. Wildside was full of action. Dry wines, sweet wines, rosé wines, fruit wines even meads. Traditional varietals we all know from Chardonnay, Merlot, Zinfandel to Cab.
However, my interest was immediately piqued by the lesser known varietals. The one’s which perform quite well in mid-America such as Vidal Blanc, Norton, Chambourcin and Traminette. Never one to pass the opportunity to try some interesting wine, I tossed the tasting gauntlet on the table and placed my order.
My picks for tasting you ask? Whites – Seyval Blanc and Traminette. Reds – Norton and Chambourcin. Why? Why not! My strategy when tasting wine at a winery I have not had an opportunity to research or am not familiar with has never led me astray.
First question, “What do you grow on property or from local vineyards?” To me, these are the wines which give the truest sense of place and purpose for any winery. Please don’t hold me accountable for remembering whether each of the wines I tasted fit this goal as it has been a few months!
It’s high time for Kentucky wine
Seyval Blanc – crisp, tart green apple and subtle lemon. Super light and perfect for a summer day. Traminette – both a dry and sweet version are made. But, sticking to my goal of tasting the purest form of each varietal, I went for the dry. Being a distant cousin of the aromatic Gewurztraminer, similar lemony and green apple flavors paired with subtle florals for an added bit of complexity.
Norton – being a Missouri girl, this one is no stranger. Once the most planted U.S. wine grape, this dark, broody, red wine can stand in for full body reds. It does not have the intense tannins, but has a bit more wild and untamed fruit flavor. Chambourcin – light and smooth like Pinot Noir, but it’s not Pinot Noir. Very cherry, very dry and very fruity having been picked at full ripeness.
With more than 20 wines left to taste, our flight departure summons cutting our wine adventure a bit short. A pleasant surprise to have stumbled upon a Kentucky winery and I’ll have to let my friend know there are some tasty wines being made in Kentucky after all!
Cheers! 🍷
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