Yesterday I went out to Talon Winery, which is out on Tates Creek Road, at 37d54.438,-84d27.139
This is the first winery in Fayette County. They've been there for 4 years, but are just now announcing their presence to the public, and should have some releases available in retail outlets soon, although I'm not sure where.
They've got 5 wines so far, and they are about 50% from Kentucky-grown grapes, with the eventual goal of being 100% Kentucky-grown, mostly estate-grown. They have enormous tracts of land, and although only a little of it is planted right now, they hope to expand over time. They've got *very* cool equipment, including the automatic bottle filler/corker/labeller machine, which appears to be the only one of its kind in the state.
The wine-maker there is, to a small extent, a student of Chris Nelson, of Chrisman Mill, but he has intentionally avoided learning about Chris' actual wine-making style, so that he can develop his own. Which is very good, I must say.
They have a Cabernet, Chacellor, and a Chardonnay, a blush and a sweet-ish niagra-based wine. The niagra, which I was sure I'd hate, was actually pretty good, I must grudgingly admit. And the blush might just grow on me, with lovely peach overtones. The Cab is big, jammy, and yummy, with a wonderful caramel/smoke/earthy backbone and enough tannin to squirrel away for a year or five. And the Chardonnay is ... well, it's a Chardonnay, but it's not over-oaked. And they make a point of aging only in Kentucky White Oak, which is probably unique in the world, outside of a Bourbon distillery.
The winemaker there (Bah, I didn't get his name) is very knowledgeable, and knows exactly what he likes. He's clearly willing to experiment to accomplish it, and based on some of the stories he told, he also knows how to deal with the unexpected things that fate and the harvest throw his way.
I encourage you to go out there (see map linked above) and see their spread. Even if you are completely uninterested in the product, the place is beautiful, and a great place to go for a summer picnic.
Oh, and their grand opening will be on the 14th of August, with live music and food.
The wine maker is John... very knowledgeable... Great place to visit for Lexingtonians, even if you know nothing about wine. We went for the free wine tasting in July and a great time was had by all!
Bah! I can't believe I missed the grand opening. :( I hope to get by there sometime soon.
C
great review. I'm the web developer for talon wine and I just wanted to include a link to the talon winery website-
www.talonwine.com. The winemakers full name is John R. Pitcock. The site is still in the works, but soon there will be
links to all the events at Talon Winery and other useful information.
Extroidinary! Live 10 minutes from Talon and just now visited. Loved the tasting house/area. Fine grape with pleasant Kentucky smiles as a finisher. Especially enjoy "Sweey Evening Breeze".
"Fair winds and a following sea" , Matt
Please check out the website - www.talonwine.com. The site has descriptions of all the Talon wines. There is also an events page listing upcoming happenings at the vineyard.
I am a member of their wine club and favor Coyote Red. In fact, so far it's the only one I've tried. I plan to change that soon. Husband and I will attend a concert/dinner in September...for some good old rock n roll music and I believe lasagna...
It's good to know Lexington is developing into wine country and that I don't have to go to Italy for decent product.