Wineing Your Way Across Kentucky

Kentucky wine focus of book

Feb 12, 2017

“Wineing Your Way Across Kentucky: Recipes, History and Scenery” by Becky Kelley. Photography by Kathy Woodhouse. Morley, Mo.: Acclaim Press, 2015. 277 pages, $34.95 (hardbound).

While Kentucky is known for its bourbon, wine production has been a growing industry in recent years with new wineries applying for licenses every year. Several years ago, childhood friends from Bullitt County, Becky Kelley and Kathy Woodhouse, had an idea for a book on this expanding industry and spent more than a year visiting about 70 wineries in the state from north to south and west to east.

The book includes Kelley’s description of each winery, with its location, hours and events information, along with Woodhouse’s amazing photography and favorite recipes using the wines. A former teacher with an M.A. in English from Spalding University, Kelley now makes her living as a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Home and Away, Kentuckiana Family and Reader’s Digest. She’s also written a children’s book, “A Tail of Christmas.” Woodhouse has been a professional photographer for three decades, has been named National Sears Portrait Studio Manager of the Year, and her work has appeared on NBC’s “Today” show.

Wineries are listed alphabetically in the introduction from Acres of Land Winery in Richmond to Wild Side Winery in Versailles. There’s a brief explanation of the kinds of wine from dry to dessert and then a full-color map of nine recommended wine tours arranged geographically from the Blue Licks Tour in the Cincinnati area of Northern Kentucky to the Daniel Boone Tour of Eastern Kentucky.

Wineries in this region are included as part of The Cave Country Tour. Two of the best known are Reid’s Livery Winery in Alvaton and Crocker Farm Winery in Franklin. Diane and Rex Reid opened their winery in 2009 after voters approved the sale of wine on their property. They have combined horse activities (his grandfather was a blacksmith) and a U-Pick Berry Farm to make a living. They produce all their own fruit (except for grapes) and have won a number of awards for their wines. They make frequent visits to local farmers’ markets. Just out is their new Paw Paw Wine.

For veterinarians Dan and Roni Crocker, inspiration for a winery came when he toured Europe as a college student. While approval to sell wines in the county is recent, most of the vines on their two-acre vineyard are 14 years old and in full production mode. Future plans call for a full-service restaurant at the winery. Their wines include Reliance, a dry white, Concord, a great sipping wine and Geneva red.

Beyond the text, Woodhouse’s photographs of the Kentucky landscapes are simply stunning. Among the best are her early morning photographs at the Cedar Creek Winery in Somerset – shot as the mist rises over the vineyards while horses graze in distant pastures. And then, there are the sumptuous recipes from lemon pork chops in red wine sauce from the Cave Valley Winery in Park City to the plum tuckered squares at the Rock Springs Winery in Grayson.

In sum, it’s a spectacular tour-de-force of a whole new Kentucky industry. Next up for the duo is a companion volume on “Wineing Your Way Across Indiana” and for Woodhouse, a project photographing lighthouses in America.

“Through their extensive travels around the state, Becky and Kathy have managed to produce a seamless snapshot of Kentucky’s unique, and ever-expanding wine industry. They’re fun, energetic and passionate about wine, but not too serious. Becky and Kathy love uncovering hidden treasurers, capturing the beauty of the Commonwealth and, whether it’s a nice bottle of wine, a beautiful photo or a great recipe, love sharing their experiences with others.”

“From one end of the state to the other, Becky Kelley and Kathy Woodhouse visited every Kentucky winery, photographed the most meaningful and memorable sights, and connected with the owners to learn about their passions of growing grapes and making wines. All of their adventures are beautifully presented in this book, ‘Wineing Your Way Across Kentucky,” which also includes some “to die for” recipes using wine and local foods found along the way. It’s a great resource for wine lovers and a great way to explore Kentucky! Thanks, Becky and Kathy!”

“The most enjoyable way to discover Kentucky’s current 72 wineries is with this work of love from Becky Kelley and Kathy Woodhouse. e fun they had creating this book is reflected in the beauty captured in Kathy’s pictures and in the vivid personal descriptions penned by Becky. The Kentucky Wine Trail App (available online) directs you to the wineries, and this book gets you inside the experience by giving you a preview of what each winery has to delight your eyes and your taste buds. Enjoy!”