Kentucky wineries strike gold at Derby Festival competition

Kentucky Agricultural News staff report

Nine Kentucky wineries earned 17 gold medals in the Kentucky Derby Festival wine competition March 24 in Louisville.

The wineries and their gold medal-winning wines were:

• Acres of Land Winery, Richmond – Vidal Blanc and Vignoles
• Brooks Hill Winery, Brooks – Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc blend and Catauba/Niagna blend
• Chrisman Mill Vineyards, Nicholasville – Traminette and Vidal Blanc
• Elk Creek Vineyards, Owenton – Chambourcin
• Lover’s Leap Vineyards and Winery, Lawrenceburg – Chambourcin blend
• MillaNova Winery, Mt. Washington – Chambourcin and Cabernet Sauvignon
• Purple Toad Winery, Paducah – Chambourcin and Concord
• Stonebrook Winery, Camp Springs – Vidal Blanc
• Wight-Meyer Vineyard and Winery, Shepherdsville – Vignoles, Kentucky Diamond, Winter Solstice and Chardonnay

Judges from the American Wine Society assessed 118 wines from 14 wineries in Kentucky and Indiana.

Some of the gold medal-winning wines will be available for sampling at the Kentucky Derby Festival WineFest April 27-28. Tickets are $35 and are on sale now. For more information, go to www.kdf.org.