Smith Berry Vineyard and Winery New Castle, Kentucky Home Page

Our Vineyard

With the handwriting on the wall pointing to the decline of tobacco, we started investigating crops that might replace the Burley. Our research revealed that soil and weather patterns on our north-central Kentucky farm closely matched those found in wine growing regions of France. Further calculations revealed an acre of grapes would pay as much, if not more, than an acre of tobacco.

Our vineyard consists of five acres of grapes with three different varieties in those five acres. We have chosen Chambourcin and Norton, for their qualities as a red wine and Vidal Blanc that will produce an off dry to sweet white wine.

Our grapevines are trained on a high wire trellising system. Vineyard rows are planted 11' apart with a different vine every 7'.
The vineyard location is an excellent site for raising grapes due to the constant airflow at its 800'+ elevation.

We have installed over 4000 feet of woven wire fence around the vineyard in order to incorporate sheep and poultry grazing as part of our weed and pest control measures.

Grapes are a hand crop, which is a lot like tobacco, and we think that it's a good alternative here in Kentucky to replace tobacco.

More about our family,
our livestock and vineyard.



Our Vineyard With the handwriting on the wall pointing to the decline of tobacco, we started investigating crops that might replace the Burley. Our research revealed that soil and weather patterns on our north-central Kentucky farm closely matched those found in wine growing regions of France. Further calculations revealed an acre of grapes would pay as much, if not more, than an acre of tobacco. Our vineyard consists of five acres of grapes with three different varieties in those five acres. We have chosen Chambourcin and Norton, for their qualities as a red wine and Vidal Blanc that will produce an off dry to sweet white wine. Our grapevines are trained on a high wire trellising system. Vineyard rows are planted 11' apart with a different vine every 7'. The vineyard location is an excellent site for raising grapes due to the constant airflow at its 800'+ elevation. We have installed over 4000 feet of woven wire fence around the vineyard in order to incorporate sheep and poultry grazing as part of our weed and pest control measures. Grapes are a hand crop, which is a lot like tobacco, and we think that it's a good alternative here in Kentucky to replace tobacco. More about our family, our livestock and vineyard.	Smith Berry Vineyard and Winery New Castle, Kentucky