Wine region | |
Official name | Commonwealth of Kentucky |
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Type | U.S. state |
Year established | 1792 |
Country | United States |
Sub-regions | Indiana Uplands AVA, Ohio River Valley AVA |
Climate region | Humid subtropical/continental |
Total area | 40,444 square miles (104,749 km2) |
Grapes produced | Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carlos, Catawba, Cayuga, Chambourcin, Chardonel, Chardonnay, Concord, De Chaunac, Marechal Foch, Merlot, Munson, Niagara, Norton, Riesling, Seyval blanc, Traminette, Vidal blanc[1] |
No. of wineries | 28[2] |
Kentucky wine refers to wine made from grapes grown in the U.S. commonwealth of Kentucky. About 65 wineries operate commercially in Kentucky, with most recent plantings focusing on Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc.[1] Kentucky produced over two million gallons of wine in 2011 and is the largest wine-producing state by volume in the American South. Kentucky passed legislation in 1976 allowing wineries to operate, and tobacco settlement funds have provided Kentucky farmers the opportunity to once again explore grapes as a cash crop.