Elk Creek Vineyards

Wow, Saturday night was another great concert series at Elk Creek Vineyards!  The 2008 Jazz Concert was amazing.  The Rippingtons high-energy jazz sound had everyone out of their seats! 

It was about 4:30 when the black clouds started rolling in.  The weather in Owenton had been calling for a 60% chance of thunderstorms for Saturday most of the week.  But thankfully after only about 45 minutes of rain, the clouds parted, the sky turned blue and the sun started shining.  The evening’s weather was absolutely perfect as the bands took to the stage.

It was another “high five” performance from the staff at Elk Creek too!  As usual everything went smoothly even during the rain.  The food was delicious, from the salmon and bourbon bread pudding on the VIP winery deck to the booths filled with funnel cakes and cotton candy.  Of course the main dish was the wine itself!  The Sangiovese with its blend of 84% Sangiovese and 16% Merlot was being released that night and thankfully we got a couple bottles because it was spectacular.  Along with the Rose and Cabernet Sauvignon there wasn’t a wine connoisseur out there that wasn’t intrigued.  

Next Saturday for the Fourth of July Independence weekend, Elk Creek Vineyard is doing it again with the sounds of Motown Review and the famous Rozzi Fireworks.  This is a show you don’t want to miss!   Take your family, friends, neighbors and anybody else you can grab on to and head on over to the Elk Creek Vineyards this Saturday night, July 5th for a music and fireworks show you won’t soon forget! 

Oh … and I almost forgot, my husband was able to get The Rippington’s autograph on their latest CD.  Very cool!

Ok I’ve got to tell you about my Saturday night - great wine, delicious food, beautiful weather and the most amazing Blues music ever - it was unbelievable!!  Yes, I’m talking about the 2008 Blues Festival that was held here at Elk Creek Vineyards Saturday night.  All day Friday the local news were predicting big storms to sweep the area, but thankfully everything blew off to the north of us and the weather was absolutely perfect!  I can’t say enough good things about everyone at Elk Creek Vineyards.  When I say down home southern hospitality, that’s exactly what you get!  The staff, the cooks, the waiters, even the valet treat you like family. 

We started off the night having a glass of wine (or two) and a nice dinner on the Winery deck overlooking the amphitheater.  Elk Creek was introducing their 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon and believe me it didn’t disappoint.  A local favorite, The Sonny Moorman Group started off the night with a great mix of blues and rock.  Then it was on to Roomful of Blues that showed they had what it takes to play the blues.  After dinner we walked down to the outdoor amphitheater where 1,500 people were also gathering awaiting the amazing “Buddy Guy”!  I know I use the word amazing a lot, but it actually doesn’t even do him justice.  I had never seen him perform before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  Being a five time Grammy winner and having the praise of being a “legend” to just about every rock/blues artist out there, I knew he would be good.  But watching him up on stage was like watching a force of nature.  He had everyone in the audience singing, dancing and clapping along with him!  I’ve never heard anyone play the guitar like that!  He would come down off the stage and walk through the audience so that everyone could see him up close.  He truly is a great performer!

This was the first time Elk Creek Vineyards hosted a Blues Festival, but I can tell you it won’t be the last!  They really outdid themselves!  If you didn’t get to make it Saturday night, don’t worry there are plenty of other upcoming events on the outdoor stage just in time for summer.  Saturday, June 28 is the 2008 Jazz Festival that will be a lot of fun.  If you work in an office all week then you look forward to spending time outdoors on the weekend.  I know I do!   What better way to do that than being with a group of your friends, drinking wonderful wine and listening to great music - all while enjoying the warm sunshine outside.

Come visit us at Elk Creek Vineyards and see for yourself what all the talk is about!! 

Has anyone ever said to you, “Go fly a kite?”  Well, on Saturday May 10th at Elk Creek Vineyards you can do just that!  Pigs Aloft Kite Club of Cincinnati will be on hand to help kids and adults experience the fun in flying kites.  Did you know that Pigs Aloft stands for “People interested in getting stuff” aloft - pretty cool huh?  I can’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon then with my family enjoying beautiful weather outside flying kites, listening to great live entertainment and treating myself to some fine eats!

Not only will there be kites flying but some great live bands will be playing on our outdoor Amphitheater as well.  There will be music for everyone’s taste:

• Owen County High School Band 
• Wiley McDermott and the Roadrunners playing rock-n-roll
• Garrick Howell AND Highway 330 Band playing country
• Bowling Middle School chorus

With all that entertainment you can’t go wrong!  Plus if you don’t want to fly just any kite but love the idea of making your own, you can do just that!  For only $10 you can design and make your own kite to fly and it all benefits The American Cancer Society, Relay for Life.   Believe me your kids will love making their own kite and you’ll love knowing you’ve helped a great cause!

So grab your calendars and on the date Saturday, May 10th write “Go fly a kite at Elk Creek“!  Oh, and by the way … you can also sample the Elk Creek Kentucky Wine too.

Since we loved them so much last year, on Saturday May 24th the A1A Band is back on the Elk Creek Vineyards outdoor stage!  If you didn’t get to see them last year, now is your chance to make up for missing out on one of the hottest and most entertaining shows we’ve had.  The A1A Band was dubbed “The Official and Original Jimmy Buffett Tribute Show” in 1992 by the folks at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Records.  Wow, you can’t beat that!

Of course you can’t have a Jimmy Buffett Tribute Show without a little “Cheeseburger in Paradise” Carribean dinner to go along with it.  The A1A Band jamming, cheeseburgers grilling, Fins to the left, Fins to the right - what more could you ask for?  And at our Outdoor Amphitheater, there is no such thing as a “bad” seat.  Whether you’re relaxing on our winery deck, situated under one of our rental tents or just stretched out on blankets you’ll have the best seat in the house! And don’t forget there will be plenty of Kentucky wine available too.

 See you in Margaritaville!

Why does the date Saturday, May 31st ring a bell?  Because that is the day everyone who is lucky - and smart enough - to be at Elk Creek Vineyards will be enjoying the biggest and best Blues Festival this side of the Mississippi Delta.  The 2008 Elk Creek Vineyards Blues Festival will feature the unbelievable five-time Grammy award winner Buddy Guy along with one of the “hottest blues bands ever heard” Roomful of Blues and the amazing Sonny Moorman Group. 

Ok, so let’s take a moment and say that maybe “blues” isn’t really your thing?  Then that’s the perfect reason for you to head to Elk Creek and give this Festival a try.  Believe me when I tell you that by the time this Festival is over, you will not be able to get to your Ipod fast enough to start downloading the Blues!

Buddy Guy -  ”The best guitar player alive,” Eric Clapton;  “Without Buddy Guy there would be no Stevie Ray Vaughan” Stevie Ray Vaughan; “Heaven is lying at Buddy Guy’s feet while listening to him play guitar” Jimi Hendrix.    Need I say more?

Roomful of Blues - Their winning combination of jump, swing, blues, R&B and soul remains their calling card as does their ability to fill the dance floor.  “This is a band on top of its game, sliding easily from big band jazz-blues to guitar drenched urban-blues…let the party begin”, Chicago Sun Times

Sonny Moorman Group - “Pounding, high-volume blues/rock that opens the throttle”, Living Blues Magazine.  They recently won the 2006 Cincinnati Entertainment Award for Blues.  This is one band that you don’t want to miss!

So what are you waiting for?  Grab some friends and head on down to the Elk Creek Vineyards 2008 Blues Festival on May 31st!  Amazing music, great food and good friends - what more could you ask for?…Oh yea, wine - lots of Kentucky wine!