Elk Creek Vineyards

Mother’s Day is right around the corner and if you believe in the title of this blog, “If Mama’s Not Happy, Nobody’s Happy”, then you better start thinking about what you’re going to do for your mom on May 11th.  It’s one day a year that we really honor and celebrate motherhood and in my humble opinion (being a mom myself), it’s not enough!  However, besides the fact that you should be nice to your mother everyday, we’ll happily accept the one day a year where we get the national recognition that we so deserve.

For Mother’s Day, most mother’s just want a day off - from cleaning, cooking, working, being a chauffeur and referee and the dozens of other things moms do.  A day of pampering is the perfect “thank you” to any mom and Elk Creek Vineyards is just the spot!  We have the perfect way to give your mom the recognition she deserves.  This year show her how much she means to you by giving her a week-end of pampering.  Quiet dinners, soothing massage and wonderful wine in a down home southern atmosphere - what more could a mother ask for?  It’s the perfect Mother’s Day gift!

If a weekend trip isn’t in your schedule then don’t worry, Elk Creek Vineyard’s Mother’s Day Dinner on Sunday May 11th at 6:30pm is just for you.   Chef Matt Falcone of Bayou Bluegrass Catering will be offering an amazing four course dinner with a different wine served with each course.  Now what mother wouldn’t love that?

This Mother’s Day make Mama happy by taking her to Elk Creek Vineyards - remember, “If Mama’s Happy, Everybody’s Happy” - and believe me, she’ll be happy!

The winery at Elk Creek Vineyards is a great place to come with family and friends to do a little “wine tasting“.  It’s so much fun!  You can stop-in for a wine tasting any time that we’re open.  You know what I always say, the more the merrier - that goes for friends and wine!

Our wines at Elk Creek continue to win wine competitions around the country.  Just recently we are happy to announce that eight of our wines placed at The Kentucky Derby Festival.  This is just one of the many exciting events that takes place in Louisville, Kentucky in the weeks preceeding the historic running of the Kentucky Derby in May.  I think everyone has heard of a little horse race called the Kentucky Derby, also known as the “Run for the Roses”?  The Kentucky Derby Wine Festival takes place this year on Tuesday, April 29 and Wednesday, April 30, but the actual competition and judging of the wines took place just recently.  Congratulations to Elk Creek Vineyards for winning eight awards!

• Gold medal - Syrah 2006
• Silver medal - Vidal Blanc 2006
• Silver medal - Pinot Grigio 2006
• Silver medal - Petite Syrah 2005
• Silver medal - Sangiovese 2005
• Silver medal - Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
• Bronze medal - Concord 2007

If you’re going to be in the Louisville area partaking in all the Derby fun, you don’t want to miss stopping by the Derby Festival WineFest.  Once there not only will you get to see the distinguished medals displayed on the Elk Creek Vinyeard wines that won, but more importantly you’ll be able to taste the winning wines as well. 

In addition to the Kentucky Derby Wine Festival, Elk Creek won four medals in the 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and five medals in the Florida State Fair International 2008.  To see a listing of these and all of our award winning wines, click on the link “wine awards” from our homepage.

Remember, don’t take our word for it - let our awards do all the talking for us!! 

Wine…to love or not to love, that is the question.  And of course it is my absolute opinion that the answer is an astounding “to love”!  Follow along with me as I take you down the dusty grape-filled venue of Kentucky’s largest (any my personal favorite) winery, Elk Creek Vineyards.

But first, let me take a moment to introduce myself.  My name is Lexie and I will be your very own “Elk Creek Connoisseur”.  I’ll talk about everything we have to offer from our award winning wines to the many wonderful services that will suit your every need.  My husband, John and I have spent many a night sitting under the stars listening to some great bands at the amazing outdoor amphitheater and enjoyed real southern hospitality at it’s best while spending an evening at Elk Creek Lodge. 

There are so many fun and exciting things going on here at Elk Creek Vineyards and I’m looking forward to sharing all of it with you!  So raise your glass for a toast;

“Here’s to the corkscrew - a useful key to unlock the storehouse of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship and the gate of pleasant folly” - W.E.P. French 

Welcome to the Elk Creek Vineyards blog.  In the coming weeks and months we’ll be providing valuable insight into wine making in Kentucky.  We’ll also share some thoughts and comments on upcoming events here at the winery. 

Now that the vines have been put to bed for a few months and the heavy lifting associated with harvest is done, our focus has been on coaxing out the character of each of the grapes to produce distinctive wines. Developing the flavor profiles of each individual grapes is one of my favorite parts of the winemaking process. We’ve also installed several large-format ovals that will help to preserve the intensity of the fruit in our complex reds.

Two varietals will be introduced in the next few weeks - our 2006 Syrah and 2006 Riesling. Elk Creek Syrah has rich bramble fruits, hints of raspberry, chocolate, and a pleasing oak complexion that gives way to a warm and full-bodied finish. Pefect for these winter months. The 2006 Riesling is brilliantly straw-colored. Abundant ripe apple, citrus notes and undercurrents of vanillan give it a light sweetness and a clean, crisp finish. When they’re bottled, we’ll post information here on our website. Or, you can send us an email or call us at 502- 484-0005. We’ll let you know when they’re bottled.

On a seperate but very related note, we recently received four awards at the 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Held on January 7th, the sixty professional judges representing the trade, education, media, retail and restaurants from throughout the U.S. evaluated over 4,000 wines that were entered by over 1,500 wineries. Our Vidal Blanc garnered a Silver, and the Petite Syrah, Merlot and Blush took home bronze awards. We’re pleased that a left coast competition has recognized our efforts!

Ben O’Daniel