Local vineyards: The fruits of hard work

Local News

Related Photos

February 1, 2009

Two Pulaski County wineries won the right to sell their product by vote — and have grown steadily since

By SUSAN WHEELDON, CJ Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Sun Feb 01, 2009, 01:30 AM EST

Though they have been pioneers in once entirely “dry” Pulaski County, the owners of two local vineyards see their business much more simply.

Zane and Amy Burton, owners of Sinking Valley Winery and Jeff Wiles, owner of Cedar Creek Vineyard and Winery, were the first in Pulaski County’s history to open wineries, both went into the business because of their love for farming and to merely make a living.

“Really the first three years has been a little better than our business plan expected,” said Zane Burton. “However, we didn’t get the growth last year that we expected.”

Though Burton operates with a strategy in mind, in reality it was never a dream of his to produce wine or be the owner of the first winery in Pulaski County. The idea only came into play after tobacco farming began to decline. Previously, the Burtons depended on their tobacco crop for their income. As quotas were cut, they began to look into other alternatives.

In 1999, after touring several vineyards and wineries, the Burtons decided to take a chance and planted two acres of grapes. Over the next couple of years, the family tried some other alternatives, but found they didn’t work. Thus they looked to their grapes, which were slowly reaching full-bearing potential.

For the fruits of their labor to be sold on site, however, an option election in the Catron precinct of the county had to be held approving this exemption to Pulaski’s laws against the sale of alcohol. On April 15, 2003, the Burtons received enough votes, for wine to be legally sold in their precinct.

After much work to get ready, Sinking Valley Winery opened its doors to the public for the first time in December 2005. That day marked the first time Pulaski Countians were able to buy alcohol by the bottle locally in more than 70 years.

Meanwhile, Cedar Creek Winery was able to open after a local option election in the Mark precinct approved Wiles to sell wine in 2007. Wiles had decided several years earlier it seemed like a convenient option to be able to solely work on his farm and make a living.

“Opening Cedar Creed Vineyards is the combination of two of my life-long dreams,” said Wiles, “(those being) owning my own business and making a living off the land.”

While Wiles wanted to be able to make a living farming for the first time, Burton wanted to continue to be able to farm full-time, something he said, he doesn’t believe he would have been able to do without the winery.

“It just kind of came at a good time. By the time tobacco played out, the winery was up and running,” said Burton. “It was a good transition.”

Good, perhaps, but not without worry. Burton said it can be a scary industry, particularly the inability to know who else might open a winery. While there may be only two in Pulaski County, Burton feels like he can’t look at it in those terms.

“We’re a business like any other and you still have to be competitive on the world market.” said Burton. “Even though we’re in a dry county, it’s not that far to go to a wet county.”

However, Burton is happy with how everything has gone for his business over the first three full years the winery has been opened.

“We’ve had people (visit) from all over the world and most of the states,” said Burton.

Usually, however, customers are about 50 percent local and the other half tourists and travelers.

Since opening Burton’s production has grown from three types of wine to 14, with one new wine called Prohibition Repeal Red due to come out this year.

The one thing the endeavor has enabled he and his family to be able to do that they hadn’t planned for was buying the family farm just down the road from where they live.

After a year-to-year continuity was established, the Burtons hosted a few events with dinner and music last summer, and now are contemplating constructing an event facility on their property that other parties could rent for use. No decision has been made as of yet as to whether they want to proceed in that direction for sure.

“(Opening the winery) has been a learning experience to say the least,” said Burton. “I’ve learned how to run a business and I think that is a plus.”

Wiles, who has been selling his wine about half as long as the Burtons, has also been pleased with his business.

“I didn’t really have any idea how it would grow,” said Wiles. “I’ve been pleased with how it has grown in the second year.”

Wiles said the winery has attracted guests of local residents who paid a visit after hearing about the unique destination from their friends.

“I just (recently) got an e-mail from someone who was pleasantly surprised (with our wine) after someone sent him a couple of bottles of our wine,” said Wiles.

Cedar Creek Vineyards usually has between six and seven different types of wine available for customers to choose from.

Wiles too has held events at his winery and looks to host even more including weddings in 2009.

The natural resource has not gone ignored by the tourism trade. Southeastern Kentucky Tourism put out a brochure of both wineries, as well as the state Kentucky featuring them on a winery map.

A small winery license holder may produce 50,000 gallons per year and samples may be offered on the premises, not to exceed six ounces per person, per day.

Owners can sell the wine they produce either by the glass, the bottle or the case, and may transport their wine to wholesale license holders and to retail package or retail drink license holders.

Both Wiles and the Burtons stress that it’s not easy money — operating a winery is merely the life of a farmer, toiling the land for nature’s bounty.

“We’re making a living, so I guess we’re doing okay,” said Burton.

Text Only

Local News

Local man airlifted after two-vehicle crash
May 25, 2012 1 Photo
Mopar Mania to highlight Cruise
May 25, 2012 1 Photo
‘Dry’ forces concerned about wet signs
May 25, 2012 1 Photo
Visitors rave about beauty of Lake Cumberland in May
May 24, 2012 1 Photo
Pulaski’s Memorial Day weekend to be packed
May 24, 2012 1 Photo
Locally-born Rotary leader Pigman dies at 78
May 24, 2012
Technology summit gets underway
May 24, 2012 1 Photo
Local Democrats diss Obama
May 23, 2012
Floyd edges incumbent in city council run-off
May 23, 2012
Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

May 22, 2012 1 Photo
More Local News Headlines

Local News

Search Results

Related Photos

Local vineyards: The fruits of hard work

Two Pulaski County wineries won the right to sell their product by vote — and have grown steadily since

Site Map