A taste for wine
Carrollton
winery owners
relocate tasting room to their vineyard
River
Valley Winery offers
monthly concerts on Mound Hill
By
Helen E. McKinney
Contributing Writer
CARROLLTON, Ky. (July 2009) – When Vicky and
Krasi Georgiev planted five acres of grapes in 1999 on their farm outside
of Carrollton, they knew they would some day add a tasting room to complete
their vision. That day has finally arrived for their Mound Hill farm.
 |
|
Photo
provided Vicky
and Krasi |
“It was our original plan all along,” said Vicky
Georgiev of River Valley Winery’s new tasting room. Krasi is originally
from Bulgaria, while Vicky is a Carrollton native.
The couple had previously established a temporary tasting room in downtown
Carrollton at 126 Sixth St. known as “The Mehana” (the European
word for tasting room).
The Georgievs received their winery license in 2001. When first starting
out, they took a piece of land that had been raked for logging, cleared
it and planted a variety of grapes. They also purchase grapes from other
Kentucky farmers, said Georgiev.
Monthly music events are being held twice a month at the winery. On
July 11 a Bavarian Cuisine Cookout will be held, featuring Teneia Sanders.
Sanders was born and raised in Jackson, Miss., and realized at age 10
that music was her passion. She now calls Louisville, Ky., home and
has collaborated with Louisville-based bands, such as Nappy Roots and
Code Red. Her voice has been described as a cross between Ani DiFranco
and Aretha Franklin.
On July 25, River Valley Winery will play host to an all-you-can-eat
Cajun Fried Turkey Cookout, with entertainment provided by the Muddy
Loafers, who perform ‘60s, ‘70s and bluegrass music. Ticket
cost is $19.99 for the concert and cookout with reservations, or $25
at the door. Wine is sold separately at these events.
Future goals include promoting what the couple feels is a good Kentucky
product. Their quest to produce “a quality wine people can enjoy,”
said Georgiev, has paid off.
The couple has made some lifelong friends along the way, she said. The
process of building their vineyards and winery from the ground up has
been an inspiration to the couple to continue something they very much
love doing.
“To us it’s like an art,” said Georgiev. “It’s
like a big picture that never gets finished.” There is always something
to do, something to add, some way to bring a fresh perspective to the
business.
The Georgievs attend many local festivals, events and wine competitions
with their product. One such event where they can always be found is
the Music in the Park series at Gen. Butler State Resort Park.
“We were the fourth federally certified winery in Kentucky,”
said Georgiev. She feels they are fortunate to be situated in an area
where there is a strong history of successful grape growing and wine
making.
The Georgievs won Silver and Bronze medals in the 2009 Indy International
Wine Competition, held on June 16-18 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
More than 3,000 wines were entered in the competition, including wines
from 10 countries as far away as France, Australia and Spain. Sixteen
panels of judges rated the wine on appearance, aroma, taste and aftertaste.
The couple has won 11 international and seven regional medals. They
are proudly displayed in their tasting room.
River Valley Winery is located at 1279 Mound Hill in Carrollton. The
winery is open noon to 5 p.m Wednesday through Saturday and special
times can be reserved for winery tours and tasting.
• For more information, contact the Georgievs at (502) 750-0594 or visit www.RiverValleyWinery.com.