Serving Up Fun By The Bottle
Bedford, Ky., winery
to open music season
The Little Kentucky River Winery
to offer live music, brunch
BEDFORD, Ky. (June 2016) – Stone by stone and natural timber by timber, the Little Kentucky River Winery at 3289 Hwy. 421 S. in Bedford is growing. Also growing at the winery is the weekend music series, along with the many dreams of the owners, David and Teresa Weyler.
They began purchasing several adjacent plots of Trimble County land in 2003 with an eye toward living a life close to nature. The property included a house from 1917 that was in serious need of repair, so they went to work bringing it back to life. This allowed them to sell their home in Louisville and move to the country. The property was too hilly and rocky for traditional farming, so their dreams focused on planting a vineyard and building a winery.
“We believe in the motto recycle, reuse and repurpose,” said Teresa. “All we are trying to do is be self sustainable.”
Teresa is a tiny fireball of energy in a constant state of motion. She sees a pile of rocks or patch of woods and comes up with plans for things like a music pavilion or a secluded area she calls the Enchanted Forest.
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Photo by John Sheckler David and Teresa Weyler (left) have turned their Trimble County property into an entertainment venue. |
David provides the muscle and building skills for their many projects. He harvested and milled timbers and creek rock from the property to build the music pavilion behind the house. He cleared an area called the Enchanted Forest a short walk up the hill from the pavilion. It offers several small table settings hidden from the main winery area, but still within easy listening range of the music.
Music has provided a major part of the winery ambiance on warm Saturday afternoons. The styles include classic rock and country, blues, folk and mountain. The 2016 season of music at the winery begins in June and runs through October on Saturdays.
One regionally popular group returning each year are the Troubadours of Divine Bliss. Like Davis and Teresa, they share a love of environmental awareness.
“We have played around the world and know a special place when we experience it,” said Troubadours Aim Me & Renee. “Teresa and David have all the right ingredients for the perfect getaway, a cozy music venue and incredible locally-made wine in a gorgeous setting with welcoming folks and all the while honoring the land, tradition and the community they live in. What more could you ask for? We love playing here and always have a great time!”
Teresa’s winery dreams are growing bigger this year. “We are going to expand the pavilion this summer,” she said.
“There is not a lot of ‘WE’ in that,” David said, laughing. “We plan to ultimately close in the back porch with glass to create enough indoor space for a sizeable number of people. It would include a wood stove, but we want to stay small and quaint.”
Their original plan was a second pavilion across the small creek that runs past the winery. Then they decided a way for more efficient use of their space.
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Photo by John Sheckler Teresa Weyler pours a glass of wine for a happy customer. |
“We decided to hold off on the second pavilion and to do what works best with our existing space,” said Teresa. “All our growth is organic, so we will make the existing pavilion 30 percent bigger. We also plan to turn the house into a full indoor winery sometime this summer and make the house a bed and breakfast. This will enable us to hold events such as weddings year-round.”
Their plans are to eventually have three B&B on their property. When the house becomes a winery, it will allow the music to move inside when bad weather threatens.
“We had to cancel all our October events last year because of weather,” said Teresa.
She already has three weddings scheduled for the summer.
“In the past it was difficult to hold a wedding,” said Teresa. “We couldn’t schedule a wedding on a regular winery day.”
On a warm weekday afternoon, the couple is home from work. True to her high energy nature, Teresa hasn’t changed from her day job clothing before she begins to put a pump into a fountain she and David have created near the porch that will become the indoor winery.
“This was the original well with the house,” she said. “We relined the well, and it still holds water. We just turn on the pump, and the water shoots up and drains back in. David laser cut the iron grate cover.”
“Nobody knew it was there,” David said. “It was an eyesore.”
The winery has a feeling of home. Their new dog, Meriwether Lewis, has a ball in his mouth as he greets visitors. He got his name because on his first night there, David had to chase him all the way to the top of the hill behind the winery.
They had lost their old dog Austin, last year to old age. He was a favorite with winery patrons, and with the occasional baby deer known to visit the pavilion area.
“We want to diversify the business,” said Teresa. “We plan to serve Sunday brunch with music on the last Sunday of each month from June through September.”
The brunch would cost $12 per person and they would offer mimosas for $3. Menu would be a full breakfast with cheese and fruit trays, bacon, sausage, ham, eggs, biscuits and fruit salad.
“We are not trying to make a fortune,” said Teresa. “What we want to accomplish is to make the property self sustainable.”
She also has a vision for a communal brunch in the Enchanted Forest. “I want antique silver-and-white linen table cloths with flowers,” she said. “It will be limited space for 20-25 people. I will have at least one this summer.”
The dining room in the house is filled with tableware she has collected during her six-year garage sale search. One teapot still bears a Goodwill sticker for $3.95.
“We repurpose everything,” she said.
A look around the winery validates their mission to recycle and re-use. All the wood and stone, even the outhouse, has been made with material gathered from the property.
The peaceful views of the trickling creeks offer endless opportunities to be one on one with nature drink a glass of wine and enjoy the music.
“We believe in conserving the environment,” said Teresa.