West Virginia Winery Offers Wines from Grapes to Dandelions
By Lisa Hechesky
Grape filled vineyards set the scene for most peoples’ connotations of wine and wine making. And wine by most definitions means grapes, mashed to juice, left to naturally ferment into an alcoholic beverage. Yet despite the 
imagines and popular conceptions of the moniker, wine can, in fact, have other juices as its base.
In the heart of the West Virginia hills, one winemaker is taking to produce many non-grape wine varieties. Since the 1992, Kirkwood Winery near Summersville, W. Va. has churned out many traditional wines, yet today some of their best selling products come from berries, fruits, vegetables and even a weed.
Beginning with only grape plants in 1984 and proceeding harsh winter and drought in 1985, today the vineyard has amassed to more than six acres including patches of blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and rhubarb in addition to an orchard. And produces over 4,000 gallons of wine annually.
More than grapes in their wines
According to their website, where you can order all of their wine varieties, the two top selling wines are made from blackberries and blueberries respectively.
More adventurous wine connoisseur may wish to walk on the wild side with dandelion, ginseng or ramp wines. All three of these ingredients have strong and deep roots in the Appalachian culture. Ramps, one of West Virginia’s most well-known culinary contribution, are wild leeks that grow in early spring throughout the state and the region. Kirkwood Winery boasts the ramp wine lends itself well for cooking applications.
