First Vineyard

Kentucky has long been famous for its fast horses, beautiful women and fine bourbon whiskeys. What’s not as well known is that lying in the heart of this beautiful Bluegrass region in a small county abutting the Kentucky River, is the site where the first commercial winery in the United States was established over 200 years ago. This historic venture was started by the Dufour family of Switzerland, who had been producing and enjoying wine for generations First Vineyard was so named by the founder, John James Dufour. The story of how Jessamine County, Kentucky, was selected to become the home of this fledgling industry, how one family’s dreams were destroyed by odd quirks of fate and weather, and how this unique property has since been restored is a saga rich in history, drama and the dedication of the new owners of the First Vineyard, who have spent thousands of hours carefully researching hundreds of documents to unequivocally establish the location of this historic site. Document such as the survey of the property done by Daniel Boone in 1783, the business plan that was written by Dufour in 1798 and published in the Lexington Gazette and the Kentucky Revised Statute that actually created the Kentucky Vineyard Society and made Dufour the vinedresser for the First Vineyard in 1799.