5 Year Anniversary

Two brothers, sharing drinks in the elder brother’s backyard in 2012, dreamed up a wild notion: plant a vineyard and make some wine. We (Asher and Jesse Dale) then convinced our wives (Ana and Katy) and parents (Kenny and Beth) to go along with an idea that probably sounded a little crazy at the time (talk about a supportive family!). We established Dale Hollow Fruit Farms, LLC on Nov 14, 2012, then in the spring of 2013 we planted our first vines, and by 2015 we were selling our first bottles of wine. We had a soft opening for the tasting room in late fall of 2016 and have been open every season since.

Over the course of this time, there has been plenty of grape growing, wine making, and new-friend-meeting. We will be “officially” observing this with a classic Dale Hollow celebration including wine, music, and food on Saturday, September 12th (music: 2pm-5pm, food: noon-5pm).

It’s a little difficult to pick a “starting point” for a traditional winery, because you usually plant grapes well before you have a tasting room or sell any wine. Since we completed (most) of the construction of the tasting room in fall of 2015 and were selling wine that year, it made the most sense to observe it as the beginning of retail operations. Most importantly, it makes the math way easier for future anniversary celebrations.

Here on the blog, we will peruse down memory lane with some of our favorite pictures over this time period. Because if there’s anything we love as much as wine- it’s nostalgia! We didn’t come close to including every moment we’ve enjoyed or every person that has helped us along the way, but rest assured that we appreciate all of it and all of you!

Now, enjoy a quick breeze through 5 years or so of work, celebrations, and everything in between. It’s been fun, an adventure full of new joys and challenges, and looking through these pictures we are reminded that our cups runneth over with blessings and memories.