Fellow Rotarian, Allen Dossey, is turning grapes into gold at his Lone Oak winery, which has exceeded all expectations since he first began to nurture his dream and his vines just a few years ago. The uniquely named vintages are a huge hit with locals and tourists alike. Dossey had hoped to sell 10,000 bottles in his first year, but sold 8,000 just in their first 90 days. "If we had the volume to meet the demand we could sell $500,000 in wines in the first 9 months," said Dossey.

The winery has become a big tourism draw for the area and every bottle sold brings somewhere between $2 and $9 into our local economy. Dossey said 80% of the tourists who visit the Purple Toad are enticed by a state tourism sign for the winery on I-24. While wine may not be as synonymous with Kentucky as you might think, a study shows that it's the number 3 draw for tourists right behind horse racing and bourbon.

Dossey's demand for grapes has far exceeded his own supply grown on 2 acres. He buys 10 tons of grapes from other farmers and is working with 4 local farmers who are planning to plant grapes to supply the winery in the future.

His 5 to 7 year plan includes building a nice restaurant, banquet hall and a larger winery. Dossey said it could potentially become a $4 million business in another 3 to 4 years. He is hoping local officials will allow Sunday sales at the winery in the future, which is the second biggest retail sales day.

Purple Toad wines range from sweet to dry and from Chardonnay to Cabernet Sauvignon, plus fruit wines made from blackberries and strawberries. The wines have racked up 29 awards just in the last 3 years.

For more information visit www.purpletoadvineyard.com.