US: Kansas strives to revitalize state wine market
US: Kansas strives to revitalize state wine market
Oct 3, 2012 6
(Kansan) - When most people think of big drivers of the Kansas economy, fields of wheat, pastures dotted with beef cattle and clumps of large factories pumping out airplanes, plastic and packed meat come to mind. However, the sites of an emerging market are tucked into small towns and hidden off country roads.
Kansas’s wineries and vineyards, which now lag behind nearby states in acreage and production, are trying to make a comeback.
Dominic Martin is an instructor of viticulture at Highland Community College. He manages the college’s vineyard, which lies on the outskirts of Wamego, 45 miles northwest of Topeka. The vineyard was created four years ago, and it produced its first crop of grapes last month. Students are able to work hands-on, stringing wire, pruning and picking, learning how to create and run a commercial winemaking business.
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