Dyersburg State Gazette: Local News: Master Gardeners tour Kenton vineyard (08/28/09)

Bill Sanderson leads Dyer County Master Gardeners, such as a grape-nibbling Sharon Bateman, through his vineyard in Kenton. Sanderson began planting a few grape vines in 1998 and established his winery in 2006. The 10-acre vineyard now contains almost 7,000 vines, or 5.3 linear miles of Cardonnell, Noriet, Chambourcin and Traminette grape vines. The grapes are currently sold to other Tennessee wineries. Sanderson plans to expand the vineyard to 20 acres, to open the White Squirrel Winery, to build guest cottages and to promote the vineyard as a cultural destination complete with concerts, art shows and more. The Master Gardeners toured the vineyard Tuesday evening.

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Traminette grapes hang in the Sanderson Family Farms vineyard in Kenton. The grapes will not be harvested until the sugar content reaches a specific level. Then, the grapes will be shipped to a Tennessee winery, where they'll be turned into white wine. Traminette grapes have a spicy essence and the vines average about 4 tons of grapes to the acre. Last year, Sanderson said his vines produced 5 tons of grapes to the acre.

Hope the grapes are better than the appliances he sells.

-- Posted by pitchin' on Sat, Aug 29, 2009, at 5:46 AM

I lived in Kenton 12 years and have no complaints of anything that we purchased from Sanderson's. Bill is a great person and I wish him the best with his vineyards.

-- Posted by Get It Done Already on Sat, Aug 29, 2009, at 6:21 AM

C.W. Sanderson's doesn't make the appliances pitchin, they sell them. Bill is a good man, and I have done business with him for a long time. The appliances he sells are the same that any regional furniture or appliance store sells.

-- Posted by dburg on Sun, Aug 30, 2009, at 7:05 PM

well if you get tired of waking up tired drink a little wine with bedroom bill.

-- Posted by envious on Tue, Sep 1, 2009, at 2:18 PM