Is the Country’s Oldest Largest Wine Cellar at the Baker Bird Winery & Distillery Worth a Visit?
Augusta Kentucky has a curious history that encompasses both wine and spirits. Baker-Bird Winery & Distillery, regarded as one of the most historic spirits sites in America is home to largest and oldest wine cellar in the country, Baker-Bird traces its origins back to 1797, when German immigrant John Baker moved his distillery from Pennsylvania to Augusta after the Whiskey Rebellion. He left everything to his son, and in 1850, grandson Abraham Baker Jr. built the immaculate wine cellar and planted vineyards on the property.
Baker-Bird also is on the National Historic Registry of Places twice, is the only winery in America to survive a Civil War battle, and is one of the oldest bourbon distilling sites in Kentucky.
This is all according to current owner Dinah Bird, who bought the abandoned property in 2003 and is on a mission to restore it to its former glory — grapevines and all. Bird is basically your average jill-of-all-trades, and she uses each skillset to operate the winery.
Current Ownership & Winemaking
For 10 years, Bird worked in medical and research libraries as well as ER rooms on the weekends. After that, she got into investment management and worked as a portfolio manager at a bank in Cincinnati. She still does this full time and runs the winery in her spare time. And in between all of that, Bird became a certified horticulturalist, learning the ins and outs of winemaking starting at the roots, so to speak. Her love of history, plants and wine is evident after 2 minutes of meeting Bird, and her passion is what keeps the lights on. “Both careers have helped me in managing the winery and distillery,” she says. “The horticulture/biology/chemistry as well as laboratory background has helped me understand the scientific process of wine-making and distilling. The investment background has helped me managing the finances, which is equally important to survive as a small company.”
Bird has done extensive research on the Baker family, and part of the winery tour includes a timeline of the winery’s early beginnings. She even knows the name of the boat John Baker came to America on in 1761: The Chance. Since buying the winery and preserving its worn structures — which includes 40-foot-wide, 90-foot-long and 40-foot-tall stone wine cellar — Bird sources her wine from other Kentucky vineyards she has a personal relationship with until she can start growing her own grapevines on site.
This arrangement is a win-win for everyone involved, she says, because in her off time, she visits many Kentucky wineries to help them with their crops and lend her expertise to any problems they may be having. Some wineries even create a custom crush for Baker-Bird wines, which includes 9 products that range from dry, semi-dry and sweet reds and whites to a bourbon barrel-aged cabernet called Thunderbolt. Bird boasts that her wines have won more than 150 medals in wine competitions both nationally and internationally.
Distilling
Recently, Bird put her efforts into restoring the distilling arm of the business, and in 2018, bourbon was once again distilled on the property using John Baker’s original recipe. They now produce white whiskey, bourbon, and brandy, all of which Baker distilled back in the early 1800s. Bird says she enjoys revitalizing a once-dormant part of Augusta’s history, and she loves meeting everyone who stops in for a wine tasting or history lesson. “Everyone needs to have a break from the routine of life, and I like creating that opportunity for guests,” she says. “Augusta is a charming community, and I am happy the winery and distillery contribute to the village.”