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Mercer House Estate Winery – Lexington’s First and Only Winery

June 3, 2015 | Posted By: [email protected]

Mercer House Estate Winery

Searching for the next great original wine? Or a tour and tasting at a beautiful vineyard?

No need to book a flight to Europe and venture through France, Spain and Italy.

No need to travel across the country to California.

You can find it all right here in Lexington at Mercer House Estate Winery, Lexington’s first and only winery.

“As an organic winery, we work harder than most and create the best wine products in the Southeast,” said owner Shannon Mercer, who has called Lexington home for 23 years.

It’s hard to believe it all started when Mercer and his wife Kim started growing muscadines while looking for an agriculture tax exemption. Now, the couple has been making wine for eight years.

“No license is required to operate a vineyard or make up to 200 gallons of wine per household. It was our way of learning how to make wines of different types,” Mercer said. “After deciding to sell my photo business, the natural direction was using the grapes for winemaking.”

The Mercers have been licensed for the past eight months, and the business is doing well.

The most gratifying thing about the job is “working in the vineyards and making a whole new flavor of wines,” according to Mercer, who plans to expand the wine and added-value product line in the future.

Located on Walter Rawl Road, the 12-acre winery, which consists of five vineyards, currently offers a variety of wines, including a slightly sweet white wine; a bold, full-bodied red wine; a soft semi-dry dark wine; a Southern red wine and a semi-dry table blend. Mercer House not only makes wines, but also wine jellies, vinegar and Saba, a savory sauce made from grape skins. Saba dates back over 4000 years and requires over 300 hours of continuous heat to ensure the smooth delicate flavors are retained. Mercer House is working to develop Spicy, Sweet and Original Saba. They are also working to create Muscadine Balsamic Vinegar, as well as Extra Virgin Grapeseed Oil.

Tours of the vineyards are available, along with tastings of a variety of the local, organic wines made right here in Lexington. The tours last 20-30 minutes and can be a walking tour or on the vineyard tour cart. Cost is $10 per person.

For more information, visit the business website at www.mercerhouseestatewinery.com. You can also find the business on Facebook. You can contact Mercer House by email at [email protected] or by phone at (803) 957-7102.