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Winery in the Works

444 views · Published 8 February 2014 · 2:13 · Indexed 29 September 2026

Channel: LOCAL 12 · 2014 · News & Politics

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COVINGTON, Ky. (Joe Webb) -- When you think of Covington, you probably don't think of Hillside Vineyards. But a local entrepreneur is already growing grapes and wants to develop his business.  The non-descript hilltop on Highland Pike is the top end of a 19-acre piece of residential property.  Owners Mark Schmidt and Debra Boling want it rezoned for agriculture. They went to the northern Kentucky planning commission last month with plans for a winery and got the thumbs up.  They had history on their side. There was a monastery on that property years ago and they did produce wine so there were vineyards there. And that just kind of went by the wayside years ago. The hillside was home to the Monte Cassino Winery run by Benedictine Monks in the 1800's.  Their well-known brand was packaged in violin-shaped bottles.  The chapel where monks said prayers sat on the hill until it was moved by truck in the 60's to Thomas More College where it stands today. The low end of the 19-acres on Kuhr's Lane was the home of Father Kuhr, the first pastor of Mother of God Church.  Mark Schmidt lives in Father Kuhr's old house. Mark Schmidt has already cleared out a couple of acres on his property and planted vines.  It was a lot of work but a lot of the heavy lifting was already done for him nearly 200 years ago. Schmidt's vines are on terraces the monks built.  They're held in place by massive stone walls.  The rock was quarried off Highland Pike.  Some of the walls are 14 feet tall. Schmidt hopes to expand the vineyard and possibly build a bed and breakfast.  The neighbors are curious but supportive.  Elaine Coleman has lived on Kuhr's Lane for 54 years. I worry about the water coming down the hills but I think that it's kind of neat that they're restoring it and doing that again, really.If the zoning changed is approved this would be Covington's only agricultural land.  An economic development step forward that in many ways is really a step back in time.Covington's City Commission will vote on the zoning change on February 18th.  The property is in Covington but borders on Fort Wright and Kentonvale.

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