Lover's Leap was born out of a simple love for wine and the land. There were only three very small wineries in the state at that time. The bulk of the grapes being grown were Concord and Niagara, filled out with the odd planting of hybrid varietals. The first Vitis Vinifera vines were going into the ground and not given very good odds for survival. The wine industry in Kentucky was a curiosity at best, and it too was slated for failure. The state might not have been very enthusiastic about "Kentucky Wine" but the few pioneers were zealous. This undying passion for the romance of great traditions in a new land proved to be contagious. In the spring of 1994 Jerry and Ann Holder planted the first five acres of vines.

     The Holders at the time were running two successful businesses in the Frankfort /Lawrenceburg area.They also owned a large piece of property that held a special interest. High on a bluff overlooking the winding Kentucky River stood "Lover's Leap". This outcropping with its breath-taking view was immortalized in a painting by the famous Kentucky artist, Paul Sawyer. On that spring day spent digging and jack hammering rock to place the fragile vines, the vineyards and future of Lover's Leap Winery had begun.
       As the Holder family grew so did the vineyards. In 1998 an additional nine acres were planted. This vineyard was on a lower portion of the farm, Jerry had watched year after year how the fog would roll up the valley and sit on this gracefully sloped hillside. This is where he would plant the Chardonnay and the Cabernet Sauvignon. Lower on the same hill he planted Cynthiana, Chamborcin and Vidal Blanc. The following year, the blocks of Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Cayuga White, Foch, plus additional acres of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon were planted, sprawling over the gently rolling hills.
    
     The process to bond his soon to be winery was as tough of a battle as was planting the first vineyard. The legacy of prohibition and the strong political power held by the distilleries proved cumbersome but with Jerry's dogged persistence, the winery opened in the summer of 2001. With all five of their children, Jerry and Ann dedicated every weekend and most week day evenings to the pursuit of their dream. In the winter of 2001, knowing the vineyards would be coming into maturity, Jerry decided to hire a winemaker to oversee the vineyards and the production of the wines.

     He wanted someone who shared his dream for the Kentucky wine industry, and understood the taste of the Kentucky consumer. He hired Ben O'Daniel. Having grown up in one of the states first wineries, and working in the Tennessee wine industry for five years, Ben had the experience of running a large winery. He also know what it took to raise quality wine grapes in the often tricky climate of Kentucky. With all the pieces in place, Lover's Leap is achieving the dream the Holder family began almost ten years ago.