About Us

The History Behind Poca Terra Winery

The story of Poca Terra (Italian for “small land”) begins around 1910 when John’s maternal great-grandfather, an Italian immigrant named Giovanni Bianchi, settled in Chicago. One of his first purchases was a wooden wine press, along with a manual grape crusher and wooden barrel. His much-used equipment was eventually passed down to his son, Luigi. John remembers his grandfather purchasing California grapes from the farmers’ markets, filling every available space of his car with crates, and using that same press to make homemade wine in the basement of his Chicago home. John holds fond memories of his grandfather’s wine being served at holiday feasts and other gatherings of his large, extended family.

Four generations later, Giovanni’s wine press found its home at John and Karen’s farm in Marshall County, Kentucky. For many years those old tools served merely as conversation pieces, but in the back of John’s mind grew a desire to continue the family tradition. After much research on grape varietals that grow well in the climate and soil of western Kentucky, Chambourcin vines received the nod of approval. Chambourcin is a French-American hybrid whose dark purple grapes produce superb dry and semi-sweet wines which pair well with a wide variety of foods. Soon, a small vineyard of Chambourcin vines was planted which has thrived in our soil and added pleasure to our glasses. Every step in making our award-winning, estate-bottled, small-batch Poca Terra wines is done by hand, with attention to detail at every stage to ensure the highest quality wines.

Our goal is to offer a variety of wines that will suit every palate. In addition to our estate-bottled Chambourcin red and rosé wines, we now source fruits from other growers to produce additional dry, semi-sweet, sweet fruit, and port-style dessert wines. Each is special and delicious in its own way.

Our Vision

For many years, Poca Terra has served as our refuge from the stresses of busy careers. We now enjoy sharing the calming ambiance of our home and farm, along with our very special wines, with old friends and new friends alike. Our vision is to convert our 1890-era stock barn into a tasting-room and event center. In the meantime, we are taking advantage of our beautiful rural setting to host private tasting experiences and special events.