Greg Shipe, owner of Davenport Orchards & Winery, 1394 E. 1900 Road, Lawrence, is one of several Kansas wine producers.

Bruce Dozier planted the first grapevines on his four-acre vineyard when he was 60 years old.

Now, 10 years later, Dozier Vineyard and Winery, 323 S.E. 80th Ave., Ellinwood, grows about 1,500 gallons worth of 12 different varieties of grapes in one season, with a yield between 6,000 and 8,000 bottles a year.

The farthest he ships his wine, including his unique Sandhill Plum vintage, is to Russell, only 45 miles away.

Dozier and dozens of other Kansans toil away every May through October to produce some unique wines.

So, if you’re a wine connoisseur planning a trip to Napa Valley this summer, close your Expedia window and check into the vineyards and wineries right here in Kansas.

Though most people think of California when they think of rolling vineyards and fantastic wines, Kansas used to be one of the country’s leaders in winemaking.

Sarah Larison, with the Kansas Department of Commerce, said Kansas was one of the top grape producers in the U.S. before the era of Prohibition.

Today, Kansas has 22 licensed wineries and eight outlets where those wines are sold, according to Kansas Department of Agriculture information.

Jessica Bowser, rural development and outreach coordinator with the agriculture department, said last year there were only 14 wineries in the state manufacturing 50,000 gallons of wine a year.

Aside from being just a day’s trip away, vineyards and wineries in Kansas have another large home-field advantage: The small acreage of most vineyards and lower capacity for Kansas wineries means that most grapes from Kansas are hand-harvested; the wine, handmade.

In fact, Larison said only one vineyard in the region, Prairie Ridge Vineyards in St. George, mechanically harvests its grapes.

Dennis Reynolds owns Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery, 29725 Somerset Road, between Paola and Louisburg. He describes his profession as an art, made possible by the small scale of his and other Kansans’ winemaking operations.

“Wine isn’t just a factory process in Kansas,” he said.

Reynolds said he grows between 51 and 85 tons of grapes each year on his 17-acre vineyard, all harvested by hand. Those grapes produce from 2,500 to 5,000 cases a year, he said.

Another advantage for Kansas wine is that the unpredictable weather and rich soil create the perfect environment for grapes that are rarely grown in California, such as the Chambourcin, Norton, Chardonel and Traminette varieties.

Bowser said it takes about three years for a grape plant to mature enough to produce usable fruit for wine.

Natalie Sollo and husband David planted their first grape seeds five years ago at Grace Hill Winery, 6310 S. Grace Hill Road, Whitewater. Their first harvest was last June, during which they made 2,000 bottles of wine from their six-acre vineyard.

Though she knew the time and effort it would take to make a vineyard work in Kansas, Natalie said she and her husband were determined to make their dream come true.

“We love wine, and we love Kansas,” she said. “It’s home.”