photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Owner of Davenport Orchards and Winery Greg Shipe stands behind the counter of his winery on Wednesday, September 25, 2024.

Fall is the busiest season for Davenport Orchards and Winery, where over 8,000 pounds of grapes grown on the property must be harvested within 60 days before they can be transformed into wine.

“(We’re) trying to get the harvest out before we have bad weather, and it’s a lot of hard work,” said Greg Shipe, owner of Davenport Orchards and Winery.

Shipe said that estimating the annual bottle production from the grapes can be challenging, as some wines age for a long time. However, the range typically falls between 10,000 and 12,000 bottles. Those grapes are pressed, allowed to ferment and age, and poured into bottles, many with labels embracing the wines’ Kansas origins.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Several norton grapes were being harvested on Wednesday, September 25, 2024.

Davenport Orchards and Winery grows 17 grape varieties on 22 acres and produces 40 different wines, selling almost all of them right on the farm. The wine selection offers a variety of types — red, blush, white, sweet, or dry.

“We grow all of our grapes here,” Shipe said. “When you come here, you’re tasting Kansas.”

Additionally, local artists over the years have created all the labels on the wine bottles.

“If you had a label with just the name of the wine on it, (people will) forget the name of the wine,” Shipe said. “(But this way) they’ll remember the label.”

Shipe’s grandparents, C.W. and Mary Davenport, moved to Lawrence in 1949 and settled at the Jenny Wren Farm, where they grew apples and grain and raised cattle while running a meat market and auction barn. After C.W. retired in 1960, he bought 74 acres in the Kaw Bottoms and planted peaches and apples, leading to the road being named Peach Orchard Road (now County Road 1057). Shipe worked on the farm during summers and eventually took over operations.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Two of the many wines available at Davenport Winery on Wednesday, September 25, 2024.

In 1990, Shipe planted the first grapes after his wife, Charlee Glinka, suggested they would look lovely on the property. The couple began making jelly, but Shipe admitted it wasn’t to their taste. However, after discovering winemaking, Shipe and Glinka started producing wine commercially in August 1997.

“The grapes kind of took over everything,” Shipe said.

“I think when we opened the winery, we had four acres,” Shipe said. “And then we just kept planting.”

The winery has been participating in the Kaw Valley Farm Tour, which takes place on the first weekend of October, every year since its launch 20 years ago. Shipe mentioned that he particularly enjoys this time of year because it attracts new visitors.

“(I look forward to meeting) new people, especially those who have never been out in the county,” Shipe said. “You would be surprised how many people in town have not been to their local farms.”

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photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

The vineyard at Davenport Orchards and Winery on Wednesday, September 25, 2024.

The 20th annual Kaw Valley Farm Tour will showcase 39 farms this year, inviting visitors to explore local agriculture. The event will take place on Saturday, October 5, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, October 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participants can look forward to a variety of farm offerings and activities. For further details, including a map, driving directions, tour tips, and ticket purchases, visit kawvalleyfarmtour.org.

Davenport Orchards and Winery will offer several wine tasting options and a tour of their operations on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 5 and 6. In addition, people will have the chance to meet the sheep that occupy the vineyard.