photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

Blue Jacket Crossing Vineyard in rural Douglas County is one of 19 wineries participating in the Kaw Valley AVA winery passport program, which offers special discounts at each winery to its users.

Rural Douglas County grows more than just corn and wheat — it also is dotted with vineyards, and each has its own story.

One of them, Davenport Orchards and Winery, can be found just outside of Eudora. Greg Shipe and his wife Charlee Glinka have grown their own grapes since 1990 after Glinka suggested growing some “since they looked pretty,” according to Shipe. What started with 82 grapevines grew to, at one point, 12,000, and Shipe’s winery became the first in Douglas County to sell its own wine in 1997; all of its wines are made out of its own grapes.

Over the years, Shipe has served plenty of regulars — KU professors who visit the winery nearly every Friday for free tastings, which Shipe has always offered; people who drive “from Oklahoma and back” to purchase bottles. He has even won national awards for his creations, though he said he doesn’t see those as important, just as feedback.

But the Kaw Valley doesn’t have the same cachet as Napa Valley or the Uco Valley in Argentina, and so a new program is trying to help more people discover these local vineyards and experience what makes each one unique.

The Kaw Valley AVA, a regional wine and agritourism organization supporting local vineyards and wineries, and Explore Lawrence have partnered to introduce a special Kaw Valley AVA Winery Passport, a free mobile program that helps people discover wineries aacross northeast Kansas.

The winery passport allows visitors to the 18 participating wineries to redeem coupons for special deals and find more information about the local wine region. To access the passport, users can go to the Kaw Valley AVA’s website and register for the free app to redeem those discounts.

Kim Anspach, the executive director of Explore Lawrence, told the Journal-World that the program is built on a digital passport platform that the visitors bureau had used for other projects before. Anspach said her organization was able to provide the technology and expertise to launch the campaign without needing to build a new system from scratch.

Marie Holsclaw, a marketing assistant helping promote the Kaw Valley AVA, told the Journal-World this is the first time the organization has used this type of promotion. She hopes it can draw visitors “who wouldn’t normally go to wineries” with the special coupons, and that it will generate more word-of-mouth exposure.

Blue Jacket Crossing Vineyard in Douglas County, owned by Pep Solberg, is one of the wineries participating in the program. Solberg, who has been growing grapes at Blue Jacket Crossing since 2002, said he is offering either 10% off any purchase at the store or a half-price glass of wine for people who visit the tasting room.

Solberg said there are times when third-party programs or promotions can lead to him needing to “compromise too much” and hurt his business. He feels this promotion has been “tasteful” and appreciates the help he has received from the organizations.

“This has been terrific,” Solberg said.

photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

A working fireplace and chairs are seen in the Blue Jacket Crossing Vineyard’s tasting room. Pep Solberg, its owner, said he hopes visitors feel the winery is a comforting “rest stop.”

photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

Vineyards of grapes are seen at Blue Jacket Crossing Vineyard in rural Douglas County on July 9, 2026.

photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

Bottles of wine made at Blue Jacket Crossing Vineyard are seen here in its tasting room. These wines are draped in medals representing the awards they have earned.

Shipe said since his tastings are already free, he plans to offer a glass to customers who visit with the passport program. Holsclaw said that some of the other specials available at wineries through the program include free flights of wine and 50% off a bottle. Those sorts of deals “provide an incentive for people to get out there.”

While the prime time for wineries is normally in the fall, Solberg said he has already seen an impact from the passport program. He has served three people with the passport since it was rolled out, and the local traffic this summer has so far been “terrific.” Solberg also said the winery has special branded wine openers that celebrate the passport program to thank the people who make their way to his spot in rural Douglas County.

“(It says) we’re glad you are here and glad you could find us,” Solberg said.

Anspach said she has been pleased with the partnership so far and the local wineries’ passion to showcase different parts of the Kaw Valley and what makes it unique.

“It’s exciting to help showcase an experience that’s distinctly local and encourages people to explore more of the region,” Anspach said.

Each tasting room adds its own special character as well. Solberg said his winery’s tasting room was partially inspired by “fern bars” in San Francisco that were built and furnished to add a feeling of comfort. With a working fireplace, Solberg said he hopes that people who visit his winery can feel that it is a “rest stop.”

Shipe’s tasting room has an eclectic mix of decorations brought to him by some of his regulars. Those include sculptures made of old Davenport Winery corks and various signs and statues gifted to him. All of Shipe’s wines — currently he has 26 on offer — feature labels by local artists, and he also planted an oak tree just outside the tasting room to create a garden area that looks out over the grapevines and stays cool even in the sweltering summer heat.

photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

Oak barrels are stacked in a warehouse on the site of Davenport Orchards and Winery. The owner, Greg Shipe, said he has 130 barrels of wine stacked in storage, with all the wine made out grapes he grew.

photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

Bottles of wine created by Davenport Orchards and Winery sit atop the winery’s bar. Each label was created by a Douglas County artist.

photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

Paintings and other art pieces hang the wall in the Davenport Orchards and Winery tasting room. Its owner said all the art has been given to him by regular customers over the years.

Though the decor of the tasting rooms differs, both wineries say they stand out by focusing on craft. All of their wines are made with grapes that they grew on their property. Solberg said the winery won’t put out anything that is compromised just because there might be a demand for a certain type of wine. Because the Midwest’s terroir mostly creates a sweeter wine, Solberg said they try to age their wines to add more balance, a process that can take two to five years.

“We don’t crank out a red wine in a year when it hasn’t aged properly,” Solberg said.

Although Shipe has a wine called “Boujy Noveaulo” modeled after the French Beaujolais nouveau that is fermented over just 30 days, he has “130 barrels stacked to the ceiling” aging at his winery, including a Port-style wine he has been aging for 18 years that he has yet to bottle.

The two wineries produce gallons and gallons of wine, and Solberg is hoping this passport program means more people will discover the unique qualities of their wines. But the new program is also a sign to Solberg of the way the region’s wineries have grown together.

Solberg said when he was part of a local wine association decades ago, the perspective of many on the board was narrow, and people did not want to share. As the industry has changed, Solberg said it has been clear there is more cooperation, as evidenced by the passport program.

Anspach said the program also highlights agritourism opportunities that make Douglas County distinct. Visitors to the region are looking for authentic experiences, she said, and these local vineyards provide a chance to see “people, products and landscapes that define the Kaw Valley.”

She also said the partnership with Kaw Valley AVA illustrates how Explore Lawrence is working to boost the whole region.

“The more we can connect visitors with authentic local experiences, the stronger our visitor economy becomes,” Anspach said.

For more information on how to access the winery passport, you can visit the Kaw Valley AVA’s website.

photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

Two chairs sit facing the vineyards at Davenport Orchards and Winery in Douglas County. The winery has been selling wine since 1997, the first to do so in the county.

photo by: Contributed

A map of all the wineries and vineyards in the Kaw Valley AWA, a regional wine and agritourism organization supporting local vineyards and wineries in the region, is seen here.