| | Jeff Landry makes rounds regularly to be sure the barrels are full at Landry Vineyards. (Photo by Mary Ann Van Osdell. Click on photo for downloadable image.) |
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| | Jeff and Libby Landry produce 30,000 bottles of wine a year at Landry Vineyards in West Monroe. They recently signed up for MarketMaker, a service of the LSU AgCenter, to link them with growers. (Photo by Mary Ann Van Osdell. Click on photo for downloadable image.) |
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News Release Distributed 10/05/10
WEST MONROE, La. – Landry Vineyards proves that wine grapes can be grown in Louisiana. Jeff Landry and his wife, Libby, are producing 30,000 bottles of wine a year.
Landry recently signed up for MarketMaker to “link growers with us and for the need to develop producers of the grapes we are growing.”
MarketMaker is a free online tool for Louisiana producers, businesses and consumers launched by the LSU AgCenter. Anybody in Louisiana with a product to sell – wines, fruit, seafood, pecans, crawfish, etc. – can establish an account on Market Maker for free.
Market Maker originates out of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and 17 states including Louisiana are members. Louisiana Market Maker is not restricted to food products, but the business has to be agriculture-related.
“Landry's is the perfect agritourism destination; it has something to see, something to do and something to buy,” said Dora Ann Hatch, an LSU AgCenter agent.
Landry said he appreciates the help he gets from LSU AgCenter horticulture agent Steve Hotard. “He will come out regularly and look at the vineyard. He looks at problems and whatnot,” Landry said.
The vineyard grows Blanc du Bois, Cynthiana-Norton and Lenoir-Black Spanish grapes.
The couple began their first vineyard in Folsom in 1999. Soon after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the Landrys relocated to West Monroe on a 20-acre site that includes a winery, vineyards and tasting room.
The Landrys have had two successful harvests. They’ve planted nine acres, and three acres are currently producing grapes.
The vineyard is located at 5699 Natchitoches Road and is open for tasting on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The Landrys offer seven varieties, ranging from dry to semi-sweet.
The Landrys participate in the farmers market in Shreveport and several arts and crafts shows at plantations. Their wines are sold in 300 stores throughout Louisiana or from their website, www.landryvineyards.com.
Mary Ann Van Osdell