Gina Lanaux

When Elener and Joe Kralik brought their grandmother from Ukraine to live with them in 1946, she buried a chicken wishbone under the carpet of the small farmhouse on County Road 32 in Baldwin County. Little did she know that the farm would one day become an upscale vineyard and winery. Dawn Fletcher tells me that when she was renovating the house to be fashioned into an office, she found a pearl earring and a wishbone as she pulled up the flooring. 

“A wishbone is a blessing, a tradition for having good luck. This land has been farmed for 100 years and everything grows really well here.” The Kraliks grew soybeans, cotton, corn, and tungoil trees on 22 acres. Southern Grove Vineyard opened 5 weeks ago, and had 1100 customers on opening day!  Good luck indeed!

Rick and Dawn Fletcher, along with Alex Owen and Michael Harrison, have created a new destination for tourists and locals and the undertaking is an amazing account of hard work, luck, and love. Rick, a Canadian oilman, came to Alabama in 2010 to drill an oil well in Evergreen. The well produced 800 barrels a day, and Rick undoubtedly fell in love with Alabama and moved. With 600 wells in Texas and 10 in Alabama, I would venture to say he is a lucky man. His beautiful wife, Dawn, from Pensacola, became his wife in 2014. 

Dawn’s father owns Nutwood Winery, in La Grange, Georgia, and after visiting there, Rick felt that Fairhope needed a place to enjoy wine with plenty of seating and parking, so he started looking for property.  They came upon the Kralik property by chance and had Alex Owen, the geologist for his oil company, test the soil, that was perfect for growing grapes. Today, they have 1200 vines with 16 grape varieties, artfully landscaped around the main Tasting Room and Café. 

“Alex went to California and procured some hybrid grapes that are disease and weather-resistant for Southern vineyards. We also grow two types of Muscadines and import juices from California, Pennsylvania, and Australia to make our blends,” Rick says proudly. “Alex, the geologist, is now the grower and winemaker. He's a super smart guy.”  Alex is from Bay Minette, where his family owned a generational Hardware Store, but that’s another story. When we visited, Alex was giving a winemaking tour where visitors can see the working vineyard, the production facilities and taste wine still aging. 

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Rick and Dawn’s vision for the winery was underway when the pandemic stalled the timeline for the huge venue that seats 214 inside and 200 outside. Dawn says, “The timing was actually good because Rick and I laid every foot of grass, and landscaped the flower beds.” Rick built the bar himself and Dawn designed the interior space. They are both still very hands-on in the venture. “ I was on the tractor cutting grass this morning for 2 and a half hours.” Hard to believe while looking at this elegant blonde lady dressed in a black cocktail dress and heels. While we talk, Rick is helping the staff serve food and wine, making sure his customers and staff are enjoying themselves.

Now, on to the food and wine……. I decided to do a wine tasting, called a wine tree. The tree holds five small tasting glasses and is tiered sculpturally for a beautiful presentation. Dawn recommended 5 wines, which were cleverly named with local monikers. 

I started with the 2023 Josephine Riesling, which is described as a “complex fruit nose with high acidity and notes of green apple, with a refreshing finish.” I like dry white wines and was worried this may be too sweet, but it was lovely, so much so that I ordered another glass later and my friend, Jim, took home a bottle. 

Next was the 2021 Ecor Rouge Red Blend, which was a blend of Muscadine, Merlot, Shiraz, and Cabernet grapes. It, too, was delicious. The third taste was called Pier Perfection, a sweet white Carlos Muscadine wine. If you like sweet, this one's for you. 

Unusual, never-heard-of libations are next; ‘Wine Shine’ which is an alcohol-infused blackberry blend, and a Frozen Wine Slushie, which is a daily flavor special. A choice between Moscato and Mimosa slushies, I saw many patrons with big glasses of the frozen concoction, so it must be very popular.  

Rick explains that most of his grape vines are only 1 to 3 years old, and the best grapes are harvested at 4 years. Dawn says, “The Champanel vines are loaded with grapes, and I love walking around the vineyard and tending to them. It’s therapy for me. We harvest around the third week of August because everything grows so fast, because of the heat and humidity.” They have more white wines coming soon including a Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc. I can't wait to sample these.

The Café menu means a lot to Dawn because the culinary pairings are locally sourced and feature recipes passed down from her mother and stepmother. I had a Southern Grove Trio which featured Basil Hummus, (Dawn’s recipe) Pimento Cheese (Stepmom’s recipe) with olives, with homemade dinner rolls (Dawn’s Mother’s recipe)  Fresh and flavorful, it was a perfect pairing. 

Others at my table ordered Pork Tenderloin Sliders, Meat Lovers Pizza, and Bay Breeze Bacon Quiche.  Two giant pieces of delicious chocolate cake were served as the Dessert of the Day. A very eclectic menu, I look forward to trying everything! Rick and Dawn praise their chefs, bakers, and servers and once again say how lucky they are to have found all of them to share in the success of this extraordinary endeavor.

Open Thursday from 11 am to 9 pm, Friday and Saturday, from 11 am to 10 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm, they have plans for a brewery and a wedding venue soon. I consider myself lucky to have spent the afternoon with the Fletchers, their food and wine, and the incredible Southern Grove Vineyard. Plan to visit soon, 10176 County Road 32, Fairhope, Alabama. 251-520-7360