Family winery looks to become Weakley County’s first

MARTIN, Tenn. — One Martin family may be bringing the first ever winery to Weakley County.

Larry Snider and his wife, Paula, left Weakley County in the late 1960s but moved back in 2008.

He and his family decided to start a small family vineyard and enjoy the opportunity for something unique.

“As far as I know in the history of Weakley County, there has never been a winery, so it will be the first one,” Larry Snider, owner and founder of Beau Monde Vineyards, said.

The family has around eight and a half acres they purchased along with their home, and now five and a half of those acres are being occupied by grapes.

“Our plan is to become a farm winery, which is a step below a full-blown winery, and that means we don’t actually make the wine here. We will make it in someone else’s facilities,” Snider said.

Snider says they will start in September with this year’s crop and send it to White Squirrel Winery in Kenton, where they already have their fermentation tanks.

“We are going to specialize in more dry wines and dry reds. The new grapes make especially good dry red wine and also dry white wines,” Snider added.

Snider says they had 12 tons of grapes last year and about eight tons the year before and says both crops were sold to Arrington Vineyards.

Snider says Beau Monde Vineyards plans to contract with White Squirrel Winery to produce their wine and says this year’s crop will be first offered for sale sometime in 2019.

Snider says he and his family are considering a small tasting room and sales area adjacent to their vineyard on Pleasant Hill Road in Martin.