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Turning Coal into Wine:
Seco's Old Company Store

[image ALT: A low 2‑story wooden building with a pickup truck in front of it. It is a view of the old South Eastern Coal Company store, now the Highland Winery in Seco, Kentucky (central eastern United States).]

[image ALT: zzz. It is a view of the old South Eastern Coal Company store, now the Highland Winery in Seco, Kentucky (central eastern United States).]

So far, this looks very much like what it once was: the company store of a coal mining operation. In the 1990s, however, the building at 293 Seco Drive was bought and carefully restored to become the home of the family-owned Highland Winery. Letcher County is "dry", mind you — that is, the sale and public consumption of alcohol is against the law — and the vintners had to jump thru an incredible set of hoops to start the business; but the world is a better place because of it: they make good wine.

Or at least that's my own take on it all; but in the area itself, opinion is sharply divided: this thread gives an idea of the battle lines and the reasons for them.

[image ALT: zzz. It is a view of the old South Eastern Coal Company store, now a winery, in Seco, Kentucky (central eastern United States).]

The rocking chairs are not just for decoration: the Highland Winery is also home to a bed-and‑breakfast; not their fault that I happened to come by in chilly November.

For the raw material of this page, see my diary, Nov. 25, 2005. For the Highland wine label, though, you'll have to travel to Kentucky; state laws still do not allow the commercial export of wine!

[image ALT: A bottle of wine, produced by the Highland Winery in Seco, Kentucky (central eastern United States).]

Chicago, New Year's Day 2006:
celebrating with Highland Cabernet.

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Turning Coal into Wine: Seco's Old Company Store

Turning Coal into Wine:
Seco's Old Company Store