FRANKFORT, Ky. — When one thinks of vineyards and wineries, Kentucky may not be the first place that comes to mind. But if the industry continues its recent growth, the Bluegrass State could easily become the Cabernet State.

California and France may not have anything to worry about, but many state wines are showing up in stores and restaurants wearing medals for excellence.

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) made finding those wineries easier with the introduction of the Kentucky Wine Trails app for Apple iOS and Google Android devices. Tyler Madison, the director of KDA’s Grape and Wine program, said there seems to be no end to the growth the industry is experiencing.

“Back in 2006, we had 15 wineries; and now we are at 65. So it’s pretty significant growth for the industry,” he said. “I think this is going to catch on. If you look at some of the regions around us, they have really taken off; Virginia, Pennsylvania and of course New York. All those regions have taken it very seriously but they have about a 15 year head start on us. But I see us getting to that level. We’ve got the climate to grow the grapes and we’re starting to get a lot of the expertise in the winemakers and I think we’re going to get there.”

The growth experienced in Kentucky is a marketing marvel considering the in 1990 there were no commercial wineries. But that wasn’t always the case. According to information from the Kentucky Vineyard Society, Kentucky was the site of the first commercial vineyard in the United States; and by 1860, it was the third-largest grape producing state.

But the Civil War and Prohibition all but stopped the wine industry here until legislation in the 1990’s paved the way for today’s wine and vineyard industry.

With so many wineries now dotting the landscape, Madison said he would like to see more grape growers get started to supply Kentucky grapes to those wineries.

“With how quickly the wine industry is growing, there aren’t enough Kentucky grapes to sustain the amount of wineries to have all Kentucky wines,” he said. “We’d really like to see more growth in the people who are adamant about growing vineyards and passionate about grapes and they can sell those grapes to the wineries and we could have an industry that’s based solely on grapes grown in Kentucky.”

Along with the actual wineries, the interest by farmers and landowners seems to be growing, as well. Madison said he gets a couple of calls a week from people interested in planting grape vines.

“I think there are a lot of people who have the romantic idea of having a vineyard; they’re really pretty though it is a lot of work,” he said. “If you talk to people that were tobacco growers and planted a vineyard, they always say that growing grapes is so much harder because there’s always something to do.”

The hard work aspect of growing grapes and making wine doesn’t seem to have bothered too many viticulturalists; apparent from the many new wineries getting started. It is hoped that the new Kentucky Wine Trails app will drive consumers to these venues to benefit from all that hard work.

Madison said even though wine trails aren’t new, the idea of incorporating the information into an app is still a little bit of a novel idea but he thinks it is going to work out well.

“We included all the wineries in the state and we have them broken up into regions to allow people to create their own personal wine trail,” he said.

The app allows users to search for information and directions to the 65 wineries scattered throughout the state. They can also sign up for a virtual “passport book” that get’s a “stamped” code at every stop. Once a consumer has reached seven “stamps” within a year, they will receive an email recognizing the fact and information on how to receive a free T-shirt.

Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer said the wine trails app will provide all the information a traveler needs to find their favorite wines and more.

“People can find a place to buy their favorite Kentucky wines or to enjoy a nice dinner or a concert,” he said. “Wineries will get new business from customers who find them with the app. This is an amazing combination of an ancient art and cutting-edge technology.”

Madison said a first “test” app was sent to the wineries to make sure all worked, and the feedback was incredible. He said that while many of the larger more centrally located vineyards get much of the attention, with the new app, many small vineyard owners said for the first time they feel like they are on an even playing field.

“This is something helping everyone out across the board, so it’s been really positive and I’m really happy with the reception it’s gotten from the wineries,” he said.

To load the free Kentucky Wine Trails app, go to the App Store (iOS) or the Google Play Store (Android).