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Dakotah Winery |
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A veranda of grape arbors surrounding the winery offers an invitation to relax and sit a spell in one of the rustic chairs. |
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The pond viewed from the winery's deck is home to a variety of exotic fish and several kinds of ducks including the two exquisite wood ducks shown here. The entire winery serves as as a bird sanctuary not only for these wood ducks but for purple martins, hooded mergansers, and other migratory birds. |
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The authentic antiques found throughout the building and grounds provide decor and suggest a link to South Dakota origins. Among them is a collection of mule-drawn plows, all over one hundred years old, which is of special interest to our senior visitors. | |
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The roof of the wine cellar serves as a patio, and it offers a vantage point for observing the pond and the bird life. A sun shade covering the area is adorned with two varieties of spring and fall blooming wisteria, both of which are beautiful purple. This wisteria arbor is included in the state of Florida's recent brochure that lists the state's botanical wonders. | |
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The antique windmills offer more than decoration. One of them pumps water for the winery pond. A solar array on another provides light to illuminate the front of the winery. Its is powered by a distant star. | |
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This tombstone marks the grave for Dakotah's faithful friend, Ben, a black labrador. The inscription tells the story of how Ben discovered a lead territorial marker in South Dakota while on a canoe trip on the Cheyenne River with his master, Max. Dated March 7, 1743, (60 years before the Lewis and Clark expedition) the marker is inscribed with the name A. Miotte, a member of a French exploring party led by LaVerendrye and is believed to be the earliest record of European intrusion into the Great Plains. Ben died at Dakotah a few months after his discovery, seemingly unaware of his notoriety. His collar hangs from the corner of the stone. |
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Dakotah Vineyards & Winery • 14365 Highway 19 N. • Chiefland, FL 36236
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