It was the generosity of his friends -- and fellow country stars -- Tim McGraw and Faith Hill that ultimately inspired Kix Brooks to open his own winery, Arrington Vineyards. According to the boot.com, The winery is located 25 miles south of Nashville, the winery produced 6,000 cases in its first year.  (2007)  Four years later, it now bottles 20,000 cases annually.

"In the singer crowd, there's a lot of people into wine," Kix tells the Toronto Sun. "Faith and Tim gave my wife, Barbara, and me two bottles of wine from different countries every month for a present."

With grapes shipped in from Northern California's Napa Valley, Arrington Vineyards currently presents a lineup of 13 reds, whites and dessert wines -- all taste-tested personally by the singer/songwriter.

"I'm really proud of the wines," says Kix, who performed his last show with Brooks & Dunn on September 2, 2010, in Nashville. "It's a nice cross-section."

Today, fully involved with operations at his winery, Kix can often be found strumming his guitar on the chalet deck overlooking the vines that have been planted on the rolling hills.

"It's me and friends in the business -- just guitars, no vocals -- so people don't feel they have to stop and focus on the music," says Kix. "They're there to enjoy the wine."

Arrington Vineyards is open for wine-tasting year round, and when the weather turns warm, the smooth and mellow notes of jazz can be heard undulating over the vineyard hillsides for couples and families enjoying picnic lunches.

Arrington Vineyard wines are sold at the winery, in Tennessee stores and online for $18 to $50 a bottle. Only one wine -- a cabernet labeled KB 308 -- alludes to any connection with Kix himself.

"I think subtle is good in the wine business," he humbly explains.

Arrington Vineyards is located at 6211 Patton Rd., Arrington, Tenn. For more information, visit the winery's website.

Sounds like life is pretty easy going for Kix these days...are you looking forward to hearing some solo work from Kix?  What do you think of Ronnie's debut solo single "Bleed Red"?

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