Winemaker

Kip Summers

Discipline: Winemaker
Venue: Arrington Vineyards · Winery

Portrait of Kip Summers

i. Biography

Kip Summers has long been a steady hand in Tennessee wine, a figure whose career has been shaped by patience, continuity, and a deep familiarity with the work behind the bottle. He has served as president of Arrington Vineyards in Arrington, Tennessee, United States since 2005, helping guide the winery through the years with a measured presence and an eye for the long view. Before that chapter began, he spent 1994 to 2006 as winemaker at Beachaven Vineyards & Winery in Clarksville, Tennessee, United States, a span that gave his craft its grounding and established the foundation of his reputation in the region.

The Path

Kip Summers began as winemaker at Beachaven Vineyards & Winery in Clarksville, Tennessee, where the work stretched from 1994–2006 and established a long foundation in the craft. Over those years, the role required not only technical skill, but also the kind of consistency that builds trust season after season, vintage after vintage. Since 2005, Kip has served as president of Arrington Vineyards, shaping the winery’s present with the same steady authority. In that position, his leadership has carried the quiet confidence of someone who knows the rhythms of the industry intimately and understands how much of wine is made in the patient accumulation of time.

The Work Today

Since 2005, he has held the presidency there. The role places him at the center of Arrington Vineyards’ ongoing story, where decisions are made with an appreciation for both the vineyard’s daily demands and its larger identity. It is work that calls for a balance of oversight and sensitivity, and Kip’s long experience in Tennessee wine gives that balance a grounded, practiced quality.

Career - President — Arrington Vineyards (2005–present) - Winemaker — Beachaven Vineyards & Winery, Clarksville, Tennessee (1994–2006)

Signature

Kip's signature dishes include Whisky Barrel Collection. The name itself suggests a bold, distinctive character, a fitting marker for a career defined by a clear sense of place and craftsmanship. As with his broader professional path, the emphasis is on something memorable and carefully considered rather than fleeting.

Acclaim

Kip's honors include Homer Blitch Award for service to the Tennessee Wine Industry and Wines of the South William O. Beach Award for Best Tennessee Wine. Together, these awards reflect a career recognized within the Tennessee wine community for both service and quality, acknowledging the years of work that have carried him from the cellar at Beachaven Vineyards & Winery to the presidency at Arrington Vineyards. His honors speak to endurance as much as achievement, and to a professional life built one vintage, one responsibility, and one season at a time.

FAQ What recognition has Kip Summers received? Homer Blitch Award for service to the Tennessee Wine Industry.