Winery owner Sharon Klay and her husband John first developed an interest in winemaking while living in New York City in the 1970s. This interest led them to research and select the nearly 100 varieties of grapes that would be suitable for cool climate growing conditions. When the Klays relocated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, they searched for three years to find a suitable vineyard site. In 1986, the couple purchased a 215-acre farm in Chalk Hill, Pennsylvania. John developed a successful practice as a cardiothoracic surgeon, while Sharon decided to take the original 1,000 vines on the property to 14,000 vines. In 1997, Fayette County’s first commercial winery opened, named after the Klays’ son, Christian. Distillery owner Christian W. Klay got his feet wet as a second-generation winemaker, learning to grow grapes, make and sell wine from his mother, Sharon. However, he decided to take it a step further and pursue his own passion by making distilled spirits. After a lot of research, Christian was ready to make his passion a reality and so Ridge Runner Distillery was born.