Indiana Wine Blog

Howard Hewitt's Ohio River Trip

2009-08-03T20:39:00.002-05:00

It's been three months since I took my winery trip, and I still haven't finished writing about it. Fellow Hoosier wine blogger Howard over at Grape Sense-A Glass Half Full writes about his the next day. Show off!

He visited six wineries, including a few new ones and gives great descriptions. Check it out, parts I and II!

Howard also brings up a dilemma that comes up when one tastes wine-what do when something tastes off? Do you move on and not say anything or do you mention it? Myself, I play it by ear. Some pourers seem receptive to that sort of questioning, while others might bristle. It does get especially complicated when the pourer is the winemaker. It can be even more intimidating when someone is new to wine and isn't sure if there is something off with the wine or if they are really supposed to be tasting (and presumably enjoying) those off notes.

Anyway, thanks for the great review, Howard!

RIP Appellation America

2009-07-28T22:13:00.002-05:00

After hearing the bad news that the wonderful resource Appellation America was moving to a paid subscription site, we get the even worse news that the site has decided to cease totally. Sad. AA was a great resource that attempted to give weight to all of the wine growing regions in America. I somehow doubt anyone can pick up the slack.

There does seem to be a constriction in the wine internet world right now. Let's hope it is merely cyclical due to the economy. While more information is not always a good thing, I have appreciated much of the "power to the educated buyer" stance many websites have been offering.

Tasting Notes: Carousel Winery

2009-07-27T20:36:00.000-05:00

On day two of our recent winery adventure, we left our base in Nashville and hopped south on IN-37. Past Bedford, right on the highway, we came across our first destination of the day, Carousel Winery.

The winery has been in existence for 8 years, started by West Coast transplants Marion and Sue Wilson. What juice they can't get locally, they try to get from Washington State. Sue was at the beautiful limestone counter when we came inside just as another group was leaving, and was quick to set us up a tasting.

The first thing one notices about the winery is the decor. Just as the name would suggest, a merry-go-round theme is evident here. The rest of the decor was over the top as well, but to each their own. One thing I did like is that the winery hosts a different local artist every couple of months and allows him or her to bring their work in the winery for sale. Great idea to help support the local arts, not to mention a cheap way to decorate (and redecorate) your store.

You also notice the friendly large Retriever moseying around. Named Cayuga White, it is a great ambassador for the winery.

As we took our places at the counter, we were handed a wine list. It was out of date, with several of the varieties sold out but not marked as such, but we made due. I am listing the price we were quoted when we were there, even though the website now lists higher prices for some bottles, even though it appears the website is irregularly updated. Notes:

Aglianico ($28.04) Sue crowed about this wine, saying you will can rarely find it in this country, let alone Indiana. This is an ancient variety that has never come into favor in America, and has only recently arrived with significant California plantings. I enjoy Italian Reds, and I am always up for something different (not to mention to knock another off the Wine Century Club countdown), so we tried it. The bouquet reminded me of a Syrah. The taste is dry, dry, dry, (some age on this wine would have been appreciated), and I didn't notice much of the complexity I get from some of my favored Italian wines. The taste reminded me of plums not quite ripe. Try it for the novelty factor, but this price is way too high for what you get.

Petite Sirah ($32.71) This limited reserve cost $1 to sample. Wanting to see how Indiana wineries are handling the higher end varietals, I forked over the money. Some blackberry and pepper notes, but we would taste better vintages of this variety on our trip at half the price, not to mention absent the sampling fee.

Lady Luck ($11.00) The description on the list said nothing about the wine, just some quizzical lines about luck smiling on you. That's nice, but it doesn't tell me a damn thing about the wine. After getting a taste, it does have a good balance in the mouth, with enough sweetness to be a hit in Indiana. One of the better "summer sippers" we tasted on our trip.

Riesling ($15.89) Lots of pineapple flavors to the exclusion of everything else. Underdeveloped, and much better (and cheaper) Rieslings would be tasted on our trip.

Cherry ($14.02) Made from Michigan fruit, this is an above average cherry wine. For me, that damning with faint praise, since I don't generally care for cherry wine, but if you do, this is one of the better Indiana ones.

Pomegranate ($14.02 for 500ml) I have only had one other pomegranate wine, that being at Grape Inspirations. I wasn't too impressed with that. This one was much better, if pretty sweet. The Silver Fox said, "it tastes just like the juice." Sue says this wine is becoming a big seller. If you like fruit wines, it's worth a shot.

I have to admit, I came away pretty underwhelmed here. In fact, at the conclusion of our trip, we named it one of the two biggest disappointments. Some innovation, but the prices stifle the desire to buy. I am sorry, but you are missing a huge opportunity for business if you can't provide some dependable, decent wines for under $10. If you can't do that, you better make sure your wines are better than average. Sadly, they weren't here.

Review: 2008 Butler Vineyard Chambourcin Rosé

2009-07-20T18:38:00.000-05:00

I don't normally care or post about wine competition results, but do feel the need to point out that Butler Winery won the award for Rose Wine of the Year at The Indy International Wine Competition. This is the first time an Indiana wine has won one of the major awards and represents a huge breakthrough for Indiana wines. It also confirms what many have been saying about Butler Winery-they may not get the attention their larger brethren do, but they sure make good wine.

When I was in the winery earlier this year, the wine was not yet available for tasting. However, I recently was able to split a bottle with some friends at Mass Ave Wine Shoppe. There was a markup in price ($24.95 vs. $17.95 at the winery), but it was worth it to enjoy the wine with friends in a great atmosphere. (Not to mentioned the markup is pretty insubstantial when compared to restaurant markups.)

Anyway, the wine was crisp and refreshing, perfect for a warm summer day. Served chilled, it set the perfect mood with its full herbaceous bouquet. It was great with some light cheese and crackers. We all loved it. Chambourcin is a wine that can actually do well in Indiana, and it is great to see what magic Butler was able to put into the bottle.

A wonderful addition the Butler brand, and one of the best Indiana wines. Congrats on the victory! Get it at Mass Ave or at the winery-it won't last long.

Guest Judging at the Indy International Wine Competition

2009-07-13T22:20:00.000-05:00

Like several bloggers, I received an invitation to be a guest judge at the Indy International Wine Competition. Sadly, my schedule did not allow me to participate. However, you can find two great posts from Grape Sense and Wine Biz News.

Sounds like a great time was had by all! Sorry I missed it.

Oak Hill Winery Now Has a Blog

2009-07-11T20:31:00.000-05:00

Rick over at Oak Hill Winery has already done some pretty inventive things with his winery. Now, he becomes the first Hoosier winemaker to have his own blog, Ponderings at the Oak Hill Winery. He is doing a good job of keeping up the writing. Let's hope he keeps up the blogging, and that other wineries follow suit!

Lastinger Wine Review Reviews Oliver's Watermelon Harvest

2009-07-10T20:00:00.001-05:00

In my absence from blogging, I also neglected my blog reading. I missed this review last month on The Lastinger Wine Review on Oliver Winery and their Watermelon Harvest wine. I am not a big fan of these wines, though they certainly do have their finger on the pulse of Midwest palates. I agree with Stacy-the Black Cherry is particularly atrocious, just like a Luden's cough drop. The Mango isn't that bad though, and my friends who like sweeter wine rave about it.

Anyway, a great summation and worth reading. I haven't tried the new varieties of Watermelon and Passion Fruit, and though Stacy's review doesn't make me want to, perhaps I should and consider them for when I entertain people with diverse palates.

EDIT: I was at a dinner party this weekend, and a friend brought this over. Stacy has it right-this wine taste just like watermelon Jolly Ranchers. VERY sweet. As it was, it was too much. One of the people remarked, "I can't believe I used to drink this sweet stuff all the time." Another though it would be okay as a spritzer. I am sure it will sell well, since Oliver almost always has their finger on the Hoosier wine buying pulse, but I'll pass.

We all agreed the bouquet was wonderful though.

You know what they say about loose lips....Part II

2009-07-09T17:43:00.003-05:00

I've received some interesting feedback on my previous post detailing a very negative experience I recently had at an Indiana winery. A few people wanted to play the "If I guess the person correctly, will you confirm it?" game (uh, no), but most just wanted to add a few comments. Most of it is off the record, so I won't repeat that here, but I will respond to the comment Tia, co-owner of New Day Meadery, left the in comments on the blog. Since she responded in a public forum, I will do the same.

Tia writes:

Hi Charles, this is Tia Agnew. My husband and I own New Day Meadery and I felt I should comment on your post.

First, I'm sorry that you had that experience at an Indiana Winery. Being what I like to call the "oddball winery" here in Indiana (since we don't use grapes), I have to say that everyone's always been great to us and very supportive of everyone in the industry. Indiana's fortunate to have a wide variety of wineries and styles of wine - there's something for every palate and every pocketbook. We do our very best to talk one another up to everyone that comes into our shops and no one really sees anyone else as a competetor.

I know that once in a while, a customer will come into my shop and comment negatively on another winery or about Indiana wines in general. Our mode of operation is to try and get them to reconsider. Be it to try something else in their line or to think about how different grape varietals have different characteristics, etc. I'm sure that this same scenario takes place at all of Indiana's wineries and that 99.95 of the time they handle it in the same way - positive. I know from experience that many people are skeptical of our wines (the no grape thing really throws a lot of people), but many have come into my shop telling me how they were convinced by the conversation they had with another winery staff person or owner.

Again, I'm really sorry that you had such a negative experience and I don't know if my comments help with any bad taste in your mouth, but I want you to know how much I feel my fellow winery owners support me and the rest of my colleagues. It may sound cliche, but I honestly feel like we're a team rather than competitors.

Thanks for posting your experience so that we all can be certain that we're putting our very best foot forward.

All the Best,

Tia

Tia, thanks for your comments. I agree with everything you say.

As for any bad taste in my mouth, there is none. What happened on my visit reflects on the character of the owner of that winery, not on Indiana wine (and, yes, mead), and certainly not on Indiana winemakers who, as I have stated time and time again, are a very collegial bunch. Too many times to count do I see examples of this lack of competition, several of which are posted on the pages of this blog.

What shocks me most is this person was so indiscreet to begin with. As you and your winery knows firsthand, I do not generally identify myself as the writer of this blog, and on the rare occasion I do, it is after I taste the flight and engage the owner/staff in conversation. In fact, I never identified myself at all to this person, and unless they read this post and realized I was talking about them, they still don't know I popped in.

As you may or may not know, I don't generally ask winery owners their opinion on their competition. I have asked questions of a similar sort in an interview, for example, such as asking a winemaker what other Indiana wineries they admire. What I do not do is ambush journalism. I am not out to set someone up. These remarks came about when I was asking what I thought were relatively innocuous questions.

What should be of note is that if this person would be so indiscreet as to say these things to a total stranger as myself, someone who kept asking questions about the wine and did nothing to encourage further discussion along those lines, what are they saying to those they do know? And quite frankly, if the person is so indiscreet, I can't imagine the competition hasn't already heard that this person is badmouthing them. You actually hit on the point of my post (and I did a lot of inner debate as to whether I should post my experience at all) that everyone should be putting their best foot forward. Your winery, and every other Indiana winery I have been into, already does that.

You know what they say about loose lips....

2009-07-07T18:51:00.001-05:00

Dear Winemaker:

Just a few words to the wise. Your mileage may vary.

When a stranger comes in your winery to taste what you have to offer and what you have worked so hard to produce, it is not too wise to spend your limited time with that customer badmouthing your competitors. If your wines are truly worthy, they will stand on their own. You don't need to bury others to praise yourself.

Furthermore, if you want to bitch to said customer about how all your competitors aren't friendly to you, copy all of your ideas, don't tell you about upcoming events, don't seem to want to socialize with you, and are just plain jealous of your success, you should do so without the previously mentioned badmouthing. After hearing your rant, I can see why no one would want to spend time with you.

Your conversation is always in poor form.

It could be downright tragic if, unbeknown to you, the person you are being so indiscreet with happens to own this blog.

I can't help but be even more taken aback by your caustic attitude when I contrast it with every other winery I have ever been in, both inside Indiana and in other states. Never have I heard anyone broach the topics you did. In fact, I have even heard a few of your competitors say nice things about your winery.

Luckily for you, I am not going to identify you by name.

New Indiana Winery

2009-07-06T20:20:00.001-05:00

Indiana has yet another winery! Blue Heron Vineyard joins the scene all the way down by the Ohio River in Cannelton. The winery is selling five wines now, though the only varietal mentioned is Foch.

They have a small bed and breakfast on site, and what they claim is the largest in situ (that is, carved in stone) Celtic Cross in the world. They also appear to want to emphasize local food and culture.

Gary and Lynn Dauby are the owners of Blue Heron. Both are teachers, with Lynn teaching art (in addition to being a working artist) and Gary retired from a career spent teaching, among other things, at the nearby Branchville Prison.

Pretty impressive website so far, though I would like to see prices and perhaps pictures of the labels, as well as what specific varietals Blue Heron is selling.

Good luck to the newest Indiana winery!

Tasting Notes: Butler Winery

2009-07-04T14:42:00.001-05:00

In part three of my wine weekend, the three of us left Oliver and drove down some winding and hilly roads to Butler Winery. Butler had been around since 1983, and is Indiana's fourth oldest winery still in existence (Oliver, Easley, and Huber predate it). From Oliver heading south on IN-37, there is a sign pointing you to Butler. You still have to go down some roads that can be pretty treacherous in adverse conditions.

In our wine journey, Butler was a big question mark. I didn't know quite what to expect from this winery. It's been around for a while, and has three locations, but it doesn't get the attention of other wineries. I have had a few of their wines, and either enjoyed them (as I did when I reviewed their blueberry) or thought they were okay enough (as I did when I reviewed their Indiana White) but without tasting the full flight, everything else was a mystery.

Once there, one is greeted by a simple building. There was plenty of room for plantings, but given the risk of frost, not too much had been done, but the preparations were clear. There is patio on one side complete with tables that overlooks a pond. We wondered if the pond was for function in irrigation as well as form, but it was explained to us it was not. However, even the small size of the pond does provide a slight lake effect in giving the nearby vines a few degrees of warmth on cold winter days. Sometimes, two degrees is the line between harvest and nothing.

Upon entering the unpretentious and immaculate tasting room, we were greeted by co-owner Susie Butler. There was bottling going on in the back, as evidenced by the distant clatter of bottles, but we were the only customers there for almost the entire visit, so we were able to engage her in conversation. She was matter of fact in a great way. She answered all of our questions and seemed delighted to share her pride of the winery and the wines.

Every wine was given a great introduction, and a wonderful job was done by Susie. I am going to use the term unpretentious again, but it seems to fit this winery to a tee.

White Select ($11.95) A dry Cayuga fermented in stainless steel. Surprisingly sharp, but nothing that would make me forgive my aversion to this grape.

Chardonel 2005 ($13.95) One of the better Indiana Chardonels. No residual sugar. Oak Barrel fermentation, but one does not feel like there are splinters in one's mouth. A nice Indiana alternative to Chardonnay.

2005 Vineyard Chambourcin ($15.95) Oak aged for 6 months. Nice earthy aroma and a taste that is great for those who don't normally like red wines.

Black Currant ($12.95) I don't recall any other Indiana wineries making this wine, but they should if they can make it as well as Butler. One of the best Indiana fruit wines. Textured and bold, with just enough tartness.

2007 Vineyard Late Harvest Vignoles ($14.95) Above average dessert wine, though we would come to prefer others on our trip.

The thing we noticed about Butler was their consistency. All the wines were good, and there were several standouts. Having come into the winery with minimal expectations, we left very impressed. KeeKee went so far as to call it one of the two hidden gems of the trip (more on the second one later).

If you are going to make a trip to Oliver or one of the other nearby wineries, I suggest you make time for the Butler family.

Yes, I am Alive

2009-07-03T21:20:00.003-05:00

It's been a long 6 weeks since my last post, and for that, I apologize. Just this week culminated a massive investigation I had been involved in. I won't talk about that here, but if you paid attention to the news this week, you probably saw it. While I missed blogging, that's the way things are. Sadly, I don't get paid to write about wine, I get paid to do my day job, and after working twelve to fourteen hours a day at that, the last thing I wanted to do was get in front of a keyboard again. Things are still going to be hectic, but not as bad as they have been.

For those still around, thanks for checking in. I also thank those who emailed me asking if I was still around. Your thoughts are appreciated. There will be a new post up tomorrow. I have lots of things to catch up on.

Finally, I would again put out a call for contributors. The detriments to being the sole contributor on this blog have been evident the past few months. The pay is lousy, but if, like me, you want to improve your writing and care about Indiana wine, your submissions are welcome. If you do have an interest, financial or otherwise, in an Indiana winery, I would like to discuss that with you first, but that would not necessarily bar an article.

New Indiana Winery

2009-05-19T19:42:00.003-05:00

Richmond, Indiana is the new home of J&J Winery. The winery had its grand opening April 25th. The winery is owned by Dr. Jeff & Melody Haist and Jim & Karen Ramey. It sits on an 8 acres farmstead just outside Richmond.

The winery seeks to give visitors a Tuscan flavor, complete with a wood fired pizza oven. Trails and a large pond are present. J&J also has a bistro serving pizza and other simple Italian dishes.

The winery will release no wines until next year, having just produced their first crop last year. Now, they have other wine for purchase and are bringing people in by their bistro and by hosting functions.

Let's wish this winery well. Let's also hope they update their website soon so we can know the mission of the winery, as well as what wines they intend on producing.

Around and About

2009-05-11T20:56:00.003-05:00

I know I have been incredibly tardy in getting a new post out, but the real world intervenes. This is why I am asking for other writers!

I still have a lot more coming. What's to come:

-Further discussion of the nine other wineries I visited on my wine tour last month.
-A review of the Indiana Wine Fair, including some things I overheard from the crowd.
-Summer wine events are heating up, and I will have more on that.

Finally, a note of thanks. Last month, we averaged over 60 unique visitors a day to this blog. I well remember the first few weeks when we averaged one a day, not including myself. We quickly got to 20, and have increased steadily.

This has very little to do with me. There are plenty others out there who could do a much better job. This is due solely to the interest those out there have for Indiana wine. Cheers!

Tasting Notes: Oliver Winery

2009-05-01T19:20:00.000-05:00

In part two of our wine tour, KeeKee, the Silver Fox, and I left Mallow Run and headed south to Oliver Winery.

Oliver, as most everyone knows, is Indiana's oldest and largest (by quite some distance) winery. It is also the only Indiana winery that can claim to be a regional player, distributing wine in at least 11 states. If someone from out of state is familiar with Indiana wines, it is probably Oliver they know. Their size and reach are staggering, their marketing is aggressive, and their wine is, by and large, first rate. Still, it had been just over a year since I had been to the winery, and I wanted to see what was new.

Upon arriving, we had to fight for a parking spot. It was the first truly spring day of the year, and even though it was early afternoon on a Friday, people were out enjoying the weather. Once that was accomplished, we took a few moments to tour the garden. There had been some recent planting, and the grounds looked wonderful. It was nice to take a few minutes on the beautiful day to stroll amongst the flowers and limestone sculptures and see some life after the long winter. We also took a quick jaunt near the pond, where the familiar koi fish are so large, you can see them from the back door of the winery.

Seeing those grounds brought back memories of my first visit to Oliver now some years ago. I was already familiar with wine at that point, but preferred sweeter wine. I was there on a date, and we ended up buying a bottle of the Camelot Mead and taking it down near the pond. The honey aroma attracted so many bees we had to move to the patio. The relationship, still going strong. My enjoyment of the sweeter Oliver wines, not so strong anymore.

After the tour outside, we moved inside to the tasting room. The bar is large, with an appropriate level of staff. We had to wait a few seconds for a spot to open up, but when we did, we were greeted almost immediately by Lorraine. She has worked at Oliver for almost five years, having started out while a student at IU. She was as knowledgeable as you would expect with her experience. She gave us excellent descriptions of all the wines, chatted with us, and answered all of our questions. Our interaction with her is what you get from Oliver. While I do miss the down home family atmosphere you find at many Indiana wineries, there is something to be said for this style as well. Just like Secretariat, Oliver is a tremendous machine.

One bad thing about Oliver's wine list is that it is so large. It covers so great a gamut you have trouble picking what to taste, especially since the wine list asks you to limit your tastings to 6-8, though this is rarely enforced at any Indiana winery if you are tasting responsibly and appear to be serious.

Only a few things had changed at Oliver's since I had been there last. The Sky Dog Wines have since made their debut . Sky Dog is Oliver's attempt at a drier, entry level wine. I asked Lorraine how they have been received in the tasting room, and she said great. I don't believe it, but that is what she said. Almost everyone, including myself, has given them a thumbs down.

The other thing I noticed was the more aggressive marketing of the Creekbend label. Creekbend is Oliver's estate bottled wine, produced from vines located a few miles away. Oliver has said before they seek to extract as much quality as they can from Indiana's soil and put into the bottle with Creekbend. A noble goal, and a great project. Unlike Sky Dog, the results have been mostly excellent and worthy of praise. My only protest are the labels, an example of which is pictured above. The labels for Creekbend depict spearheads that celebrate the type of Indian artifacts often discovered when the fields are plowed. Nice, but another great thing about the main line of Oliver wines are the lovely William Zimmerman labels depicting native birds. I was assuaged somewhat by picking up one the magnets of the bird labels that are available for sale.

Here are the tasting notes:

Creekbend Chardonel ($15.50) Somewhat oily on the tongue, this was pretty hearty for Chardonel. I would not recommend this for sipping, though it might pair nicely with lighter meats.

Creekbend Pinot Grigio ($25.00) Oliver is the only Indiana winery to feature estate grown Pinot Grigio. Could certainly take in the lemongrass and pear the wine the description promises, but it seemed too light, even for a Pinot Grigio.

Pinot Grigio ($12.50) We much preferred this version, made from imported juice. Light body
with a little more underpinnings than the Creekbend version. Good note of pears.

Creekbend Valvin Muscat ($25.00) Great sweet perfume bouquet. Though it smells very sweet, it is actually quite dry, with an excellent finish. My favorite of the Creekbend wines I tasted.

Sauvignon Blanc ($12.50) Lorraine kept asking us to smell the gooseberries, though it has been so long since any of have smelled gooseberries we have forgotten what they smell like. The lemongrass we were also asked to notice was evident, and was actually one of the most pronounced lemongrass bouquets I have noticed in a wine. It reminded me of my days working in a candle shop. Another excellent light white.

Shiraz Reserve ($18.00) Aged for 30 months, you won't find many Indiana wines with this much age. The age shows, lots of character and mouthfeel in this wine. The wonderful earthy flavor that Shiraz develops over time was evident in this bottle. Excellent value.

Creekbend Vignoles ($18.00) Lots of apricot and melon flavors, with a nice touch of sweetness.

Creekbend Catawba ($12.00) I have had this before, but I decided to try it again because of my previous post about this wine. In that post, I questioned the price and whether any Catawba is worth this much money.

I will say, I have tasted a lot of Catawbas. This is best one I have tasted, and head and shoulders above most of them to boot. I still question whether any Catawba is worth $12, but if you enjoy this varietal, or sweet wines in general, it would be a worthwhile.

I would also point out that the display of Catawba did make a striking presentation on the shelf with back lighting showing off its bright peach color. Lorraine mentioned it does get lots of oohs and ahhs.

I did not taste at this time, but have previously enjoyed, the Muscat Canelli ($10) and the Beanblossom Hard Cider ($8.50)

After our tasting was complete, we toured the rest of the tasting room. Oliver also stocks a great supply of breads and cheeses for a picnic or for later. We made our purchases, toured the garden one more time, and headed on to our next stop.

I am always amazed when I go to Oliver. Oliver shows the potential for Indiana wine, while still preserving the uniqueness of Hoosier Hospitality. How much further can Oliver go to increase the power of their brand? Time will tell. One thing is certain. It is always hard to be the leader, and plenty of other wineries are trying to catch up.

Tastings Return to Cork and Cracker

2009-04-28T18:11:00.000-05:00

I got this email a few weeks ago, but it got buried in the rush of everything else. Indianapolis wine shoppe Cork and Cracker is hosting bi-weekly tastings at the Upper Room in Broad Ripple Steakhouse. The cost is $15 and includes 6 wines and appetizers. The next scheduled wine is May 7th. Call the store at 317-733-9463 for more details. Or better yet, go to the website and sign up for their newsletter.

Signs, Signs, Nowhere Are There Signs

2009-04-27T18:51:00.002-05:00

In Indiana, this is the sign you see along the road to let you know a winery is near. (This picture, taken from Indiana Wines website, is the sign directing you to Easley Winery, I believe from the Ohio Street ramp off of I-65.) There are also blue "tourist marker" signs that one sees directing you with specificity to a particular winery or other popular spots.

However, you may have noticed that not all Indiana wineries get such signage. On several recent tasting trips, I have been downright frustrated by the difficulty in navigating to a rural winery, especially when I am accustomed to looking for signs like you see on the right. I have always ended up finding the winery. But how many people decide to take a detour from their drive to visit a winery off the beaten path, only to be frustrated and turned back by lack of signage?

In speaking with winemakers over the past several months, I have asked several, via email or in person, why they lack signage. The answers range from mystification to anger.

I contacted Jeanette Merritt with the Indiana Wine Grapes Council to see what the qualifications were for the signage. She was kind enough to respond. She confirmed what a few winemakers had already told me-that a winery must have regular operating hours to receive signs. This is defined by being open at least five days a week, six hours a day.

This is obviously bone-headed, given that the costs associated with the start ups require most beginners to continue to work in their primary jobs during the week.

I should note Ms. Merritt's positions in this issue is neutral, since the IWGC cannot get involved in government or agency decisions such as this. The blame for this rests purely with the Department of Transportation.

I have been, and still am, very critical of wineries not having a website, or of not maintaining said website. There is just no excuse for it, especially considering how cheap it is to have a website.

However, on this issue, the government is entirely at fault. The government controls the easement near the highways, allowing them to help market wineries in ways that not even a website can. Plenty of other signs have hours on their sign as well, so one does not need to worry about visitors driving up without some idea of the hours. This can be done at no charge to the winery. The costs can easily be offset by the increased traffic and revenue the sign will bring to the State's coffers.

Wineries don't have this same luxury. In order to put a sign up near the road in the State's easement, you must obtain permission from the State. This, like any other sort of government action, is a pain in the rear, complete with meetings and specifications. The alternative is to find someone with land in a good location, and get their permission to display your sign on their land. If they allow it, you will probably have to pay rent. The other problem with several of Indiana's smaller wineries is that they tend to be more rural areas where the citizens might not be so keen to advertise a winery. One winemaker told this was case with them. The pleas to get some signage in the easement went unanswered, or were answered with a simple letter citing the rule mentioned above. No compromise, no offer to help, no other alternatives being proposed, just a simple form letter.

I am constantly amazed at the fact that the State just doesn't get the basics of marketing here. For all their talk about promoting agritourism (see here, here, here, and here, just to start) they forget that a small amount of publicity can reap big rewards. The rewards are even greater when the signage is pretty much permanent, assuming the sign doesn't blow away.

Not being able to see the forest for the trees. Our government at work once again.

In More Wine Competition News...

2009-04-26T17:50:00.003-05:00

At the Pacific Rim International Wine Competition, the Gold Medal in the category of Cabernet Sauvignon went to Charles Shaw Winery.

That's right, even the "Two Buck Chuck" (or rather, three or four dollars here due to shipping and taxes) you see at Trader Joe's managed to win a gold medal at a major wine competition.

Indiana Wine Fair Medals Awarded

2009-04-25T20:32:00.005-05:00

Just returned from a delightful day at the Indiana Wine Fair. The crowd was happy, the weather near perfect, and the location great. I'll have more on that later, but medals were also given. Here are the results:

Best of Show: Oliver Merlot

Dry White: Gold-Oliver Viognier

Silver-Turtle Run Winery “The Chard”

Bronze-Huber Winery Starlight White

Sweet White: Gold-Easley Winery Cayuga White

Silver- Chateau Thomas Winery Fleur d’Peche

Bronze- Easley Winery Sweet Barrel White

Dry Red: Gold-Oliver Merlot

Silver-Chateau Thomas Petite Sirah Reserve

Bronze-Chateau Thomas Teroldego

Sweet Red: Gold-Mallow Run Winery Rougeon

Silver-Brown County Winery Vista Red

Bronze-Best Winery Concord

Blush: Gold-Oliver Catawba

Silver-Oliver Bean Blossom Blush

Bronze-Chateau Thomas Winery Slender Blush

Dessert: Gold-Brown County Winery Old Barrel Port

Silver-Carousel Winery Shadow Dog Port

Bronze-Huber Winery Ruby Port

Non-Grape: Gold-Grape Inspirations Winery Coco Royale

Silver: Oliver Blackberry

Bronze: Buck Creek Blackberry

As you know, I am not a big fan of wine competitions, but I do like the rules of this competition. Dr. Allen "Ole" Olsen, one of the main organizers of the event and the dean of Indiana wine bloggers over at Hoosier Wine Cellar, explained the rules to me. Five judges, not professional judges, but well-informed wine drinkers, blind tasted all entries. The judges were to consider color, aroma, taste, and finish. The judges were also to be cognizant of the limitations of Indiana's climate. In case of a tie, Dr. Olsen cast the deciding vote. From my viewpoint, many of the medalists are spot on.

Congrats to all the winners. I'll have much more on the Fair in the upcoming weeks.

Tasting Notes: Mallow Run Winery

2009-04-24T23:07:00.001-05:00

To kick off our wine weekend I accompanied KeeKee and the Silver Fox to Mallow Run Winery. I had been to Mallow Run a few times before, as had KeeKee, but this was a first visit for the Silver Fox. Since it was on the way south, it seemed a shame not to show her the beautiful farmstead on which the winery rests.

Mallow Run is located off of Highway 37, on Whiteland Road. You have to follow a few bends and curves, but soon enough, the red roofed barn greets you. The winery sits on a farmstead awarded a Hoosier Homestead Award, meaning it had been owned by the same family for at least 100 years. Nearly 180 in fact, having been settled by the family in 1830. The farm covers 600 acres, with 9 of those devoted to grapes, and the rest to standard fare (there was a wonderfully green patch of winter wheat in front of the vineyard). The tasting room is going on the fourth year, having opened in 2005.

The tasting room sits in a wonderful old barn. The counter (which is quite high) is sided with old wooden shingles. Exposed beams support the roof. A deck and chairs are outside for warm weather enjoyment.

We were greeted by Sandy, who was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about Mallow Run and the wines. It was amusing to see her reaction when I asked for something to spit out the wine I was tasting. "No one's ever asked me for that before." she said. She found a pail though, for which I was very grateful, especially when I saw just how much wine I spit out. The pours have always been generous at Mallow Run.

Here are my tasting notes, interspersed with comments of KeeKee and the Silver Fox.

Syrah ($17.99) Good tannin balance here. Nice blackberry, currant, and light licorice notes. We all enjoyed this wine made from Lodi juice.

Zinfandel ($17.99) I expected more from this Zin, also from Lodi juice. It was just fine, but seemed muted. Not that wonderful pepper flavor you associate with this variety, and I noticed all the flavors period seemed muted. We all preferred the Syrah.

Seyval Blanc ($14.95) Apples, peaches, and lots and lots of pears from this newer release. More body than most Seyval Blancs, but I always find this variety to be pretty thin. Above average though. Grown by Windy Knoll Winery near Vincennes. Sandy said this wine is cold-settled for one day, filtered, and then cold fermented in steel.

Traminette ($12.95) Good grapefruit notes. Other than that, not much. I've had much better Indiana Traminettes, and by the end of the weekend, this one was not in the same class as the better ones.

Winter White (good until supplies last at $7.99) This blend of Muscat, Niagara, Traminette, and Cayuga was indistinguishable from Oliver's Soft White.

Riesling ($11.95) Just bottled. Made in a sweeter style, this was crisp and fresh. Good fruit notes, with a slight mineral finish. I enjoyed it, but it was a little sweet to suit the Silver Fox.

Picnic Red ($9.95) Standard sweet Concord, but I enjoyed this wine more than most of the other Concords out there. Worth the extra dollar or two if you enjoy sweeter wine.

Rhubarb ($10.95) The surprise of the flight. Many of the rhubarbs I have tasted have been briny, so I was not expecting much here. However, KeeKee had stopped in the winery a few weeks before and raved about this wine, so we decided to try it. I enjoyed it very much. It has the tartness of rhubarb without being too acidic. Sugar is added, but the wine avoids being syrupy. Good pizzazz. The Silver Fox, who doesn't care for fruit wines, raved about this as well. "I never have had any desire to try rhubarb wine, but this is very good." she said. This is perfect for sipping in warmer weather, which is exactly what we did that night on the patio of our hotel. The tart notes opened up even more upon being served very cold.

I didn't try the Raspberry, but I have in the past, and find it to be one of the better Indiana raspberries.

Overall, we were pretty impressed with the flight we tasted. A few uneven notes, but overall, pretty good.

Mallow Run brings people into its remote location with such events as pizza night, soup night, yoga lessons, and even hosting the Carmel Symphony (which drew over 800 people last year). Give them a try.

Follow the Indiana Wine Blog on Twitter

2009-04-22T20:19:00.000-05:00

Join over 450 other people in following me on Twitter. I'm under, strangely enough, Indianawineblog.

I am especially happy to see all the Indiana folks now following me.

Campaign Contributions From the Alcohol Industry

2009-04-22T20:12:00.002-05:00

From Fermentation comes a state by state list of how much in bribes, I mean campaign contributions, the liquor industry has paid out. Indiana and surrounding states:

Illinois: $1,588,484
Indiana: $282,462
Kentucky: $58,350
Michigan$523,073
Ohio $283,650

Indiana Wine Fair This Saturday

2009-04-21T20:04:00.003-05:00

As stated earlier, this Saturday, the wine festival season kicks off in a big way at the 2009 Indiana Wine Fair. The seventh annual event takes place at the Story Inn near Nashville. $20 admission gets you parking, a Story Inn wine glass, and entry in a prize drawing. Oh, and it also gets you ounce pours of wine. From 12:30 to 7, and the weather is supposed to be wonderful.

I don't know how many wineries have confirmed-I have heard anywhere from 18-25. We can argue semantics, but there are few times in this state where one can get this many Indiana wineries pouring samples in one place, so I am very grateful for that opportunity. I am also happy to be able to taste a few wineries I have yet to experience. I also know what a good day, sales wise, this can be for some of the more remote wineries. Expect plenty of posts coming my visit.

Hope to see you there. If you think you recognize me, say hi!

A Grand Tour

2009-04-19T20:06:00.003-05:00

I am back, tired but happy, from my whirlwind winery tour this weekend. KeeKee and the Silver Fox joined me in visiting 11 wineries this weekend. Stay tuned for lots of features from our trip. Some snippets:

-Tasting notes for all 11 wineries
-A head to head blackberry wine competition
-A head to head port competition
-Are locally grown grapes making headway?
-Wineries that elated us and wineries that disappointed us

All of this and more. The season is just heating up. On Saturday, don't forget the Indiana Wine Fair in Story (more on that later this week). Life is good.

Mallow Run News

2009-04-17T18:19:00.000-05:00

Mallow Run Winery is bringing back their popular Market Club promotion this summer. This allows you to receive a monthly basket of local produce, cheeses, breads and meats. $240 for six months, or 3 months for $120. Items are also in stock at the winery, and being a member of the Market Club gives you a 15% discount on the items (not the wine, though).

In my recent posts, I discussed my desire to be more environmentally friendly. The winery is likewise seeking to do the same by rolling out an Earth Day promotion of reusable wine bags. Buy four or six bottles, get a carrier free. Bring them back for refills, and get 5% off your purchase.

Mallow Run is also releasing their new Riesling. A sweeter style, it comes out on April 18th.

Finally, on Friday, May 1, from 7-10pm, the winery is hosting a fundraiser for Relay for Life. Tastings, appetizers, live music, and prizes. $20 a person, $30 a couple. Call Brooke at 317-697-7326 to buy tickets or stop by the winery.