Category Archives: Indiana

Huber Sons To Continue Tradition

07 Saturday May 2016

Posted by in Indiana, Newspaper Column 2016, Uncategorized

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Christian and Blake Huber made career plans not long after learning to walk. If that seems silly, it makes perfect sense in a nearly 175-year- old family business.

The Huber family has farmed property near Starlight, In., atop the hills overlooking Louisville and the Ohio River valley, since 1843. The youngsters’ plans assure the Huber name and tradition will continue for a seventh generation as Huber’s Orchard, Winery, and Vineyards.

Grape Sense Logo“I was in kindergarten,” 20-year- old Christian said, stifling a laugh. “We had one of those ‘what do you want to do when you grow up?’ things. I wrote down winemaker and my teacher thought, ‘who is this guy?’ His family alcoholics or something?’ “

Turning over a growing business with 130 full-time employees and 700 acres in agricultural production was never a given. Blake said his parents never pressured him or his brother to consider the family winery as a career.

The young mens’ first steps are underway. Christian attends Niagra University in its Viticulture/Oenology program at Ontario, Canada. He is in the second semester of a two-year program. He spent parts of last year at IUPUI studying marketing and supply side economics. Blake is a senior at Providence High School.

Blake, Christian Huber

Blake and Christian Huber

Christian has considered California’s UC Davis, the country’s most prominent winemaking program, but cannot enroll until he turns 21. Blake is narrowing his college choices and trying to decide between winemaking or chemistry.

The proud parents couldn’t be more certain that when retirement comes, and Ted assures anyone listening he’s not ever retiring, the boys will carry on the legacy.

“They both have natural ability,” Ted said. “We really officially can’t taste wine with them because they’re under 21. But both boys have an unique ability to be phenomenal blenders.”

Dana said her sons are passionate and have a strong desire to learn. “Neither is going to quit until the job is done,” she said. “They’re both competitive and that will serve them well. They’re community leaders and they’ve shown that on their high school sports teams.”

Ted is just 50 years old. His concern for the sons is turning over a business experiencing rapid growth. “Turning over a business experience small growth is fairly easy,” he said. “But 20 percent-plus is pretty substantial number to keep up. You’re growing a business and buildings have to be built, new vineyards are rotating in and out, and new vines have to be planted. Taking over and running a company while it’s growing is a much bigger concern than when I took over.”

The sons aren’t shy talking about the future and admit to more than a few late nights talking about putting their stamp on the family business.

“It will be about expanding our distilled products and our line of wines,” Blake said. “We want to have a viable whiskey on the market. We’ve talked of getting a new tasting room, creating a new atmosphere but keeping the (original) barn.

“My dad has the product quality at a high level and hopefully Christian and I can keep up the legacy dad and grandpa started.”

As the next generation prepares to take over, the Starlight Distillery business is booming. Huber purchased 100 acres of farmland near the winery to grow corn for the distillery. Efforts in the distillery have recently focused on whiskey. The distillery is bottling just a small portion of the finished product now while the remainder goes into barrels for aging.

The distillery has ramped up to 130 percent of capacity, Ted offered, with more construction planned for later this year. As a matter of fact, in 4-6 years the total distillery production should match the current wine output of 50,000 cases annually.

The seventh generation of Huber farmers is ready to continue a Southern Indiana tradition.

Oliver’s Pinot a Statement Wine

27 Sunday Mar 2016

Posted by in California, Indiana, Newspaper Column 2016, Uncategorized

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Editor’s Note: This piece initially appeared in Madison Magazine, published quarterly in Anderson, ,In. It was recently sent out in a shorter version as my usual newspaper  column. It appears here in its full length as written for the magazine.

Oliver Winery in Bloomington may be known as one of the country’s biggest producers of sweet wines. But a recent Pinot Noir project provides proof that winemaking skill is not limited to the United States’ west coast.

Grape Sense LogoA mere 300 cases of a $45 Pinot Noir is just a smidgen of the Bloomington winery’s annual production. Oliver produced approximately 320,000 cases of wine in 2015. But for Bill Oliver and winemaker Dennis Dunham the Pinot project has shown what they can do with world-class fruit.

“We have the broadest range of business in our fan base,” Oliver explained. “Our bread and butter is sweeter wines. Those wines keep the lights on and that’s the reality of the world we live in. This project is about making wine for that part of our customer base who appreciates Pinot. It’s also an ability factor, it kind of shines a light on everything else we do. And, we like to drink it.”

That Pinot Noir is made of grapes from the much-respected Bien Nacido Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley of California’s Central Coast. While the Oliver $45 price point might raise eyebrows in Indiana, a Bien Nacido wine in California consistently brings a much higher price.

Bill O Tasting

Oliver chatting, tasting Chambourcin in the tasting room.

How special is Bien Nacido? Price point explains much when it comes to wine grapes. Generally, good fruit can be purchased from the better California vineyards for $1,200-$2,000 a ton. At the other end of the spectrum is Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon which commands a king’s ransom of $6,000-$10,000 a ton. The extreme is the famous To Kalon vineyard, of Robert Mondavi fame, which commands in the neighborhood of $20,000 a ton and a required minimum of $100 price per bottle.

Oliver admitted he’d never paid more $1,600 a ton prior to 2013. The five tons of Bien Nacido Pinot Noir grapes cost the winery $4,500 a ton. Oliver has acquired five tons a year for the past three years. The first Pinot, a 2013 vintage, was released this past summer. The 2014 will be released during spring 2016.

Now to understand the wine math, it takes a ton of grapes to produce about 70 cases of wine.

Bien Nacido fruit is highly desired by the best California Pinot producers. During a 2014 visit most wineries with a Bien Nacido Pinot were charging $60 and higher to much higher per bottle.

Oliver has had a long standing relationship with the Miller family which owns a large Paso Robles vineyard, French Camp. The Millers purchased Bien Nacido in 1969 with the idea it would be great for a number of agricultural products including grapes.

Oliver3MM“We’ve bought fruit from them for probably 10 years,” Oliver said. “We’ve gotten to know them well. It’s been a fun and collaborative effort.”

Oliver has bought many of the standard California varietals from the Millers but became aware they owned the rock star vineyard as well. “They’re very protective of it,” he said. “They’re very concerned that every winery that buys fruit from Bien Nacido creates wine they can be proud of. They have a brand so selling their fruit is a big deal to them.”

Oliver and Dunham have visited the Millers in California and the vineyard owners have returned the visits. “They had been here and visited and over time as our relationship matured I think they became confident that we were the kind of winemakers they wanted making wine from Bien Nacido. They granted us the privilege to buy their grapes.”

Many Indiana wineries buy California fruit. Getting the grapes to Indiana requires significant cost as well. The freshly picked fruit is packed into cardboard boxes with dry ice and arrives in two days. “It takes a lot of coordination,” Oliver winemaker Dunham said. “I talk to them about when they’re going to pick. If they’re picking at night (when temperatures are cool), we have a truck there the next morning. It’s amazing if you look at the grapes, other than being in a cardboard box you wouldn’t know that the fruit didn’t come from our vineyard.”

Oliver2MMTerroir, that over-used wine word, is what makes the Bien Nacido fruit so special. “When I was in Paso Robles at French Camp visiting it was 92 degrees,” Dunham said. “When I got back to the guest house at Bien Nacido it was 62 degrees. Bien Nacido is like just over the hill, not very far at all but it’s a magical place.”

Pinot Noir, a thin-skinned grape, likes day time heat and cool nights.

Oliver admitted to some trepidation about taking on the challenge. “Pinot is a wine that has a reputation as being challenging to make so we wanted to be thoughtful about it,” he said. “On a per gallon basis a lot more resources went into this than any other wine we’ve ever made.”

Oliver, who was primary winemaker in his early years, and Dunham have learned more about making Pinot each year. During a late October tasting at the winery, Oliver and Dunham sipped the 2013, the soon-to-be released 2014, and the new 2015 vintage in a vertical tasting.

The 2013 is a lean and austere Pinot. The distinctive Pinot fruit does comes through with balance. The unreleased 2014 is even better with more extracted fruit – or in less wine-geeky terms – more pure Pinot flavor. The 2015 was moving to new French Oak barrels at the time of the visit.

“One of the things in learning to make Pinot Noir is you can over-extract the grapes and get pepper and stuff,” Dunham said. “We started light on the first one and now we’re at the point we think we have changed our winemaking just a little bit to extract a little bit more.”

In some circles such an expensive exercise can be called a ‘vanity project.” In all probability, neither Oliver nor Dunham would argue.

“Sometimes you are there in the vineyard and it’s a magical place and being there the wine just tastes better,” Dunham said. “One of the things about Bien Nacido is it’s just a great place to grow Pinot Noir. But it’s hard not to be in that area and not love anything in your glass. But being here at our winery and having Pinot Noir in your glass of this quality … it’s really, really good fruit and great wine.”

Oliver said buying the top quality fruit and producing a great Pinot is good for business. “We’re at a pretty high confidence level with everything we’re making,” he said. “Those people in California don’t have anything on us in winemaking.”

The 2013 Oliver Bien Nacido Pinot Noir is available only at the Bloomington winery.

Taste Buds Determine Your Preferences

13 Saturday Feb 2016

Posted by in Indiana, Newspaper Column 2016, Uncategorized

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CORYDON, IN. – If you know what you like you should drink it. Don’t let others tell you what to like and don’t let the wine snobs shame you for drinking wines – especially sweet or fruity wines – that you like.

Grape Sense LogoWhat seems like simple wine advice is really much of the theory behind Tim Hanni’s approach to wine. Hanni is a bit of a maverick in the wine world. His theory is a bit too involved for this space but his research shows people have from 500 to 11,000 taste buds. The receptors on your taste buds determine what you will enjoy. No major wine publications, a humble wine columnist, nor a fancy restaurant’s sommelier can change that.

Hanni has no bigger fan than Indiana’s Jim Pfeiffer, owner and winemaker of Turtle Run Winery in southern Indiana. Pfeiffer has been a Hanni devotee for a long while and has been applying his theories and, to some extent his marketing, to the winemaking process. His latest approach is a non-vintage Traminette combining wine from the 2013, 2014, and 2015 vintage into one bottle.

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Pfeiffer pouring wines at his winery

“What fascinates me about the grape is its age-ability,” Pfeiffer said. “I’ve not seen a grape ever in my life that you can put it in the bottle, age it ten years then crack open a bottle and go ‘holy cow this is so good.’ It just develops and you don’t see it turning south ever.”

Without going into the entire winemaking process he combines Indiana’s signature wine vintages in tanks, inhibit the yeast and monitor the sulfur to keep the wine from ‘going south’ or going back into fermentation.

The idea started when he tasted back through his Traminette vintages to 2000 and found the wines surprisingly good. So his newest dry Traminette concoction is 50 percent 2015 Traminette with 25 percent each of 2014 and 2013. The end result is a white wine with the richness of an aged wine and the fresh fruit appeal of the latest vintage.

Nearly half of Indiana’s 77 wineries produce a Traminette, most are on the sweeter side. But Pfeiffer has made dry versions for a number of years. “The first thing about Traminette it’s a love-hate reaction with customers. They love it or loathe it.  One of things we’ve really latched on to is how humans range in different taste bud count and how those taste bud counts correlates to likes and dislikes.

Pfeiffer explains sweet wine drinkers like lower alcohol. So he produces a sweeter Traminette which he can’t keep in stock. As you move down to people with fewer taste buds, those folks like a little bit of sweetness and love good balance. Those wine drinkers like Pfeiffer’s annual production of his standard Traminette. The sweet and lower sugar Traminettes are the most common at Indiana wineries.

But for the folks with fewer taste buds who prefer drier wines, Pfeiffer has experimented and made dry Traminette commercially viable for several years. His soon-to-be released non-vintage Traminette delivers on the promise with just 12 percent alcohol. It’s a dry white with the familiar Traminette nose and palate but it offers a richer mouthfeel and more complexity than other versions. On the nose there is a whiff of the familiar flowers but no bouquet shoved up your nose like most Traminette.

The wine is quite dry and a bit more tart than other Traminettes. But any fan of dry white wines will find it an interesting change from most Hoosier wineries take on the state’s signature wine.

It takes a mad scientist, Picasso, or a maverick to break the mold. Pfeiffer would agree the fun in winemaking is trying something different.

Oliver’s Bubblecraft a Big Hit

15 Friday Jan 2016

Posted by in Indiana, Newspaper Column 2015

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You’ve seen the bottles in your local grocery and liquor stores. They’re not just on the shelves but in most locations there is a case or two displayed on the floor.

Grape Sense LogoBubblecraft wines come the ubiquitous Oliver Winery in Bloomington, IN. Though Oliver is making an expanding array of vineyard designate wines and fine wines with California grapes, the winery’s calling card has long been Oliver Soft Red and White wines.

Bill Oliver and his winemaking team put a twist on the Concord and Niagara grapes to release a bubbly taste “we all grew up with.” Those are the words of Oliver who oversees one of the nation’s biggest wineries not located on the west coast.

Bubblecraft came from experimentation, a piece of equipment purchased to bottle cider, and a competitive expansion in the sweet alcoholic beverage market.

“We tried small batches of a spritzy wine,” Oliver said. “It was a fun project. It’s a subtle variation on Soft White and Soft Red. It’s not quite the full blown bubbles of sparkling wine and we just really loved it. It transformed the wines.”

Oliver

Bill Oliver opening a taste of Bubblecraft

Oliver had invested in new equipment for bottling cider that had a digital valve instead of a manual operation. It’s used to fill “spritzy things,” which is Oliver’s term for carbon dioxide. “Dealing with CO2 is challenging because it’s going to create foaming,” he explained. “Then if you introduce sugar, it makes it that much harder. We bought it for our ciders but wondered what else we could do with it.”

The experimentation with his two most popular wines paid off. “The result was an eye opener,” he said. “Our staff, distributors, and folks in the retail community were all like ‘Wow, this is really interesting.’ “

The wine was released late in 2015. Oliver said sales were expected to hit 10,000 cases. He hopes to sell 25,000 cases in year two.

A few years ago Oliver talked with me about the encroachment of sweet wines and sweet spirits challenging his market dominance. “It’s worse now,” he said. “It’s more than just the sweet wine market. It’s the flavored malts, vodka, and fake ciders. It’s just this whole all-in on the sweet wine consumer. We’re getting it from the ready-to-drink small containers (off the shelf). It’s an assault on our core customers so we’re answering with things like this. And, it’s working.”

The taste of Bubblecraft will feel familiar. But the carbon dioxide works to minimize the sometimes cloying sweetness of the two grapes.

Oliver, who has his eye on more new products and expansion, said the introduction of Bubblecraft can bump his revenue seven to eight percent.

If you like the Midwest’s sweet Concord and Niagara grapes the Bubblecraft may pleasantly surprise you. It will deliver the same familiar taste but with a really interesting twist.

Louie’s, Pioneer Great Indy Additions

01 Friday Jan 2016

Posted by in Food & Travel, Indiana, Uncategorized

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INDIANAPOLIS, In. – It is fun to try new bars, restaurants, and Indy’s entertainment options. My usual dining companion and I keep a written list of places we’d like to visit. I visited Dec. 30 Louie’s Wine Dive on Mass Ave. and then joined my friend for dinner at Pioneer in Fountain Square. I’m happy to report both scored big!

LouiesPour

Louie’s Wine Dive, 345 Mass Ave.

This contemporary wine/dining spot is on the south end of Mass Ave and has only been open a few months. It certainly offers some of the best wine by the glass choices in Indy and what looked like promising food options.

By my count, the wine list had 40 wines by the glass and even more labels available by the bottle. The prices were pretty reasonable at $7-$17 a glass. The pour was generous at six ounces! Service was impressive when informed the one Pinot Noir I wanted was out of stock. It turns out the bar is about to make some changes in the by-the-glass lineup so the wonderful bartender offered up 4-5 new bottles. One of those was a Santa Barbara Byron Pinot – a great wine. I asked if there was any way to buy it by the glass and not the $59 bottle, and she said ‘sure, that’s our policy.”

The delightful young lady explained that a guarantee of buying two glasses at ¼ the full price and they’ll open anything on the wine list. And isn’t that the policy any wine bar should offer customers?

LouieCharcut

Great bread, cheese, sausage.

We shared a wonderful charcuterie plate and scanned the menu which had a limited but nice variety of options.

For anyone who enjoys wine, I can’t recommend this place enough. The wines run the range of varietals, style, countries, and price points. The most expensive bottle on the list is Joseph Phelps’ wonderful Insignia blend. The current 2012 release has an SRP of $240 so imagine my surprise Louie’s had it on their wine list for $275! That’s a lot of money for a bottle of wine for most people. But with Louie’s by-the-glass policy you could have a glass of great, great wine for $68.75.

Now while the Phelps’ example is a bit of an extreme, the chance to drink anything on the menu makes this a must-visit stop for wine lovers.

Pioneertartar

Pioneer’s ribeye tartar was beautifully seasoned and presented.

Pioneer, 1110 Shelby St.

If Louie’s was great, Pioneer was a few adjectives better than that.

Pioneer is, perhaps, one of the more unique restaurants in Indianapolis. In their own words: “features the food of northeastern Italy and its Alpine neighbors Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.”

Pioneersausage

One of Pioneer’s signature dishes – sausage

My dining friend and I dubbed it fine dining comfort food. There’s no other way to put it. The menu is made for sharing. There are currently 12 choices on the “plates” portion of the menu running $8-$15.

We enjoyed the steak tartar ($15) and the wonderful German potato pancakes ($8). The tartar was seasoned perfectly with shallots, radish, Dijon, croutons, fried capers, and chives. The heat was a bit much for me but the steak was wonderful.

The potato pancakes were crispy on the outside and wonderfully smooth with rich and buttery potato flavor inside. The garlic aioli rocked!

pioneerpasta

Delicious pasta with a little kick.

We order the Cavatelli pasta and the sausage plate for our entre. The Cavatelli ($13) with leeks, chili flakes, white wine, and butter sauce had wonderful flavor. I’m not of fan of heat with a white sauce pasta but the flavor was delicious. The only misstep of the night was the pasta arrived warm with a few bites cold. That was a big disappointment I shared privately with our wonderful waitress.

The sausage plate was killer if not a tad overpriced at $35. All sausages are made in house. Boudin Blanc (pork and chicken) and Bratwurst were serves as an ample protein entrée. Pureed potatoes, cabbage, beer-braised apples, and pork jus finished off the dish. The two sausages were a nice ying-yang for the main dish. The bratwurst was seasoned to a full flavored polka in your mouth. The Boudin Blanc was much softer in flavor but tasty.

We finished off with a good apple strudel ($9).

PioneerWineThe wine list is not extensive but features the expected Riesling and Gruner Veltliner. The surprise is the restaurant bar program seeks out small production wineries. I thought the Berger Gruner was an incredible value for $29. The wine has wonderful minerality with a light palate of citrus and stone fruit.

The restaurant is in the heart of Fountain Square occupying the old Deano’s Vino location. The ownership has essentially gutted the building exposing some great brick walls. They’ve made a significant investment to create an inviting dining space. A small stage welcomes weekend live music.

Pioneer is a must visit. It certainly is something a bit different. A night before New Year’s Eve the restaurant was very busy. Our waitress said it was actually fewer guests than the two previous nights.

Pioneer is a welcome addition to Indy’s dynamic dining scene.

Easy-Drinking Thanksgiving Wines

20 Friday Nov 2015

Posted by in Holidays, Indiana, Midwestern States, Newspaper Column 2015, Uncategorized

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Thanksgiving is just days away and holiday entertaining is about to hit in a big way.

Grape Sense LogoIn the early years of Grape Sense, I’d frequently include specific wine choices I could highly recommend. It dawned on me recently I hadn’t done that in a couple of years.

Thanksgiving Wine: The first rule is really rather simple – just match the wine to the entire dinner and not just the turkey. Think about spice, bold flavors, and how your wine choice might pair up with the entire table of goodies.

Specific and safe pics would be Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Both work well with fowl and the usual side choices. If you’re feeling more adventurous look for a white Chenin Blanc or a Spanish Tempranillo red wine. A good French Rose or Oregon Rose would be another excellent pairing.

Here are a few wines or types of wine I’ve been drinking lately. They were all purchased or are available in Indiana.

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Oliver Winery: I spent some time with Bill Oliver a few weeks ago and tasted through his Creekbend vineyard wines. Several of those wines would make outstanding Thanksgiving wine and you can brag to your guests is grown and made in Indiana. The Creekbend Vignoles is a big winner in my book. It’s soft enough for the non-wine drinker and interesting enough for the more serious wine geek.

 

The Oliver Chambourcin is light like a Pinot Noir with good earthiness for any meal.

Red Blends: There is nothing hotter in the wine world right now than red wine blends. They tend to be softer and more drinkable than many red choices. Rook Washington Red is a wine that has strong dark raspberry flavor and a smooth delivery. It’s a steal at $14.99.

Go to your wine shop and look for Washington State red wine blends and you’ll seldom be disappointed with the many choices available for under $15. Of course, you get up to $20 and that’s where the quality difference becomes more pronounced.

Spanish Reds: There are few categories which over-deliver like Spanish red wine. Most Spanish wines will be predominantly the native Tempranillo grape. If you think of a light mouth feel, but full flavored-wine you’ve started a good description of most Spanish wines. Spain ages its wines before release so many are ready to drink right off the shelf.

Black Slate Porrera Piorat and Cogolludo Guadalajra Tempranillo-Syrah are great wines I purchased in state. If you want something really tasty go for the Tocs Priorat which is 100 percent Garnacha (or Grenache) for $20.

Tasty Whites: Alsatian Pinot Blanc from France, Rousanne from France or California’s Central Coast, Stoller Estate Chardonnay from Oregon, or a Grenache Blanc from southern France would be great pics for Thanksgiving or a holiday party.

These wines are meant to be crowd pleasers. The wines here should appeal to most any palate.

If you have specific wine questions, don’t hesitate to write.

Two Hoosier Wineries Visited, 40 To Go!

07 Saturday Nov 2015

Posted by in Indiana, Midwestern States, Newspaper Column 2015

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Indiana wine producers now boast 80 wineries with more opening their doors annually. Most important, Indiana wine quality has significantly improved over the past 5-10 years.

Grape Sense LogoA real emphasis on quality has no doubt driven sales and brought more people to Hoosier tasting rooms. The state’s wineries fall into a few different categories. There are a few which make truly great wine, a few that really should re-consider corn and beans, a few who grow grapes and many who don’t grow anything.

But it seems there is a vast emerging middle of the pack producing very consumer friendly, if not arguably boring, wine. Now, there is not anything wrong with that approach. If you make a soft easy-to-drink wine, you’re probably going to sell a lot of it.

Two such wineries, located in central and south-central Indiana, are Mallow Run and Cedar Creek. Recent visits on a rainy Saturday found both tasting rooms bustling with activity and brisk sales.

Mallow Run, just south of Indianapolis on Whiteland Road near Highway 37, has been around for about 10 years. Mallow Run has made a name for itself with event marketing. The winery grounds feature eight acres of vineyard and a huge outdoor entertainment venue.

Mallow Run Winery on Indy's southside.

Mallow Run Winery on Indy’s southside.

Mallow Run hosts all sorts of music, movie nights, and many other special events. It’s close to Indianapolis and packs in the visitors. The wines are definitely well made if not remarkable. I started with the semi-sweet Traminette which was just that. The Rose’ of Corot Noir was nice with just a hint of sweetness. The Chambourcin poured had clearly gone bad. The attendant quickly and politely popped open a fresh bottle. The wine was light on the palate and light on fruit but nicely balanced.

The best of the lot was the dry Traminette. It seems more Hoosier winemakers are moving to the drier versions. The prominent grapefruit-like flavor was very tasty with the dry approach.

There isn’t much variance in Mallow Run’s prices. All wines are in the $11-$19 range. Nothing on the tasting list sampled disappointed. But none stood out beyond the dry white.

Cedar Creek Winery just off 37 near Martinsville.

Cedar Creek Winery just off 37 near Martinsville.

Cedar Creek Winery & Brewery is also just off Highway 37 near Martinsville. Despite attempts, there are no grapes grown near the scenic creek turned into wine. All of the fruit comes from California for this Hoosier winery – but frankly, that’s not unusual.

The wines fall into a similar category with Mallow Run, but not as well made. I tasted a Pinot Gris that had nice honey suckle hints on the palate but a musty, unpleasantness on the nose. The Pinot Noir was also a bottle which had gone bad. The busy person in the tasting room said she would check it out later but didn’t offer to open a bottle for another pour.

The Merlot might have been the best wine of the visit. It was very light in the mouth and I couldn’t detect much oak, if any at all. It would be a great wine for beginners trying to move beyond the sweets. I was intrigued that the winery offered a Valpolicella. The Italian grape can be magical. The California version was disappointing and not varietally correct.

The best pour at Cedar Creek was the Harvest Moon desert wine made with Cabernet Franc showing flavors of honey, currants and strawberries. Though a bit sweeter than I would have liked, the spicy characteristics came through strong for a pleasant sip.

Prices at Cedar Creek run $12-$14 with its dessert wines priced $25-$28.

Two stops on one Saturday afternoon show overall quality continues to improve but consistency is still an issue for the Indiana wine industry.

Oliver Sources High-End Grapes

31 Saturday Oct 2015

Posted by in Indiana, Midwestern States

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BLOOMINGTON, In, – Any discussion of Indiana wine has to always include Oliver Winery. The iconic Hoosier winery, synonymous with sweet wines, is Indiana’s biggest player on a big stage. Oliver is one of the nation’s biggest producers not located on the West Coast.

Bill Oliver, who took over from his pioneering father in the 1980s, has grown the winery and expanded the operation’s wine footprint beyond Soft Red and White wines. I spent a couple of hours Friday morning with Bill Oliver at the winery. He was cordial, excited about the future, and enthused about a new higher-end venture that might surprise a few wine purists.

Oliver chatting, tasting Chambourcin in the tasting room.

Oliver chatting, tasting Chambourcin in the tasting room.

Anyone dismissing Oliver Winery as ‘that sweet stuff’ is missing the mark. Yes, Oliver is a leader in sweet Concord red and Niagara white wines on a regional level and perhaps a national level in the next decade. But Oliver Winery is also producing very well-made wines from its nearby Creekbend Vineyard. Traminette, Vignoles, Chambourcin and more are featured at wineries across the state. But few, if any, are making those wines any better than Oliver.

The initial purpose of my visit was to talk to Oliver about his “Flight” series of wines featuring carefully sourced fruit from California vineyards. The current release getting lots of deserved attention is a 2013 Pinot Noir from the legendary Bien Nacido vineyard on California’s central coast. That name may not mean much to many wine drinkers but to real wine geeks Bien Nacido is one of the most sought-after vineyard designate wines in the Santa Barbara area.

Bill and I tasted wines with winemaker Dennis Dunham. We tasted the 2015 which had not even made it to the barrels yet. We sipped the 2014 which has seen its time in oak and now rests in stainless steel before bottling. And we tasted the mid-summer release of the 2013. I had previously tasted the 2013 and thought it was outstanding. The 2014 is going to be even better with a more extracted fruit flavor. It’s too early to tell on the 2015 juice.

The Oliver Bien Nacido Pinot sells almost exclusively in the Oliver tasting room for $45. That’s a big price jump for a winery known for the under-$10 sweet wines. But the solid Creekbend entries sell in the high-teen to mid-20s range. Oliver said one of the reasons to make the Pinot was to show people what his team could do with really great fruit.

An aside for the wine geeks, buying California fruit for Hoosier-made wine is nothing new for Oliver or many others. Oliver has access to some great California Central coast fruit and scored with his catch of Bien Nacido Pinot. It’s an expensive experiment but one the winemaker and owner clearly are enjoying.

At the other end of the spectrum is Oliver’s new Bubblecraft red and white wines. The $9 “fizz” is in the traditional Concord and Niagara grapes and in grocery stores already. Oliver produced and expects to sell about 10,000 cases this year with an expectation of nearly 25,000 cases in sales next year.

I have several story ideas from my time at Oliver today. Most of those will be posted or promoted here. There is even some bigger news coming from Bill Oliver not mentioned here.

Stay tuned.

Give Peace (Water Winery) A Chance

04 Sunday Oct 2015

Posted by in Indiana, Newspaper Column 2015

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All 80 Indiana wineries offer something a bit different. Sometimes that’s good different and sometimes not. Many have a unique niche’ in the Indiana wine industry.

Grape Sense LogoPeace Water Winery, Carmel, is one of the state’s newest and probably most unique wine operations.

Owner Scott Burton owns a winery in Northern California. He employs a California winemaker. His wines aren’t sold there. The Peace Water Winery tasting room is in downtown Carmel, Indiana.

“Indiana has many wineries,” Burton said. “But several (of those wineries) source fruit and juice from outside of Indiana to supplement grapes grown in state. We grow all our grapes from the vines and do everything in Napa. The entire process from vine to bottle occurs in California but we sell all of our wine here in Carmel; therefore, making us the only locally-owned California winery in Indiana.”

Scott Burton

Scott Burton

The concept is certainly unique but it doesn’t stop there.

Burton, a very successful corporate lawyer and entrepreneur, opened the winery in the fall of 2014 as a family business and as a philanthropic endeavor. He designates 50 percent of his winery’s profit to seven different local charities. His seven children picked the charities which would benefit from wine sales.

The unique twist is when a consumer buys a bottle of Peace Water wine at the tasting room they are given a ticket. They drop the ticket in a basket representing one of the seven charities of their choice. Burton uses the customer picks to determine the percentage of profit each charity receives.

“It’s an interactive experience,” Burton explained. “A lot of businesses have a charitable aspect. Here, you have to physically go make your donation instead of participating in a mindless transaction where you have no concept of who you’re helping. It resonates a lot better when you make that decision yourself. Hopefully, it creates a more lasting impression.”

Buy a bottle then select a charity.

Buy a bottle then select a charity.

The business has been a success in its first year. Burton said wine insiders said he’d be successful if he could sign up 100 wine club members in his first year. In late August, his wine club membership was more than 200. “Local restaurants have been talking to us about our wines so we’ll be on menus soon. That’s the next phase of our growth.”

His urban-feel tasting room was filled on a late August Thursday evening. The newly opened patio was also busy. His wines have done well already in the wine competition business. The high-end Cabernet and Sauvignon Blanc both scored well at the World Wine Tasting Championships in Chicago.

The Cabernet Sauvignon “Passion” has been his biggest seller. The $32 bottle is a good representation of California wine. The wines are definitely made in a consumer-friendly, fruit-forward style. The winery tasting notes suggested a lusty red with notes of blackberry and plum – right on target.

Most of the Peace Water wines range from $25-$48. The white, Rose’ and two reds tasted during my visit were all well-made wines. I particularly enjoyed the reds.

There is one indulgence and that’s “Nirvana” – a Howell Mountain, Napa Valley Cabernet which sells for $120. Howell Mountain fruit is one of the most sought-after regions in all of Napa.

Peace Water Winery, 37 W. Main St., Carmel. www.peacewaterwinery.com

Carmel Wants Share of Spotlight

29 Saturday Aug 2015

Posted by in Food & Travel, Indiana, Midwestern States

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CARMEL, IN. – This affluent Indianapolis suburb certainly raises the connotation, and rightfully so, of an affluent and growing community. Its progressive Republican mayor is constantly grabbing the headlines with big ideas.

Carmel conjures up a lot of images – but as a foodie destination? Indianapolis’ dining scene has claimed all the headlines in recent years but Carmel wants to step out of the big city’s shadow with its own eclectic dining options.

Hamilton County’s Tourism office sponsored a foodie tour for Midwest food writers, and one wine writer Thursday evening. The tour was hosted by Small Potatoes Catering. The company not only caters but leads private foodie tours of Carmel, Indy, Mass Ave, and soon Fountain Square.

I was joined by two area Chicago food writers, the Indy Star food writer, and Cincinnati’s Food Hussy. Heather, aka the Food Hussy, is one of Cincy’s top food writers and was lots of fun. It helps when your press contingent has an adventurous and congenial attitude.

We made four stops Thursday night – Peace Water Winery, Divvy Restaurant, Uplands Brewery, and Chocolate for the Spirit. Most of us stayed over for breakfast at Eggshell the next morning. Each of the fives stops helped the tourism pros illustrate how unique and local can make any suburb or small town a food/beverage destination.

Peace Water Owner Scott Burton

Winery Owner Scott Burton

Peace Water is certainly the most unique of Indiana’s 80 wineries. Owner Scott Burton owns a winery in California, buys his grapes from California vineyards, and employs a winemaker in California. His tasting room is in Carmel. His wines are not even sold in California.

For Burton, it’s all about giving back to community after an obviously successful career as a corporate lawyer. He has a unique approach to giving back – when you buy a bottle of wine in the downtown Carmel tasting room you are given a token. Then you decide which of seven charities shares in Burton’s philanthropy. The winery earmarks 50 percent of all profits to the seven charities.

The wines were pretty solid too! He poured four of his several wines during our brief visit. His Sauvignon Blanc was pleasant enough, crisp, but definitely on the acidic side. A Sonoma County Rose had pronounced strawberry flavors and was an easy sipper. His red blend and Cabernet were the really quality winners for my palate. While both saw substantial time in oak, the tannins on the reds were smooth. The wine is definitely in the ‘fruit-forward’ style popular with so many consumers.

His price points range $20-$40. Through his winemaker’s family winery on Howell Mountain, Burton acquires a limited amount of fruit from one of the regions considered holy grail in wine circles. His Howell Mountain cab, which we did not taste, sells for $120 for the real wine aficionado.

Owner Woody Rider

Woody Rider

Divvy restaurant was our second stop inside Carmel’s City Center Complex on Rangeline Road. The best way to explain the concept is the old adage “divvy it up.” The staff explained that we not think of their restaurant as “appetizer, entrée, and dessert” but that everything on the menu was an appetizer, entrée and dessert.

It’s a fascinating concept that is essentially small bites as a meal. I loved the beer cheese with an assortment of breads and the bacon bites which was pork belly, maple bourbon gastrique with Applewood smoked sea salt. The porterhouse steak bites were tender and juicy.

According to staff, their most popular dish is a corn crème brulee with romano, jalapenos and red sea salt. I am adverse to heat/spice and took just a small bite of the corn which was yummy. The bites range from $6 to $16. Our Small Potatoes’ staff hosts said an order for two people is usually 4-5 of the bites.

Owner Woody Rider joined us briefly to talk about the restaurant. He also owns the popular Woody’s Library in downtown Carmel on Main Street.

champagne veleveUplands Tap House Brewery, which has several Indiana locations, was our third stop for a taste of some Hoosier brewed beer.

Our hosts served up their historic Champagne Velvet and popular Dragon Fly IPA. I’m a wine guy and seldom a beer drinker but really enjoyed the Champagne Velvet.

The Uplands staff soffered some creamy Mac-n-Cheese made with wheat beer. That was accompanied by one of the best, rich-tasting pulled pork sandwiches I’ve ever had.

Julie Bolejack

Julie Bolejack

Our final stop of Thursday night was with old friend Julie Bolejack and her Carmel Chocolate for the Spirit location on Carmel Dr., just off Rangeline.

Julie educated and entertained as always. She talked about the different chocolates she uses in her creations and gave us a taste of three different chocolates. Julie has access to the world’s rarest chocolate – Pure Nacional.

We toured the kitchen where Julie makes her beautiful creations and bought some take-home chocolate as well. Julie sent each of us on our way with a box of three truffles.

Eggshell Bistro, also in City Center, was our Friday morning and final stop of the foodie tour. Chef Larry Hanes wowed us with his breakfast creations. Now I’ve read the word “wowed” in far too many food/restaurant reviews for years. I can honestly say this might be the first time I felt confident using the jargon.

Hanes is not just a chef at all. He designed the small bistro space, picked out the art, collected numerous kitchen antiques and pieces with interesting history to stock his café. Click on the restaurant link above and go to the “About” section to read more about this remarkable man.

Our brunch started with Blue Bottle coffee that was one of the best cups I’ve had in years. I have to admit that I had never heard of Blue Bottle but a couple of the food writers were quite impressed.

Larry Hanes

Larry Hanes

Chef Hanes wowed us with dish after dish he served up family style so we could get a taste of many different breakfast entree’s. We had frittata’s, quiche, a Morocan inspired dish, and more.

My two favorites were a rosemary/ham frittata and fish and grits with a soft boiled egg on top.

This restaurant has received accolades but remains a bit of a hidden gem in my estimation. The small dining room was only half full on a Friday morning at about 10 a.m. It’s one of the most remarkable dining experiences you’ll find in the city.

It should also be noted that Chef Hanes cooks everything. He is the only person in the kitchen and does it all himself. The antique equipment, art, and atmosphere are worth the drive if you’re elsewhere in the city.

Don’t be in a rush at Eggshell, the service can be a bit slow based on our experience and a few Yelp reviews I read after visiting. Go anyway, Eggshell is a treasure.

NOTE: I plan on writing more on a couple of these businesses. Those posts will go up in the coming week or two. We didn’t have the time on a tour to stop and interview the owners. Our hosts did provide some notes that I will use to tell you more about a couple of these businesses. And I’ll note appropriately that the material was provided.