Tag Archives: Huber Winery

New faces score at wine competition

02 Friday Jun 2017

Posted by in Indiana, Uncategorized

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Indiana wines performed well in the 2017 Indy International Wine Competition at Purdue University. Nearly 2000 wines were entered from 11 countries and 40 states were considered, according to the competition’s website.

The competition has become something of a measuring stick for Hoosier winemakers as they stack up their product against other states not named California, Oregon, or Washington. Wines do come into the competition from the big three but not in significant numbers.

The competition, hosted by Purdue, does have Indiana categories as well as national award winners. Many Indiana wineries scored multiple medals from the 50 judges from across the country. You can go online to look up the wins for your favorite Hoosier winery.

With Vintage Indiana in downtown Indy tomorrow (June 3), I checked out some top winners and whether they’ll be at Vintage this year.

 

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Country Heritage wines scored big.

Top honors – or the Indiana Governor’s Cup – went to relative newcomer Country Heritage Winery and Vineyard, LaOtto, In., (near Fort Wayne.) Heritage had won Indiana Farm Winery of the Year the past two competitions. Heritage won three double gold medals (top honor), 12 Golds, 15 silvers, and 12 bronze.The farm winery award is for wineries producing less than 50,000 gallons of wine annually. This year’s Farm Winery of the Year was Buck Creek Winery, just south of Indianapolis along I-74.

 

The Indiana Wine of the Year was won by French Lick Winery for their estate-bottled Cabernet Franc. The Indiana Traminette of the Year (the state grape) was Tonne Winery’s CF2016 vintage. Tonne is located just north of Muncie.

Buck Creek won best dessert wine of the competition with its 2014 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine. Brown County won the contest’s best fruit wine with its 2016 Strawberry Wine.

A few of the usual suspects did well as expected. Huber Winery, which has claimed several Governor’s Cups, won 23 medals. Oliver Winery claimed 28 awards.

The competition also has a category for amateur winemakers. The amateur Wine of the Year was won by David Phillips of Sugar Creek Vineyards (just outside Crawfordsville). Phillips’ winning entry was a 2016 Chambourcin Rose’.

Of those winning awards, Buck Creek and French Lick are the only two pouring at Vintage according to the Vintage website.

Many Indiana wineries won multiple awards. Check out the details online.

 

The Making of a Great Hoosier Wine

22 Saturday Aug 2015

Posted by in Indiana, Midwestern States, Newspaper Column 2015

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As Indiana wine quality continues to improve and get noticed around the Midwest, a few efforts have reached the pinnacle of success.

River City Winery and Huber Winery won top honors with their Vignoles at the annual Indy International Wine Competition in 2012-2013. Easley Winery, in downtown Indianapolis, claimed the top prize this year with Indiana’s signature Traminette.

Grape Sense LogoMaking a great wine starts in the vineyard and carries throughout the winemaking process. Traminette is sold by half of Indiana’s 80 wineries. And it seems every new winery in the state plants some of the signature white grape. Unfortunately, there are occasions when the grapes are made into wine and sold before they’re ready for commercial production. It’s no surprise when the very best wines come from producers like Huber and Easley.

“Our Traminette varietal program is a culmination of several years of trial and research both by our vineyard team and wine making team,” said Mark Easley. “We have learned over the last eight years, through several research projects, some of the very key features to making great, world-class Traminette. Our winemaker Jeff Martin and cellar master Nathan Schaffer have taken the lead. They have coordinated field experiments in our vineyards in conjunction with wine making practices in our cellar.”

Easley explained the keys to his Traminette is controling the crop load to 5-7 tons per acres, keep the vines well drained, and make sure the fruit gets plenty of direct sunlight just before harvest. “In red wine making, we like to run the temperatures up in the high 70s and 80s for color and tannin extraction, no to sin fruit aromatic white wine make. We like to make our Traminette in a semi dry style that is food friendly.

Traminette being delivered to winery in 2014.

Traminette being delivered to winery in 2014.

“After getting the perfect grapes from our vineyard the work begins at the winery crush pad,” the second-generation winery owner said.  “We like to see four to 12 hours of cold soak for the grapes in the large boxes we pick them in. This gets the juice in contact with the sun-exposed skins. We then destem and press the grapes in bladder grape presses. The press uses very low pressure in a gentle way.

Keeping the juice cold throughout the process maintains the wine’s aroma and flavor. “We treat it like fresh fruit,” Easley said. “We like to make our Traminette in a semi-dry style so that it is food friendly.”

The Easley Traminette is widely distributed through Meijer stores. I liked the wine a lot because it was done in a dry style. The signature floral bouquet in Easley’s wine is present without being over-powering. The wine is a great representation of what Indiana can do right.

Time Again to Uncork the Uplands

13 Monday Jul 2015

Posted by in Food & Travel, Indiana, Newspaper Column 2015

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One of the state’s best, if not the best, wine celebrations returns to Huber Orchard and Winery 4-7 p.m., July 25 in southern Indiana.

Uncork the Uplands is in its fifth year celebrating the wines of Indiana’s only designated American Viticultural Area – the Indiana Uplands. The annual celebration returns to Huber’s after two years at Oliver Winery near Bloomington.

Grape Sense LogoThe Indiana Uplands has nine Indiana wineries coming together for one night of wine, food, and celebration. The event is hosted by Huber in its large Plantation Hall. Huber’s is located in the rolling hills of southern Indiana overlooking the Ohio River Valley near the very small town of Starlight. It’s a short drive from New Albany.

The nine wineries pouring will be Best Vineyards, Brown County Winery, Butler Winery, French Lick Winery, Huber Winery, Owen Valley Winery, Oliver’s, Turtle Run and Winzerwald. Those nine make up the Uplands Wine trail and grow grapes within the Indiana Uplands AVA.

The unique Indiana event also brings in a number of Indiana artisan food purveyors offering samples to pair with the wine. Live music and other events highlight the evening activities.

Touring vineyards at Uplands last year at Oliver Winery.

Touring vineyards at Uplands last year at Oliver Winery.

Wine fans can also participate in two guided tours. In one, guests will tour one of Indiana’s largest and oldest vineyards. Huber’s almost 800-acre farm has contributed to Indiana’s agritourism for over 150 years. In the second, tour Huber’s production facility, and see how wines and spirits are created from the ground up.

This year, Uncork will feature add-on tickets for an exclusive VIP event that will take place in Huber’s Starlight Distillery’s new 20,000 square-foot stillhouse an hour before the main event.

VIP tickets include special cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, a keepsake glass and personal interaction with the winemakers from around the trail. Tickets to this event are limited.

One of the best parts of the Uplands event is the chance to talk with the winemakers and family members who make some of Indiana’s best wine. But be sure to get there early and take the vineyard tour. If you’re a real wine fan, there is no better way to learn about wine grown in any region of the world than a walk through a production vineyard.

Tickets are $60 per person and are available at the participating wineries and at the door the night of the event. The fee covers all the food and wine tastings throughout the evening.

With Huber located in the southern most region of the state, you should consider spending the night near New Albany or Jeffersonville and enjoy the historical district, restaurants, and new walking bridge across the Ohio River. The area is going through big positive changes. There are several national chain motels near I-64.

Some Great 2013 Wine Picks

21 Saturday Dec 2013

Posted by in Newspaper Column 2013

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Grape Sense LogoIt’s time again for the ‘best of the year’ lists including wine! Ranking wine is a difficult trick. How does an Indiana white stack up against a French red? Wouldn’t an Italian Barolo blow a little Oregon wine away?

WineLogo2That’s why Grape Sense’s year-end column just reviews 9 really good wines. The wines are ones you are likely to find at a neighborhood shop. And, these wines all come in at under $20. Why nine? Because I just had to warn gentle readers about the worst wine of 2013.

In no particular order or ranking, here are 10 of the best wines I tasted in 2013.

H3ChevauxColumbia Crest Horse Heaven Hills Les Cheavaux – It would be easy to mis-identfy this Merlot- blend as a Bordeaux wine. While not as nuanced as even inexpensive Saint Emilion ,it has the fruit characteristics to make you look twice at the bottle. It’s 80 percent Merlot, 13 percent Cabernet, and 7 percent Syrah. If you like big bold fruit, you’re going to love it at $15.

chateau-d-esclans-cotes-de-provence-whispering-angel-rose-provence-france-10209069Château d’Esclans 2012 Provence Rosé Whispering Angel – Rosé rocks and this bottle rocks off the charts. It has a wonderful hint of strawberry and citrus. It’s a beautiful salmon color, dry, light, and pink – what else is there to say about a great summer wine? $16-$23.

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La Maia Lina 2007 Chianti Classico – I find a lot of Chianti, usually at a lower price point, unbalanced and too acidic. This wine may not have huge fruit but has nice balance. It has the typical cherry flavors with some earthy or woodsy hints. $19.

powers_logo2 (1)Powers 2010 Spectrum – It’s big enough to please regular wine drinkers, rounded enough for wine novices, and pairs great with about any dish. The blend is 39 percent Merlot, 33 percent Syrah, 22 percent Malbec, 6 percent Cabernet. $10-$13.

234638Les Jamelles 2011 Syrah – It can be found in lots of wine shops and liquor stores. A simple wine doesn’t have to be bad. Not everything in your glass requires 4-5 adjectives to enjoy it. Sometimes plain and simple suffices. It’s got a little fruit and some spice. Not bad for $9.

HuberWinery-VignolesHuber’s Winery Vignoles – The Indy International Wine Competition Wine of The Year represents a movement among several Indiana winemakers to reduce residual sugar while maintaining the fresh fruit. The Vignoles is an outstanding summer sipper but would also be good with creamy cheeses or salty meats. $14.99.

2008_estate_pinot_noirDavid Hill 2011 Estate Pinot Gris – It has bright and pronounced acidity with aromas of stone fruit. Try this with some grilled shrimp. It’s great white wine from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. $18.

marchesi-de-frescobaldi-tenuta-di-castiglioni-toscana-igt-tuscany-italy-10053314Tenuta Frescobaldi Di Castiglioni 2010 – Toscana is a really bold wine perfect for steaks, roasts, and hearty pasta. The Tuscan blend is 50 percent Cabernet, 30 percent Merlot, 12 percent Cabernet Franc, and 8 percent Sangiovese. Has notes of currant, plum and dark fruit. Dynamite wine for around $20.

chateau-recougne-bordeaux-superieur-france-10456088Chateau Recougne, 2009 – This is a Superior which is the largest classification in Bordeaux. The wines are quite a bargain. This particular wine had a fresh palate from its 75 percent Merlot, 15 percent Cabernet, and 10 percent Cabernet Franc blend. A Bordeaux bargain at $10-$19.

And … drum roll please … the worst wine of the year:

Tongue-Out-Clip-ArtEvil Pinot Noir – This red juice made its way to the U.S. for Octavin’s boxed wines, many of which are pretty good. This $6.99 bottle enjoyed a big display in a high-end Indianapolis market that called to me like a siren’s song. Downside? Don’t buy wines with monkeys on the label! Evil just begins to describe it.

Next Column: Looking forward!

If you’d like to revisit my year-end columns from previous years: 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009.

Indiana Grape Growers Expect Big Crop

05 Monday Aug 2013

Posted by in Indiana, Newspaper Column 2013

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The vineyards at Huber Winery stretch over 70 acres.

The vineyards at Huber Winery stretch over 70 acres.

The ideal growing conditions of 2013 has Indiana grape growers forgetting last year’s dry and scorching summer. Indiana wineries and independent vineyards are looking at the potential for a bumper crop of wine grapes.

Grape Sense LogoIndiana has nearly 600 acres of vineyard to support what’s soon to be 70 wineries. Most Hoosier wineries buy all or some of their fruit from in- and out-of-state suppliers. Most  winery vineyards often are just 5, 10, or 15 acres which provides fruit for a small portion of their production.

Two of the state’s biggest wineries, not surprisingly, have the biggest vineyards. Oliver Winery has its beautiful 50-acre, Creekbend Vineyard just a few miles off Highway 37 near Bloomington. Ted Huber has the state’s largest winery-owned vineyard with nearly 70 acres producing grapes on long-held family property overlooking the Ohio River Valley close to Louisville.

Oliver's Dennis Dunham at Creekbend Vineyard

Oliver’s Dennis Dunham at Creekbend Vineyard

“Everything looks perfect and ideal at this point,” said Oliver’s Director of Winemaking Operations Dennis Dunham. “We’ve had a fair amount of rain pre-veraison but it’s is not a big deal. And especially after last year I think there is general thought that getting moisture back into the soil, overall, is a good thing.

Veraison is a vineyard term meaning the onset of ripening. White wine grapes become more translucent and red wine grapes turn red.

Dunham said the vineyard had issues last year in the hot weather. The lack of rain forced vineyard workers to cut clusters from the vines to encourage ripening of what remained.

Ted Huber said the story was similar down south.

Ted Huber in his Starlight, IN., tasting room.

Ted Huber in his Starlight, IN., tasting room.

“We’re probably 15-20 percent in veraison and the rest of the varieties are a week out,” Huber said. “Right now we’re sitting very disease free considering the amount of rain we’ve had in June and July. We’re starting to dry out, because we’ve missed most of the late July rains

But like any Hoosier farmer, growers are never totally happy with the weather. “The problem we’re having now is excess vine growth,” Huber said. “So we have several different groups working almost seven days a week doing shoot positioning, leaf pulling, cutting, getting rid of the massive canopy we’re seeing right now. It’s necessary so we go into veraison and can ripen fruit correctly.”

But both men agreed a bumper crop is starting to look certain. “We’re seeing a very big crop right now and we can ripen a big crop.” Huber said. “Unlike last year, with the lack of shoot growth, we had to drop fruit because we didn’t think we could ripen it. This year we have a bumper crop of leaves and shoots, and a full canopy absorbing the sunshine.

“So if we get the fruit exposed to it and let mother nature take its course, we should be able to ripen everything. We should have a big crop.”

Dunham said Creekbend is set to deliver the biggest normal crop winemakers can ever expect. “So with the weather we got now, we have as much fruit as we can expect,” he said. “Overall, everything has looked pretty darn good and some of the crop estimates I’ve seen are pretty high. I think we’re going to have a large grape crop.”

But what does it all mean to Hoosier wine consumers? First, it means there are more Indiana grapes on the open fruit market and the chance for some producers to buy locally. Many Indiana wineries buy fruit from out of state. Second, great wine is made in vineyards and not by winemakers. A great crop should mean a great 2013 vintage.

Huber Stands Up to Any Pedigree

31 Sunday Mar 2013

Posted by in Indiana

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Midwestern wine is always the misbehaving little brother of the so-called “important” wine regions of the west coast.  Until a visit to several of Indiana’s best wineries late last summer, it was difficult to argue such slurs were incorrect.

Indiana wines are known as ‘all that sweet wine” – Concord, Niagra, and others with cute names. That’s changed dramatically in the last few years. The sweet wines pay the bills for Indiana wineries but also allows the winemakers to go in brave and exciting new directions.

HuberOne of Indiana’s very best red wines is Huber’s Heritage. The Huber Heritage 2008 HSR is a blend of just Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. “Just” is appropriate because depending on the vintage, winemaker Ted Huber uses different grapes – including Petit Verdot and Malbec.

Huber enjoys a very specific micro-climate overlooking the Ohio River Valley that lets him grow grapes that won’t survive in many other Hoosier locations.

I’d gladly put this wine against many California and Washington state blends as a great red wine. But back to that snobbish attitude expressed above, it would have to be a blind tasting. I think the Indiana wine would fare well!

The wine is aged at least a year in oak for each vintage. The 2008 Heritage has a bright blueberry flavor with big tannin and acid. Additionally, it comes in at a very reasonable 13.6 percent alcohol that makes it an awesome pairing with bold food. I   enjoyed the wine with nicely grilled, thick ribeye steaks.

Huber wines are available in a number of Midwestern states. The Huber reds are some of the Hoosier states very best.

Huber 2008 Heritage, $24.99, Highly Recommended.

AVA Adds to Midwest’s Wine Credibility

26 Tuesday Feb 2013

Posted by in Indiana, Newspaper Column 2013

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The Indiana’s Uplands region being declared an American Viticulture Area Feb. 12 is good news for all Midwestern wineries.

Grape Sense LogoThe U.S. wine industry is driven by tourism. For those who take wine seriously and want to learn more about wine, hitting up AVA-designated areas assures a level of serious winemaking and even quality.

Michigan leads the way in the Midwest with four AVAs: Fennville, Leelanau Peninsula, Lake Michigan Shore, and Old Mission Peninsula. Ohio has four AVAS: Lake Erie, Isle St. George, Grand River Valley, and Loramie Creek. Illinois has the Shawnee Hills AVA and shares the Upper Mississippi AVA with Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin.

The Ohio River Valley AVA is shared by Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Kentucky has no other designated grape production area and Indiana did not until the Uplands announcement.

bordelon4Blog“It just kind of affirms what we already know that we have some excellent grape growing regions and they’re unique here in the Midwest,” said Bruce Bordelon, Viticulture Specialist at Purdue University. “The Uplands region is different than southwest Indiana. Posey County and Gibson County have different climate and soils. There really is a difference in the (grapes) that we grow and the quality that we get between regions. It’s those little minor differences that makes vintages special and make our varietal-labeled wines special.”

Oliver Winery, near Bloomington, IN., is one of the Midwest’s largest. With production in the 400,000-case range business is good. But Oliver embraced the Uplands news every bit as much as the other eight wineries in the Uplands.

Oliver4Blog“It allows us to qualify as a true viticulture area and raise the level of awareness that there is something special about this region,” said Kathleen Oliver, Executive Vice President. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to capitalize on that by saying there is something really unique about these wines. We are producing great quality wines; we can do it just like Napa and Sonoma. We are something special. And it gives us the opportunity to look for a more premium price.”

The nine established wineries in the Uplands AVA are Best Vineyards Winery, Elizabeth; Brown County Winery, Nashville; Butler Winery, Bloomington; Carousel Winery, Bedford; French Lick Winery, West Baden Springs; Huber Winery, Starlight; Oliver Winery, Bloomington; Turtle Run Winery, Corydon; and Winzerwald Winery, Bristow.

Fall - Christmas Good Time to Visit Uplands Wine TrailJim Butler, Butler Winery also near Bloomington, spent nearly 10 years working to achieve the AVA designation. He agreed that Indiana has a niche with white Traminette and red Chambourcin wines that are grown throughout the Midwest and excel in the Uplands region. But he also sees other wines doing well and a future for more traditional plantings.

“Late harvest Vignoles and Vidal does wonderfully,” Butler said. “We’ve been doing Chardonnel. I think we’re going to see some more viniferas (think traditional wine grapes) planted. “It takes four years to plant a vine and then get your first crop. It’s going to be a decades-plus process to zero in on those varieties that are going to give us the product that we want.”

The 4800-square-mile Uplands AVA stretches from the Morgan-Monroe County line near Bloomington south to the Ohio River. The east-west boundaries run from Jasper in Dubois County to Knobstone Ridge near Starlight, overlooking the Ohio River Valley.

Howard W. Hewitt, Crawfordsville, IN., writes about wine every other week for 22 newspapers in three states. You can contact him with questions or comments at: hewitthoward@gmail.com

One Great Day in Southern Indiana Wine Country

23 Monday Jul 2012

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Ted Huber pours wine for the both of us to taste in the Huber tasting room.

A day in Southern Indiana to attend the Uplands Wine Trail “Uncork the Uplands” event was educational, informative, and productive.

I’m working on a story about Indiana wine for Palate Press – the National Online Wine Magazine. So I had daytime appointments with Ted Huber at Huber Orchard and Winery along with Jim Pfeiffer of Turtle Run.

I’m obviously sitting on most of that material for Palate Press. But the overwhelming feeling of the day was Indiana’s improving wine business. NHuber and Turtle Run are certainly two of the very best in Indiana so it’s not like I was hitting up a few Southern Indiana wineries I have panned in the past.

Check out photos from my day at Huber’s and Turtle Run.

Huber’s, which I’ve probably written as much about as any Indiana winery, really is a good benchmark for quality. Ted Huber is quick to point out the family considers themselves farmers first. The property, dating back well into the 1800s, has 600 acres of most every fruit and vegetable imaginable. Just 80 acres of the massive operation is in vineyard. That allows Ted and his winemaking team to produce about 50,000 cases of wine annually.

I’ve talked with Huber on several occasions but our 30-minute appointment Saturday quickly turned in to two hours. Huber talked about reducing the sweetness in Indiana wine and guiding the sweet wine consumers to a better quality product. We talked about the industry in general, the weather’s impact on his vineyards, and more. And plan plenty of extra time if you want to ask about Ted’s brandy operation. It has become his passion. And though I admit to not being a big spirits fan, the 10-year aged Applejack Brandy was absolutely amazing!

Pfeiffer in his vineyard near Lanesville, IN.

Jim Pfeiffer is one of my favorite wine people in the state. His unbridled enthusiasm and willingness to break molds – well heck, Jim doesn’t break them he never used popular molds any way. But the man knows his chemistry and winemaking.

The thing that struck me was the similarity in thoughts and efforts between Pfeiffer and Huber. Both are moving their wines away from higher residual sugar while maintaining pleasant fruit Hoosier like and higher quality juice. The wines are far more approachable than the uber-sweet Concord, Niagra and similar wines which have been Indiana’s calling card.

I’ll have much more on these two in coming weeks.

Uncork the Uplands is just in its second year but already a great wine event, marketing idea, and should be a can’t miss for Indiana wine fans. The word Saturday is next year’s Uncork will be in Bloomington, In. That is a bit easier for Central Indiana folks certainly than the long drive down to Starlight atop the hills overlooking the Ohio River.

The Uplands wineries all pour a selection of their wines while Hoosier food product companies show off their edibles. The $75 admission is well worth the price when you consider a portion of the proceeds help several charities.

I didn’t make it to every winery’s table nor every food booth. But I did taste lots of interesting goodies that made the trip just that much more fun. I thought I’d share business names and links here for people always looking for good Hoosier food products. These were some of my favorites;

Peacetree Mountain Truffles – Dark chocolate and Chambourcin do mix! The truffles were to die for! Certainly many wine fans know the almost magical powers of a good red wine and dark chocolate. If you’re one of those fanactics check out the website.

Yours Truly wine cake

Yours Truly Foods – This company is making cake mixes which will be sold at wholesale to wineries. The samples were a hot commodity Saturday. I loved the rich dark chocolate. The owners Diiana Chamness and Betty Davis came up with the mixes and make a recommendation on types of wines to add to the mix. Unfortunately their website is very incomplete. But you can look for the product coming soon to an Indiana winery near you.

Steckler Grassfed Cheese, poultry, beef & lamb – This new business emphasizes pasture-raised products. I had the aged raw-milk cheddar and found it to be a great pairing with red or white wine. Not a fan of the pepperjack, but hey – I don’t/can’t like everything! Ha

Grateful Greens – While Greg Graft’s business is largely a wholesale operation based in Clarksville, Indiana, the basil pesto he served up with fresh mozzarella on a cracker was world class. It was one of the best things I had at Uncorked.

Fermenti Artisan – is an Indianaplis company that “puts the culture in your diet.” They specialize in artisan cultured vegetables, nutrition education, and urban farmers. Fermenti provided the Kraut on a marvelous small bite of Rene Bakery sour dough, along with Smoking Goose black truffle bologna! (Fermenti doesn’t appear to have a traditional website, but the link will take you to their Facebook page.)

de Tours Indiana Wines – Kyle Marcum introduced himself while I was scurrying about Saturday night. Marcus has started an Indiana wine country tour business. He offers a luxury limosine experience that would be great for groups not wanting to drive and taste. Packages vary in price but start at a reasonable $315 for up to 8 people.

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

Great Visits with Two of State’s Best Winemakers

21 Saturday Jul 2012

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Ted drawing/pouring Brandy for me

NEW ALBANY, In. – “Best” is always a label best used infrequently but few in the know would argue Huber Wines and Turtle Run are among some of the best and most interesting wines in Indiana.

Tonight is the Uncork the Uplands food and wine event at Huber Orchard and Winery and I’ll be hitting it up in just a short bit. But I took the opportunity to come down early and spend some time with Ted Huber and Jim Pfeiffer of Turtle Run for a Palate Press story about Indiana wines.

I found Ted in a talkative mood and eager to share the processes he uses to make some of Indiana’s best wines/. We talked about the evolving consumer demand and palate for lighter wines, lower alcohol, and a bit less sweet. That’s right – Indiana consumer trends in tasting rooms are showing a developing palate for wines not as sweet as the typical concords and niagra wines of the past.

Pfeiffer shares that passion for less sweet wines as a winemaker and as a health concern. Pfeiffer is more mad genius than Huber’s calculating step by step wine making but both turn out bottles of wine that would stand up to many others not just across Indiana but the nation.

Huber also has an over-the-top passion for brandy. Before today I believe I had tasted Brandy one time while in Germany. Today I barrell sampled brandy in oak for two months, two years, five years and the final product with more than 10 years aging. I admit, that old stuff is pretty tasty!

Pfeiffer picking out wines I should taste

Pfeiffer is an enthusiastic guy that go on and on about the chemical properties of wine – glucose vs fructose – and then more. But he makes a compelling case about reducing sugar in wines which not only are more palate pleasing but healthier.

Jim makes interesting blends and is part Picasso and half mad scientist with some crazy blends that come out tasting like magic.

Both winemakers produce the best Chambourcin I’ve had ever. When done correctly, Chambourcin has Pinot Noir like qualities with nice body, a light mouth feel, and pleasing fruit. When done poorly, as it often is in the Hoosier state, it comes out smelling like an old musty shoe.

It’s off now to Uncork with Upland Wine Trail wineries, Hoosier food producers, Bloomington Chef Daniel Orr, a mixologist, and more.

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

Indiana’s Uplands Wine Trail Event Saturday at Hubers

15 Sunday Jul 2012

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For Hoosier, there is a great Indiana wine event in southern most Indiana Saturday, July 21. The second-annual “Uncork the Uplands” food and wine pairing event is set for Huber Winery.

The event features food from south-central Indiana paired with wines from the nine Uplands Wine Trail wineries.

Chef Daniel Orr

One of the highlights this year is featured guest Chef Daniel Orr from FARMbloomington restaurant. He will be doing a presentation during the evening’s events.

We are thrilled to rpesent “Uncork the Uplands” once again this year, an entertaining experience for the wine and food lover in all of us, said Kim Doty, President of the Indiana UPlands Wine Trail and owner of French Lick Winery. She added in the press release, “the selections we will present from the wineries of the Uplands Wine Trail are notable  … we look forward to sharing them all, along with out wonderful regional food offerings.”

The Uplands Wine Trail includes Best Vineyards, Brown County Winery, Butler Winery, Carousel Winery, French Lick, Huber, Oliver, Turtle Run and Winzerwald.

Tickets can be ordered in advance at the Uncork the Uplands website but are also going to be available the day of the event. Tickets are $75 per person.

A portion of the evening’s proceeds will go toward Ivy Tech of Southern Indiana’s Viticulture Enology Sciene & Technology Alliance and TheFARM Fund raising future culinarians at Ivy Tech in Bloominton.

Olinger Indiana, Monarch Beverages, Indy Wine Competition, Ivy Tech, Innovative Labeling Solutions, The Sunnyside of Louisville, Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Monroe County Convention and Visitors Bureau are sponsors.

To to the website and check it out. Huber’s Winery is worth the visit any time of year but this special event makes it doubly worth your effort.

As of now, I plan on attending. I hope to see you there.

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com