Tag Archives: Indiana wine

Huber sons could change Indiana wine, perception

15 Thursday Oct 2020

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STARLIGHT, IN. – Becoming a part of and eventually taking over a family business is a big challenge. Christian and Blake Huber are thriving and planning as they join the family’s day to day operations.

The Hubers have been on the same hilltop property near the little town of Starlight and just up that hill from New Albany since the early 1800s.

Huber Winery and Starlight Distillery have become industry leaders with the guidance of Ted and Dana Huber along with Ted’s cousin Greg and his wife. Dana and Ted’s sons have completed impressive wine education degrees and gained practical experience at a few of the world’s top wineries. The sons are ready to help the already-growing business and make their mark with a few bold new ideas.

Christian, the oldest of the two, is a graduate of Niagra University in its Viticulture/Oenology program at Ontario, Canada. He spent time at IU’s Kelley School of Business and has worked harvests for California wineries like Joseph Phelps. Younger brother Blake graduated early this year from Cornell University’s wine study program. Among his internships was time spent this summer at Petrus in Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, France. He’s currently working at Napa Cab powerhouse Dominus.

Christian Huber pours for our tasting

Christian is working at the winery now and Blake will soon join his brother in full-time status.

So the young men are more than ready to help the family move forward in exciting directions. And, it’s not like Dad has been standing still. Huber Winery’s production has grown over the past couple years from 50,000 to 90,000 cases. The relatively new spirits business has become very successful and nationally recognized for excellence. Last year the spirits business sold approximately 10,000 six-pack cases. Christian said that growth could reach 15,000-20,000 this year.

Two years back, patriarch Ted said the goal was to match spirits production to the wine number.

Walking the grounds Wednesday (Oct. 14) with Christian and tasting wines and spirits, his enthusiasm alone forecasts interesting things.

He has planted Chardonnay, not Indiana-grown hybrid Cshardonel, and Pinot Noir on a recently acquired piece of property. The vines must age before you can taste and buy the wines but it’s a challenge. Pinot Noir is notoriously difficult to grow.

I’ve long told others Hubers has the best vineyard site in Indiana. They are successfully growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Tannat, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. Right now the Cab Franc is the best of that lot. The vinifera blend Heritage is arguably  the best red wine you can buy grown and made in Indiana.

But the Huber boys, let’s call them that, have their eyes on becoming known for the vinifera grapes instead of the hybrids grown in most of the state. Christian wants to soon plan Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Riesling, and perhaps Syrah.

His dream is to develop the Knobstone area with the family’s Indiana Uplands property as it’s own Agriculture Viticulture Area (AVA) or as a sub region. Knobstone is a rugged geological region in southern Indiana which has potential of growing difficult grapes with a traditional vinifera taste profile. The Pinot Noir is planted within the area now on top a limestone base. Those grapes aren’t ready to make wine yet but could be in the next year or two.

Christian also sees a Chardonnay made as an unoaked Chablis-style wine which would please wine fanatics.

The big picture is to create a Knobstone winery with its own label and even tasting room. The wines would be a premium product, at a higher price, unlike anything in the state.

But with all of the ambition and big plans, reality sometimes bites. The late frost in early 2020 devastated the vineyards. A normal harvest of 250-300 tons of grapes was just 100 tons this year.

I’ve long thought Huber diversity, with a new generation coming on board, and Oliver’s explosive growth are the two best wine stories in Indiana and maybe well beyond Hoosier borders. Wednesday’s visit proved that’s still the biggest news in Indiana wine.

Vintage Indiana still packing them in

04 Sunday Jun 2017

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INDIANAPOLIS – Don’t let anyone unfairly bad-mouth Indiana wine based on what any observer would see at the annual Vintage Indiana festival.

Hoosiers still turn out by the thousands the first weekend of June at Indy’s Military Park for a sip of Indiana wines. They turned out Saturday despite the warmest day of 2017 and the usual wait in line to get that sip.

 

vintage

A busy day for Indiana wine!

I had not visited Vintage in several years due to a work conflict, as I mentioned in my Vintage preview post on this site. I was a bit shocked Saturday by the number of “artisan booths,” as the Vintage website calls them. It seems as though they could be better vetted. There are some which felt appropriate but apparently if you’ve got the check you’ve got the space. It makes for a sprawling array of tents. There were far more ‘artisan vendors’ listed on the Vintage website than wineries.  Additionally, there are food trucks and food stands galore.

 

Now, this isn’t an effort to trash the wine fest – it’s clearly a huge success. I have always called it Indiana wine’s biggest moment in the spotlight. But it’s gotten a bit too big for all the wrong reasons. And, the number of wineries participating is slipping – down to 23 this year. Indiana now has 92 wineries. Even its most ardent supporters would have a hard time arguing that something is amiss when two of Indiana’s biggest three wineries are missing – Oliver and Easley.

 

crowd

There is a considerable wait in most lines.

Vintage is put on by the Indiana Wine and Grape Council and it creates revenue. The Council needs the revenue to promote Indiana wine. The festival is well organized and seems to run smoothly. The fest also brings in an impressive number of volunteers. The long lines at the winery tents is a difficult problem to solve. I stood at one winery’s booth while six people blockaded the pouring table for 15-20 minutes sipping wine after wine while a crowd behind them waited. I don’t have a great answer – maybe you get one pour and go to the back of the line. While on the surface it seems like a petty problem, go stand in line over and over in early summer heat and get back with me.

 

I was not able Saturday to taste much wine as I recover from some recent personal health issues. I tried to take a few small sips and say hello to some of the Indiana winemakers and owners I know and enjoy catching up with. Unfortunately, the heat and a couple of hours on my feet was a bit taxing.

Vintage Indiana is a great wine fest. I think it could be better if it would re-focus its efforts. I’m going to ask some Indiana winemakers what they think. We’ll see how many are willing to go on the record and offer ideas.

Could Southern Ind. be next Napa?

19 Sunday Mar 2017

Posted by in Indiana, Napa/Sonoma, Newspaper Column 2017, Uncategorized

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No, Southern Indiana will not, and cannot, be the next Napa Valley. Geez!

After more than 200 Grape Sense columns over eight years, it’s time for a rant. Get a glass of something bold like a California Zin, a Central Coast Syrah, or Ted Huber’s Bordeaux-style blend called Heritage.

grape-sense-logoIn the last few months a couple of newspaper pieces on “Indiana wine” have surfaced in Midwestern media. The most recent Indiana wine story appeared Feb. 28 in the Louisville Courier-Journal. That story featured the headline I’m mocking above. As a 20-plus year newspaper veteran and 8-year wine writer, it’s important to note that almost all newspaper headlines are written by copy editors and certainly not writers or reporters.

The headline, and unfortunately the story, does little for the Indiana wine industry. And even worse, does little to inform readers about Southern Indiana wine. There is nothing wrong with a puff piece when you get little media attention. But in theory the writer got paid for the story and the newspaper took it as a credible feature.

The story in question begins like this:

“When most people talk about great wine, they often refer to vino from Napa Valley, France or Italy. But locals will tell you that some of the best wines come from the rolling hills of Southern Indiana.”

Who are those locals who say some of the ‘best wines’ come from the rolling hills of Southern Indiana? It’s certainly not a single winemaker or consumer in Southern Indiana because none are quoted in the story.

Who is the mystery source so enamored with Indiana wine?

There is an argument to be made, by an old newspaper curmudgeon perhaps, that the headline was condescending.

The story’s writer did quote one winery’s marketing representative. There was a single quote from Purdue’s Bruce Bordelon about Indiana’s growing season. That’s a good and authoritative source. The author also quoted the Wine and Grape Team’s new state marketing spokesperson, a very recent college grad, who added that Indiana is a very nice place.

The story, which you can read for yourself here, doesn’t say anything quantitatively or qualitatively about Indiana wine.

The truth is there are some very good wines being made in Indiana and particularly down south. Will they ever be as good as Napa or Bordeaux? Wine is about the region where it’s grown. Wine regions can be compared for contrast or similarities but wearing the ‘next best thing’ title doesn’t help anyone making fermented Hoosier grape juice.

Indiana winemakers, owners, and marketing folks must be smarter than to fall all over any reporter for any piece of public relations. Those people need to offer up winemakers and winery owners for interviews. They need to do everything to get the writer or PR person to taste the wines and educate them what constitutes good Indiana wine. Well-informed wine writing can boost the Indiana wine industry.

The puff pieces are better than nothing but when an opportunity arises to tell Indiana’s story, Indiana wineries must do better.

Napa be damned! Give me a glass of Vignoles or Chambourcin, please!

‘Uncork’ Shows Indiana’s Best

26 Tuesday Jul 2016

Posted by in Indiana, Newspaper Column 2016

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Indiana’s top wine event is unquestionably Vintage Indiana held in Indianapolis in early June each year.

Vintage Indiana brings 30-plus Hoosier wineries to Military Park in Indianapolis and gives thousands an opportunity to sample hundreds of Indiana wines. Unfortunately, the event was nearly drowned out this year with a day of heavy downpours. (Pun intended).

Grape Sense LogoIndiana’s second-best wine celebration might be Uncork the Uplands, Saturday, July 30, French Lick, IN. Uncork celebrates the nine wineries of the Indiana Uplands Agricultural Viticulture Area or AVA.

The AVA thing is significant. The Uplands is the only AVA in Indiana. If you’re a wine drinker and like Pinot think of the Willamette Valley’s Dundee Hills, or Howell Mountain in Napa. An AVA is a federally-recognized agricultural area which produces quality grapes for quality wines.

The 6th annual event runs 4-7 p.m. at the wonderful French Lick Springs Hotel. Last-minute tickets are $60. Wine fans can find a lot more information on the official website uncorktheuplands.com Unfortunately, getting a hotel room in French Lick on this summer weekend might be tough. The two resorts are sold out. But there are other small chain hotels nearby.

The event features wines from all nine wineries. Visitors have the chance to talk to winemakers and winery owners. Past Uncork events featured plenty of small bites of food and even entertainment. The 2016 early evening wine tasting is the first not to be held at Oliver or Huber wineries.

French Lick is a great location, though a bit of an effort to get there in the Hoosier heartland. French Lick Winery will become something of an official/unofficial host. The Doty family has a long history with Indiana wine and the Uplands event. The French Lick Winery is using the Saturday event to introduce its new distillery. The VIP event is sold out but signals another Indiana winery entering the competitive distillery business. Ted Huber has been the real pioneer among Indiana winemakers to jump into the distilled spirits business. French Lick seems like a natural with the two fabulous, Indiana landmark hotels and a bustling casino.

There is another event coming up that seems to get less attention. Indiana wineries pour their wines throughout the Indiana State Fair, 1-9 p.m., each day of the fair, Aug. 5-21.

State Fair attendees, who are also wine fans, should definitely stop by the Grand Hall across from the Indiana Farmers Coliseum. The event showcases wine and Indiana beer. Attendees must be 21 to enter.

 

 

Taste Buds Determine Your Preferences

13 Saturday Feb 2016

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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.

Pfeiffer, Jim-001

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.

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.

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.

Indiana 16th Wine Fest Saturday

01 Monday Jun 2015

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Grape Sense presents a guest column today on Vintage Indiana – a Festival of Indiana Wine. Thanks to my friend Jeanette Merritt, of the Purdue Wine Grape Team for the contribution!

It’s no secret that Indiana wineries make outstanding wine. With 80 wineries and nearly 1.5 million gallons of wine being made in the Hoosier state, there is sure to be a wine for anyone’s taste.

Merritt

Merritt

One of the easiest ways to find a winery you enjoy is to visit a festival. As the Marketing Director for the Purdue Wine Grape Team and Executive Director of the Vintage Indiana Festival, I highly recommend you make plans to be in Indianapolis on June 6, 2015 for the biggest and best celebration of Indiana wines!

Vintage Indiana was started as a way to celebrate the role of Indiana wineries and vineyards as part of agriculture and tourism. Wineries contribute millions of dollars to the states economy and have helped to revitalize small communities around the state.

Vintage Indiana brings 30 wineries from around the state to Military Park, a city block park in downtown Indianapolis. The event is a one-stop shop for wine consumers. Guests, ages 21 and over, can pay one ticket price, receive a wine glass and sample from wineries like Oliver Winery, Easley Winery, Country Heritage Winery & Vineyards, and Rettig Hill Winery, to name only a few.

General admission tickets are good from 12 p.m – 6 p.m. and cost $25 in advance at Marsh Supermarkets or online at http://www.vintageindiana.com. Or you can purchase the tickets for $35 at the gate.

Vintage Indiana also offers an Early Admission ticket. Ticket holders can get in the event one hour early, at 11am. Guests holding the early admission ticket will receive a special wine glass, a VIP wine glass lanyard and the chance to have the best seats at the music stage. Early Admission ticket holders will also be the first in line at the wine tents and have the best chance to purchase their favorite wines.

Grape Sense LogoIf you intend to sample wine, you will want to eat at some point during the day. There are great food options, ranging from turkey drums and brats from the Indiana State Poultry Association, great pizza from Bazbeaux and Brozzini’s, and some tasty Chinese and Caribbean bites from a few of the best food trucks in Indianapolis.

Vintage Indiana celebrates art and music as well. Indiana Artisans will display their wares for sale during the festival. You can buy anything from recycled wine bottles turned into things like windows and cutting boards. Or there is jewelry that will become a staple in your wardrobe. And there are painters who showcase their beautiful canvases. Bring extra money because you will want to take some of these items home!

Vintage Indiana features great music from Indiana bands that will keep your toes tapping all day long! Jennie DeVoe, Zanna-Do and Living Proof will all take the stage to provide great sounds throughout the day.

And while the music, food and art are great, it is the outstanding wine that brings people to Vintage Indiana. 10,000 guests will celebrate the Indiana wineries and the vital role they play in our agriculture and tourism industries. Wineries will offer samples of their best Chambourcin, Traminette, Vignoles, Cabernet Franc, Rhubarb and sweet Concord wines. There is a wine for those who have never tried wine before. And there are wines for those who consider themselves connoisseurs.

Indiana’s wineries and vineyards are just as much part of agriculture as corn, soybeans, hogs and cattle. Our industry may not take up as many acres as the corn and soybean fields you see dotting the countryside, but are all still farmers! And our wineries want to see you at Vintage Indiana on June 6!

Jeanette Merritt is the Marketing Director for the Purdue Wine Grape Team and Executive Director of the Vintage Indiana Wine Festival. She can be reached at jkmerritt@purdue.edu

Visiting Two Different Indiana Wineries

09 Monday Mar 2015

Posted by in Indiana, Newspaper Column 2015

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Carpenter Creek Cellars and Hopwood Cellars could not be more different. Carpenter Creek, in Jasper County, sits off I-65 in north central Indiana in the midst of some of the state’s best farmland. Hopwood is just off the charming brick Main Street of Zionsville.

Grape Sense LogoOne of my goals for Grape Sense is to get to more Indiana wineries than I have in past few years. Grape Sense will offer up a take on the spots throughout 2015. And we’ll revisit some old friends too.

Carpenter Creek Cellars is a three-man partnership housed in a historic barn built in 1919. Winemaker Joe McKinney, a Purdue ag grad, poured the lineup on a blustery, snowy day in late February. The winery sets just a few miles off I-65, the Remington exit. There are enough signs to get you there.

Hopwood Cellars tasting room in converted barn.

Hopwood Cellars tasting room in converted barn.

Most of the fruit for Carpenter wines come from vineyards around Indiana and Lower Michigan. I found the Chardonel to be among the best I’ve tasted in the state. At $15.99 it was light melon and tropical fruit with a soft finish.

The biggest selling wine called Gunny – a Chambourcin/Merlot blend – was sold out. The Riesling was a bit sweet for my palate but the $14.99 Traminette was spot on. The Traminette was rich and smooth, a hint of orange, but not over the top like so many Indiana efforts with the floral grape.

The basic sweet red of Concord grapes, just $11.99, will certainly deliver for sweet wine fans. It was a tad softer and mellow than many. They also make a line of locally-sourced and seasonal fruit wines.

The bottom line, sitting in the middle of a cornfield in an old barn, the winery surprises. I was skeptical but found the wines, even the ones that don’t suit my palate, very well made. The winery has a small plot of Traminette near the old barn but McKinney would love to expand the vineyard holdings. The area feels a bit desolate on the plain but it’s some of Indiana’s richest crop property.

Hopwood Cellars, Zionsville

Hopwood Cellars, Zionsville

Hopwood Cellars isn’t much older than Carpenter Creek but certainly sets in a different environment. Hopwood, 12 E. Cedar St., is located just off the beautiful Zionsville Main Street. It has a cozy tasting room and a really wide selection of wines. Most of Hopwood’s fruit comes from Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan.

The biggest hit for me was a 100 percent bottling of Michigan Chancellor. It’s a hybrid grape known to deliver its strong fruit flavor. The dominant thing in my pour was a wonderful smoke flavor with hints of dark, dried fruit. The Bekkar, Chambourcin/Chancellor, is one of the biggest sellers. It was very nice wine with low alcohol. It wasn’t very memorable but it was quite quaffable.

The best, and most interesting white, on the Zionsville winery list was its Aefen Brucan Vidal Blanc. By the way, Aefen Brucan translates into “Have a Good Evening.” The wine would make any night better. The Vidal Blanc is grown in Indiana and has a very rich and smooth mouth feel with a buttery finish. I did taste two other whites Seyval Blanc and Chardonnay that did not live up to the quality of others on the tasting list.

Visiting two new wineries continues to affirm the quality of Indiana wine remaining on a sharp upward curve.

Buck Creek’s Older Vines Deliver

20 Friday Sep 2013

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JUST SOUTH OF INDY – Indiana now has nearly 70 wineries and I’ve visited nearly 25 of them. Three stops this year yielded a 1-2 record (in sports jargon, at least).

My first two 2013 stops yielded mediocre to undrinkable wine. I struggle to write about those out of a sense of fairness to someone’s livelihood but what value would anything I write be if I’m just a cheerleader?

So it was with trepidation I finally stopped at Buck Creek Winery visible on I-74, just south of Indianapolis. Let’s just say my faith was restored!

Jeff Durm pours in his tasting room. Yahoo.com Photo

Jeff Durm pours in his tasting room. Yahoo.com Photo

Jeff Durm retired from the Marion County Sheriff’s Department and opened the winery in 2006. But more importantly, bought the property and established the vineyard in 1991. You can see vines zipping along I-74.

Old vines make better wine – it’s pretty simple. But you still have to know what you’re doing. Jeff was a home winemaker then shadowed veteran Dr. Charles Thomas at Chateau Thomas to hone his skills.

He’s doing something right. The wines were quite good – and some were as good as any produced in the state.

I tasted the Seyval Blanc ($12.95), not to my taste but well made and estate grown. The Traminette or “Forget Me Not” ($12.15) was really solid if a bit on the sweeter side.

The reds are what really got my attention. Durm’s “Amore” or 100 percent Chambourcin was silky smooth, bigger fruit than some Indiana versions with a lighter finish. It was darn good wine at $14.95.

Durm’s William Loyd Reserve ($14.95) is a bigger version of the basic Chambourcin with two Noire grapes added in. It didn’t have the balance of the first wine but certainly had a more complex flavor.

Jeff’s Merlot sourced from California’s Mayacamas region of Napa Valley was outstanding. Dark fruit, great tannin structure from time in French and American barrels and a really good buy at $17.95.

Buck Creek has 29 wines on their tasting sheet.

Buck Creek has 29 wines on their tasting sheet.

But, shaking my head while I write this, the best of an extensive wine list was a Pinot Noir. Yes, Pinot! But wait – it gets more head shaking than that. The grapes were grown near Sunman/Batesville Indiana area. It was light in a Burgundian/Oregon style. It was 100 percent correct for the Pinot grape. It was aged one year in small French and American oak barrels. It sells for $15.95. I’m still shaking my head. I brought a bottle home to try in a few days to see if my initial impression holds up. I’ll update here.

The small but beautiful tasting room and knowledgable staff help make Buck Creek a really good stop. Jeff also makes a full line of sweet and fruit wines. He entered nearly 20 wines in the 2013 Indy International Wine Competition and won medals for all but one.

And one more note, I’ll be going back to visit with Jeff and tell more of his story. But before I left he wanted me to taste a barrel sample. Joe and his son are making a traditional Bordeaux blend of Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, Petit Sirah (from Lodi), and Merlot (Mayacamas). It was stunning. I was shocked. The grapes were from the 2010 harvest and have spent 18 months in new French oak. He only has one barrel of the wine, but I can’t wait to taste it again.