Tag Archives: Traminette

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.

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.

Easley’s Traminette Tops Indy Competition

08 Saturday Aug 2015

Posted by in Indiana, Midwestern States, Newspaper Column 2015

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Approximately half of Indiana’s wineries sell a Traminette wine. Wine lovers can find the very sweet to bone dry examples of floral wine in stores and tasting rooms from north to south.

Grape Sense LogoThe hybrid wine grape may have won its crowning achievement in early August at Purdue University when Easley Winery’s 2014 Traminette was named the competition’s 2015 Wine of the Year.

Before writing off the honor as just another ribbon or contest understand the Indy competition is one of the nation’s largest. Wines arrive from 40 states and 12 countries. More than 2,100 wines are tasted during the event.

Indiana recorded 316 medals during the competition. Huber Winery, Starlight, In., was again the Governor’s Cup winner for most awards. Ted Huber was the 2014 Winemaker of the Year. But others had a big showing as well. Country Heritage and Vineyards, near Fort Wayne, took home more than 20 ribbons along with the Indiana Farm Winery of the Year award. French Lick Winery won 19 awards. Turtle Run had its best showing with two ‘Best of Class” winners, two double golds, and two golds. You can find a link for all Indiana awards here.

But after all the awards judges taste the best of the best and selected the Easley Traminette as the show’s best-made wine. The downtown Indianapolis-based winery has been on a roll with the state’s signature grape.

Ryan Robertson, cellar crew, Blake Loudermilk, grower relations, Jeff Martin, winemaker, Mark Easley, Nathan Schaefer, production manager.

Ryan Robertson, cellar crew, Blake Loudermilk, grower relations, Jeff Martin, winemaker, Mark Easley, Nathan Schaefer, production manager.

The 2014 wine won a gold medal at the 2015 Mid-American Wine Competition in Iowa, a double gold at the 2015 Tasters Guild International in Michigan, and a gold at the Great Lakes Great Wine competition in Michigan.

“Back in 2009 we really got behind growing and making Traminette wines,” said second generation winemaker and owner Mark Easley. “Our first Traminette grapes came out of the Kauffman Vineyards in Posey County. The vineyard was owned by our winemaker Jeff Martin’s grandfather, Harley Kauffman. When we saw how well it grew in Indiana, and the fact it was going to become the signature grape of Indiana, it was a no brainer.”

Today the Traminette grapes come from four vineyards all within 300 miles of downtown Indianapolis. “All of our grapes are planted on at least two farms so that we always have grapes even in a frost year,” Easley explained. The farms are located in Harmony, Indiana, Jennings County, Berrien County, Michigan, and Yates County in New York.

Easley produces approximately 2,500 cases of Traminette annually. Some wine or juice is sold off to eight Indiana wineries. Traminette has done so well for Easley he continues to plant. “We’ve been planting one to five acres of Traminette at three of our four farms each year over the last five years.”

Ribbons and medals help sell wine. Easley’s wife Meredith heads up marketing efforts. “Wines that are presented in a tasting room with gold medals typically get tasted more often than those with a lesser medal or none at all,” she said. She explained wine drinkers realize medals come from judges with expertise and background to determine well-made wines.

Meredith Easley said awards validate quality in the vineyard and winemaking. But the goal in the tasting room is to always find the wine a taster likes.

The Easley name is familiar in Hoosier supermarkets like Kroger, Marsh and Mejier particularly with their Raggae line of sweet wines. Their award winning Traminette can be found in many of the same stores.

In the next Grape Sense, Easley will talk about what it takes in the vineyard and winery to make his award winning Traminette.

wine-tramHoward’s take on Easley Traminette: The wine is known for its floral nose and taste with apricot and even honey on the palate. For wine purists, it’s most often compared to Gewurztraminer. While too many Indiana wineries let the grapes stay on the sweet to very-sweet style, Easley’s award winning wine is far more restrained. The approach makes the wine more drinkable for those without a palate for sweet wines. (SRP $13.95)

In Vineyard at Harvest is an Education

16 Monday Sep 2013

Posted by in Indiana

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Worker framed

A harvest worker reaches through the thick vines to grab this bunch of Indiana Traminette.

STARLIGHT, IN. – The Monday overcast morning wasn’t necessarily the idyllic setting many wine enthusiasts vision for fall harvest. There is this romantic notion of Napa-like sunny skies, smiles and the colors of fall and wine grapes.

All of that holds true, to an extent, in Southern Indiana but a day in the vineyard during harvest quickly brings the realization that harvest is hard work. It’s hectic, its difficult, and it’s rushed – because it has to be to make fine wine.

Ted Huber scooping out stems.

Ted Huber scooping out stems.

Ted Huber, Indiana’s largest vineyard owner, was kind enough to let me hang out today. I shot a ton of photos. Here is the album of more than 30 shots.

I’ve been telling people for a long time that you learn about great wine in the vineyard and not the winery. And it couldn’t possibly be more true than walk the vineyard during harvest then watch the fruit being delivered to the production facility.

All of the workers, along with Ted, were great  explaining the process and what they do during this incredibly busy time of the year.

I’m headed back up the hill to Huber’s Tuesday morning. This will be a shorter visit but they’re probably doing some bottling – something I’d like to see. Maybe buy some peaches or something!

Lafayette’s Wildcat Creek Thriving

21 Sunday Apr 2013

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Tasting500LAFAYETTE, IN. – Rick and Kathy Black’s Wildcat Creek Winery is in it’s fourth year just off I-65 on the east side of Lafayette. And saying ‘just off of’ couldn’t be more accurate. Coming around the old house which now houses the tasting room, you pick up hints of trailer-truck exhaust and hint of the sound of cars zooming up and down between Indianapolis and Chicago.

cherryLabelIt was a nice short drive for a Sunday afternoon but visitors must access a country road west of I-65 and follow it a mile or so to find the winery. Once there the unassuming farmhouse gives way to a simple but nicely decorated tasting room.

The staff was a lot of fun and welcoming but didn’t have a lot of knowledge about the wines. I don’t expect all tasting room workers, especially in Indiana, to be able to talk about malolactic fermentation, barrel selection, and the fermentation process of each wine – but I think they should be able to answer what grapes are in each of the wines and where the grapes are grown. And if they can’t that’s ok but put such information on the tasting notes.

I did not call in advance nor attempt to set up an interview with owners. I will try to follow up and do so. I always like my first experience at any winery, especially in Indiana, to be a cold call. I want the same experience the average consumer has when visiting.

The wine is made from juice, not fruit, purchased in Indiana and Southern Michigan. And frankly, for serious wine people that should be a red flag. With that being said, the wines were consistent with mid-level pack Indiana wineries. They seemed balanced but some of the flavors were off and hard for my palate to pinpoint.

They do a Lafayette Red which is similar to almost all Indiana concord wines, though not as sweet. The sweet red was nice. The Traminette was balanced and won a double gold medal at the Indy International Wine Competiton. It was definitely on the sweeter side but not cloying so! It’s a great representation of Indiana’s signature grape. The Aunt Minnie’s Cherry Tree wine was pretty yummy. I’m not a big fruit wine guy, obviously, but it was nice! Most of the wines ranged $13-$15.

Entrance350The Chambourcin was odd in that it was quite tart and herbal but not in a bad way.  I prefer the Pinot Noir-like versions often produced in Southern Indiana. Some people will like this ‘different’ version with a sharper edge. As a matter of fact, the young tasting room attendant told me the winemaker didn’t like traditional versions and wanted to make his different. But she couldn’t tell me what “different” meant for Wildcat Creek.

They also offer two dry wines – Peter’s Mill White and Prophet’s Rock Red. The white was a blend of Seyval and Vidal Blanc. The red was a blend of Marchel Foch and De Chaunac. Mark another grape off my list of 100 because I had never tasted De Chaunac not heard of it. It’s a hybrid red wine grape grown across the northern states and Canada.

I salute any Indiana winemaker trying to do really dry wines and experimenting with new grapes. The Peter’s Mill and Rock Red didn’t work for me but probably will for others and sell well for the Tippecanoe County winery.

A nice group of, what appeared to be, Purdue students wandered in as I exited. The nice tasting room folk said traffic has been good!

Wildcat Creek is not a destination winery but fills a void in North Central Western Indiana. And its location just off busy I-65 makes it a convenient. I’d love to hear feedback from others who may have visited!