A Taste of What's to Come

As you can see, things are coming along here. I am slowly adding links and essential blogs. Slowly, because I don't want to do much rearranging if I change my mind on the layout. I'll share a little about some of my favorite wine blogs later, but rest assured, the blogs that you see now are excellent choices if you are looking for some great reading about wine.

But who wants to just read about wine? I don't. So I need to plan my first winery visit as blogmaster. I would like to do so this weekend, but am not sure if my trial calendar will allow it. I should know by Thursday. It will also depend if I can cajole a friend or two into joining me.

Future topics have also been circulating in my head. Among them:

Are certain wines a benchmark for overall quality?

State wineries always seem to have one mandatory fruit wine they MUST have on their wine list. You can't go to a Michigan winery without being offered a sample of their cherry wine made from local fruit. I have tasted over a dozen, and my favorite, in fact one of the few I actually enjoyed, came from the father of a very famous pop star.

In Indiana, the fruit of choice seems to be blackberry. While evaluations of one particular type or varietal only gives you a narrow view of a winery's overall range and quality, I find that a winery's blackberry wine can serve as an useful benchmark to determine indicators of note for the rest of the wine list. If a winery’s blackberry is bland, the other offerings tend not to be robust. If the blackberry is cloying, it might be a bad omen for those who dislike sugar bombs. Over the course of my winery visits, I will be looking closely at Indiana blackberry wines to see if my hypothesis is correct. It may not be-but I am always willing to try.

Similarly, certain regions are known mainly for one or two grape varietals. Think Ontario and Eiswein or the Finger Lakes and Riesling. Does Indiana have a varietal that stands out yet? Why not? Will it? I will also turn over some thoughts to what grape varietals to use for the same benchmark.

Sampling fees-Are they on the horizon?

We have been pretty lucky when we visit wineries in Indiana. I can't remember paying a sampling fee at any Hoosier Winery except for New Day Meadery, but that is understandable given their specialized product and limited availability. Contrast this to Ohio, which actually legislates a mandatory sampling fee.

But are sampling fees coming to Indiana? I have heard rumors they might be coming to certain wineries. This rumor makes sense; wineries in other states have instituted sampling fees once they felt their popularity would allow them. I'll talk about sampling fees, their future, and also discuss with vintner's their thoughts on them.

The Sympathy Bottle

Who hasn't visited a winery, found nothing to their liking (or in a few instances, anything palatable), but come out of the store with a bottle anyway? Was the owner pouring for you and making sad eyes? Was the person serving you just so nice and knowledgeable that you felt compelled to buy? Is it because you got to sample several varieties for free? Or was there some other reason?

And then, what did you do with the bottle when you got home? Gift? Dinner party? Space-filler on the wine rack? I'll discuss sympathy bottle stories and encourage you to tell your own.

Are More Distilleries in Indiana's Future?

Besides Huber's Starlight Distillery, no winery in Indiana (to my knowledge) has announced plans to form a sister distillery. Will this change? Is the industry in this state simply not mature enough yet? I'll discuss the future of distilleries in Indiana with various vintners.

Seasonal favorites

What else should we discuss this time of year? What Indiana wines will go perfectly with your holiday meal or dessert? I'll give a few selections next week.

Mulled Wines

Another seasonal topic and a niche that seems to grow every year. What's the latest in mulled wines?