Tasting Notes: Grape Inspirations

I was up in the Carmel area this weekend, and found time to check out Grape Inspirations Winery. Those of you familiar with Grape Inspirations know it not only as a winery, but a place where you can make your own wine. Better than that, Grape Inspirations will actually store the carboys for you while the wine ferments. Great little niche and a nice business model perfect for an urban winery.

The winery is tucked into a Carmel strip mall and is nondescript from the outside. The inside has a pretty small tasting bar and then an area to the right to sit and enjoy a glass of wine. I was also immediately struck by something that was missing-the overwhelming amount of wine related merchandise every winery seems to stock these days. While there were Vinvacs and a few other essentials, missing were the massive amounts of grape pattern potholders, trivets, and toilet paper (okay, I made that last one up) present at every other winery.

As I sidled up to the tasting bar, I was greeted by a courteous staff. I was then handed the wine list. It stretched 3 pages, and listed 45 wines. That's 10 more than Oliver. The sheer breadth of that list is something to admire. As to whether it is wise from a business standpoint is a decision for the owners and their accountants. As a customer, even someone fairly knowledgeable, it was overwhelming and a touch frustrating.

I also noticed the relatively high price point for an Indiana winery. Almost every wine retails north of $15. The lowest priced was $14.50. The Carmel surcharge, I suppose.

I did manage to taste several varieties, and here are some quick impressions.

Chardonnay/Semillon ($15.99) Nice blend that highlights the buttery notes of the Chardonnay well. I also noted light honey. The taste was sharp but reasonably rounded. Good wine, but a little pricy for the quality.

Showcase Pinot Grigio ($15.99) Light aromatics of peach and apple. I enjoyed the finish on this and it would make a good sipping wine.

Classic Riesling ($14.99) Great orange notes, but the orange aroma overwhelms everything else. Noted honeysuckle and pears on the tongue. Good finish.

Bella Bianco ($15.99) I meant to ask what variety this was, but I couldn't get the splinters out of my mouth from the excessive oak. Not pleasant.

Showcase Chianti Reserva ($15.99) The last vintage of this wine, as it was not selling well compared to others. I enjoy Chianti, but could see why it has not been selling. A somewhat bland blend with slight raspberry notes that falls apart even further on the tongue.

Tropical Blue ($14.99) This is a blend of blueberry, pomegranate, and white merlot. I don't know of another Indiana winery that is making pomegranate wine, which I suppose should be commended. Regardless, the wine tasted of watered down pomegranate juice or a light blend of pomegranate and vodka. It also reminds me of those cocktails that have alcohol, but you don't realize it until you've had three or four and you're drunk.

Ruby Divine ($14.50) This is a pink grapefruit blush. Again, grapefruit wine is unique to this Hoosier winery, but I was not impressed. But then again, I dislike grapefruit. I suppose if you do, and think that grapefruit is appropriate for wine making, you might like this.

Passporte ($16.99) This winery's version of standard port is indistinguishable from other ports at lower price points.

Showcase Old Wine Zinfandel ($17.99) Blackberry and pepper, but the pepper doesn't overwhelm you like some Zins. Nice and full-bodied. The wine tasted like it has been aged, but the staff told me it was bottled 3 months prior. Nice cherry and currant flavors as well. One of my favorite tastes of the afternoon.

There were numerous others I would have been happy to taste, but the sheer volume of the list is truly overwhelming. The samples I did taste were uneven, but I suppose that is to be expected with 45 wines. I did enjoy that the winery is using grapes that others are not, but I also question some of their fruit choices. I will say that everyone can something they like at Grape Inspirations.

EDIT: In the comments, Stacy notes that unless things have changed, most of the wine comes from juice kits. This makes a lot of sense. I wasn't able to get a tour this weekend, but did notice on the wine list that nearly every wine Grape Inspirations stocks can also be made by amateur winemakers. While again, this is a nice business model, especially for aspiring winemakers, I can't imagine the quality of the juice is on par with what some of the other wineries in the area buy.

As always, I welcome anyone at Grape Inspirations to correct any of the assumptions I have made.