Around and About

Two great posts discussing Indiana wines:

First, the Lastinger Wine Review reviews another Indiana wine, this time Creekbend's Catawba. Creekbend is Oliver's top shelf wine, and unlike Sky Dog, their "introductory" wine series, it is a noble effort. I tasted this wine pre-blog and enjoyed it, but thought it, like most Indiana Catawba I have seen lately, was overpriced. I wonder if there is a reason for this? I must say, the color of the wine, as evidenced by Stacy's photo, is certainly striking.

I also am quite intrigued by Stacy's photo of her and her husband making wine. I only ask that if she decides to start her own winery, she tells me first.

Second, Good Grape has a great post talking about Whyte Horse Winery, it's backstory, and a quick review of two of their wines, including their Traminette. As I mentioned before, I am big fan of Traminette, believe it is highly suitable for Indiana's climate, and am glad to see so many estates starting to grow it. Also great is for Whyte Horse to get some attention from a blog with the pedigree of Good Grape.

Vote for Vevay!

Budget Travel magazine is doing a feature on America's Coolest Small Towns. The only Indiana city in the running is Vevay, home of The Swiss Wine Festival. Right now, Vevay is on the bubble in 5th place, so show some support by voting here. Polls close Friday and are open from 10am to 8pm.

Hearing Scheduled to Double Indiana Excise Tax

I received the following email about the hearing scheduled on doubling the excise tax. The email was written by Lisa Hays Murray, attorney with Hays Murray Castor.

Please see the email below that Jim Purucker, representing the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers, sent out this afternoon. Since Jim does an excellent job in summarizing the alcohol tax amendment and shoring up calls in opposition, I have taken the liberty to send his email to you and ask that you and your employees join in on the calls to legislators opposing the tax.

“This Thursday, the Senate Appropriations Committee will be considering an amendment to HB 1604 which increases the excise tax on Alcohol by 100% to help fund the Marion County Capital Improvement Board shortfall caused by the Pacers, Colts and Convention Center operating losses. In and effort to gain support for the idea, the anticipated $42 million increase in alcohol taxes would be distributed statewide to cities and towns throughout Indiana on a population basis for economic development initiatives. Only Indianapolis’ portion ($8 million annually) of this increase would go to the Marion County Capital Improvement Board. Here is the membership up of the Committee. Please have your employees and customers contact their legislators to let them know what a bad idea this is. I have also attached a flyer which you can feel free to distribute to members, employees and customers. This will reach the Senate Floor sometime next week. “

Senate Appropriations Committee

Senator Luke Kenley, Chair R - Noblesville

Senator John Broden, R.M.M. D - South Bend

Senator Gary Dillon, R.M. R - Pierceton

Senator Lindel Hume D - Princeton

Senator Phil Boots R - Crawfordsville

Senator Earline Rogers D - Gary

Senator Brandt Hershman R - Monticello

Senator Karen Tallian D - Portage

Senator Teresa Lubbers R - Indianapolis

Senator Patricia Miller R - Indianapolis

Senator Ryan Mishler R - Bremen

Senator Tom Wyss R – Ft. Wayne

House Switchboard:

800-382-9842 317-232-9600

Senate Switchboard:

800-382-9467 317-232-9400

Edit: I wanted to get this post out as soon as I could, and could not write comments due to having to go to work, but can now. As the commenter notes, this bill would result not only in higher costs for consumers but in greater costs for our fledgling wine industry. This is especially true if the rumors that this will apply only to bottles of alcohol sold and not to drinks sold in taverns bears out. I hope people would take this into consideration and take the time to call their representatives to let them know their feelings about this proposal.

Reader Mail

Back for an another episode of reader mail. As always, please write me with any questions you have about Indiana wines at indianawineblog@gmail.com. Questions may be edited for clarity or length. As always, please don't ask me for legal advice.

Which Indiana winery is the most influential?

I hate to pick a doctor over a lawyer, but this question is easy. Chateau Thomas. Oliver may be bigger, and it is certainly the one the casual Hoosier wine drinker knows, but Dr. Thomas and his crew have the influence. His commitment to European techniques and blends have made many serious oenophiles who would not have given Indiana wines a second thought converts. And no matter what you were saying about those diet wines, you were saying something. He got people talking about Indiana wines in a way no has before. If Indiana has a Robert Mondavi, it is Dr. Thomas.

I would note that if one talks to other Indiana winemakers, both Mr. Oliver and Dr. Thomas have been selfless in their mentoring of aspiring winemakers. Without their help, many successful wineries would not have made it.

What are some good spots in Indy to buy wine? Not necessarily Indiana wine, but wine in general.

Another easy question. Mass Ave Wine Shoppe and Cork and Cracker are two in Indy proper. Both have great customer service and a very knowledgeable and fun staff. In both you can walk in, tell the staff what you want the wine for, and instantly get a great recommendation. Both also specialize in wines under $15.

I would give Mass Ave the edge because it also has tables where you can order a light meal or a cheese tray. You can also buy a bottle of wine there at retail, open it up with no corkage fee, and drink it with friends. A great (and dare I say cheap) way to enjoy wine and some food. They also have wine tastings, psychic reading, and language lessons.

Cork and Cleaver doesn't have the dining space, nor the tastings (they have them at an off-site restaurant), but I like their near Broad Ripple location as well as the things I mentioned earlier.

Kahn's is also close to me, and I generally go there when I buy liquor (and they have the best selection of Indiana wines), but I find their customer service to be spotty at best, though this has improved somewhat after the recent corporate shakedown. I've noticed that when I ask for for wine recommendations at Kahn's, instead of specific wines, I tend to get varietal selections. When I do get a specific recommendation, I've noticed they tend to steer me towards the higher priced selections. Understandable from a business perspective, but not from a customer service one.

I know there are some good ones on the Northside, but I rarely get that way.

What do you do when the one you love doesn't love wine?

Love someone else. Seriously, I can relate to this perfectly. It gets particularly frustrating when you end up pouring wine out not because you didn't enjoy it, but because you simply couldn't finish it all before the wine petered out.

But look at the bright side-you don't have to share!

Review: Butler Winery Blueberry

In the ongoing agony and ecstasy I feel in my battle with fruit wines, I opened my bottle of Butler Winery's Blueberry this week. This retails at the winery for $11.95, but I managed to get it in a closeout bin at Kroger for $5.50. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have tried this wine otherwise, since I am not a big fan of blueberry wine. In fact, of all the more common fruit wines that pop up on Indiana wine lists, blueberry is my least favorite, by a considerable distance. I have gone so far as to say it is pretty much unsuitable for even a dessert wine. Still, I am not one to pass up a bargain, especially one I can make a blog post about it.

I served the wine slightly chilled, and noticed a nose of currants and cocoa. Upon tasting, the wine was surprisingly dry and did not have the cloying factor I anticipate when I taste blueberry wine. It reminded me of some of the lighter bodied reds. Blueberries are on the palate, but this wine does not adamantly betray its source, instead giving snippets of multitude of berries, plus plums. And I have never tasted a blueberry wine with tannins, but this one has it, though the quantity is pleasant and not overwhelming.

On the second day, the wine mellowed some under the Vinvac, but the differences in taste were marginal. The tannins mellowed slightly, making the wine as good as, if not better than, the second day.

One rave I can give to this wine is that I finished the whole bottle, something I struggle to do with fruit wines. The other I can give is that this is not only the best Indiana blueberry I have tasted, it the only blueberry wine I have tasted from anywhere that does the berry any justice.

In writing this article, I went to the website, and learned that the blueberries come from Northern Indiana. I also learned this is Butler's biggest seller. I can see why.

The Banning of Chateau

By now, everyone who follows wine has heard about the boneheaded idea by the EU to ban the use of certain words on foreign wines sold in EU member countries. The words that would be banned are "chateau, classic, cream, crusted/crusting, fine, late bottled vintage, noble, ruby, superior, sur lie, tawny, vintage, and vintage character."

Well, what do Indiana wineries think about this? Who better to ask than one of the deans of Indiana wine, Dr. Charles Thomas of Chateau Thomas Winery for his thought on the proposal. Dr. Thomas emailed me his thoughts:

My opinion is that I was not upset by the EU’s move several years ago to set aside names of places, regions, etc., such as Burgundy, Chablis, Port, etc. because these are places with unique identity that should be respected. But I think attempts to ban the entire French language is taking it too far. So, I can’t have a ”rendezvous” with my wife, or put “mayonnaise” on my sandwich, or have “hors d’oeuvres” before dinner, or keep the name Versailles, IN or study American “cuisine.” If the United States Government started banning French businesses whose names or products contain English names, we would have a real trade war on our hands.


My choice of the name “Chateau” as my winery name 25 years ago was intended to be complimentary to the French as well as to suggest the style of wine I produce. I have been to France more than a dozen times. I currently have a French oenology exchange student working at my winery. I love the French people, although the government has problems (as does ours). I draw the line, however, with this proposed ban."


I couldn't have said it better than the good Doctor.

Are You Going to the Indiana Wine Fair?

If not, why? The summer wine festival season is heating up in just a month, and this promises to be a good one. Even better, there shouldn't be any awful Indiana humidity that early.

The basic facts, from the website:

Who: Nearly every Indiana winery

Doing What: Doling out one-ounce pours to an appreciative public

When: April 25, 2009 – 12:30-7:00 pm

Where: Under three tents at the Old Barn, Story Inn. 6404 S. SR 135, 13 miles south of Nashville, IN. Click here for directions.

Admission: Only $15.00 in advance BUY TICKETS HERE! $20 at the gate. Admission also buys a Story Inn wine glass keepsake, several gifts and a chance to win prizes!.

Parking is free, dress is casual, and the event will go on, rain or shine!

WEATHER IS NOT A FACTOR. All tasting will be under shelter.

For more information call (800) 881-1183

This promises to be another great event. I could write more, but there is already this great article written by Barbara Keck over at WineBizNews.