Mar 14thMonkey Hollow Winery

While in southern Indiana, we chose to visit one of Indiana’s newest wineries. After all, who could resist a winery named after a monkey. Following the posted directions down a scenic roadway, we found a lovely tasting room set in the midst of a vineyard. This early in the spring, the grapevines have not begun to turn green, but it was easy to imagine the beauty just weeks ahead. The tasting room was just as lovely and inviting inside, with a natural wooden decor. Local arts and crafts are displayed among the racks of wine. The atmosphere encourages visitors to stay for a while.

The winery is truly a family run business. Daniel and Anita Hedinger and their family planted grapevines in 2003, and opened the winery in May of 2011. From grape harvesting to corking the bottles, the family is involved in the wine making process. Though still a young winery, they are greeting many visitors and have plans for growth.

Not only does the name of the winery intrigue visitors, but the wines also have interesting names and labels. A visitor might want to try a Pasture Mark – a Catawba Rose aged in a Kentukcy bourbon barrel, or a  Ol’ Grandad made in a port style with the Chambourcin grape. The creativity is quite appealing. Visitors will be pleased they stopped by.

Mar 14thFrench Lick Winery

Spring Break means time to travel. We took a day trip to southern Indiana this week to visit our favorite Indiana winery. French Lick Winery is located in the historic town of West Baden. West Baden and neighboring French Lick were towns that grew from the popularity of the springs located there. Americans flocked to the towns in the early twentieth century to enjoy the benefits of the springs.

We discovered the towns when we made our first visit to French Lick Winery in the early 1990’s. We go back as often as we can for the same reason, the wine. The winery makes some of the finest wines in the state of Indiana. Our favorite is the Norton. A visit to French Lick Winery also includes an amazing meal at their Vintage Cafe and a shopping excursion at one of the best winery gift shops that I’ve ever seen. A bottle of wine, an exceptional pizza, and a few gift items made the trip an enjoyable way to spend a Spring Break day trip.

Mar 14thIndiana Uplands

Kudos to the wineries in southern Indiana. Indiana Uplands became an official American Viticultural Area in March of 2013. This is one of only 204 such areas in the United States. This designation recognizes the quality and the importance of the wine industry in Indiana. The geographic area is approximately 4800-square miles.  The area, marked by the remnants of an unglaciated plateau, has created a unique terroir that leaves a mark on the wine grapes that grow in the area.

Wineries in the United States show the geographic pedigree of their wine by noting on the label the specific AVA where the grapes were grown. American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) were established by the United States Government to guarantee to buyers that 85% of the grapes making the wine they are buying comes from a specific geographic area. Again, congratulations to Indiana’s southern wineries, especially to those wineries who have worked so hard in the last few years to obtain this recognition.