A taste of sophistication

It is not as experienced as Bordeaux or as popular as Napa Valley, but Southern Indiana does have a prosperous wine region. In fact, Indiana was the first successful wine-producing state in the country, said Jim Butler of Butler Winery. The first commercial U.S. commercial wine-making operation began in Switzerland County in 1802.\nAlthough the growing season is shorter in Indiana because of the state's hot summer nights, the wine growing region, known as the Uplands, has a climate similar to that of Napa Valley, Calif.\nSeveral wineries are rooted in the Uplands region due to its climate. Wine enthusiasts can now visit a selection of those wineries on the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail, a tour featuring seven different purveyors. On the trail, travelers visit Carousel, Butler, French Lick, Huber, Oliver, Turtle Run and Winzerwald Wineries.\nThe region, which runs from the Monroe/Morgan County line to the Ohio River, is the result of an unglaciated plateau left from the ice age. The topography and climate make for a unique character of grapes and wine. The region is about 110 miles from north to south and stretches between Jasper and Dubois at its greatest distance from east to west.\nHuber Winery, Indiana's largest wine-grape producer, was established in 1978 by the descendants of Simon Huber, a fruit grower and wine maker from Baden, Germany. Huber began his southern Indiana farm in 1843 on 80 acres. The winery has now expanded to more than 600 acres, including 100 acres of apple orchards, 50 of peach orchards, 50 of strawberries and 52 of grape vineyards. Located 14 miles north of Louisville, Ky., Huber offers a farmers' market, bakery, petting zoo, special events services, as well as tours and tastings.\nThe most recent addition to the Uplands region is Carousel Winery. Located in Bedford, just south of Bloomington, Carousel opened in 2003 and is already selling wines faster than they can bottle them. \n"We haven't been able to make enough," said owner Sue Wilson. "We just re-bottled the cherry and raspberry."\nCarousel currently makes wines with grapes from outside growers. Wilson said the Carousel will not begin producing grapes for two more years. At that time, she said she hopes to offer visitors a tasting of the grapes, as well as the wine made from them.\nThe Carousel theme is present on the labels of each of the winery's eight varieties.\n"We just wanted to have a name that people could easily remember -- a happy name," Wilson said.\nFor William Oliver, winemaking began as a hobby and progressed into a commercial operation with the opening of Oliver Winery in 1972. Located just north of Bloomington on State Road 37, the winery grows some of its own grapes but also purchases some from outside growers. Oliver's biggest selling wine is the Camelot Mead, a semi-sweet wine made from honey. \nVisitors to the Oliver Winery can take advantage of their free summer concerts every Saturday on the patio. Free wine tasting is also an option as the Oliver Winery has free wine tasting for all of its wines. \nAnother Bloomington Winery, Butler, is located 10 minutes from the northeast side of town and also has a tasting room in Bloomington on North College Avenue. Butler is the fourth oldest operating winery in Indiana. According to some of Butler's wine makers, most of the wine is made in stainless steel tanks, allowing the flavor of the grape to stand out and making for a crisp finish.\nButler offers cellar tours, and because its vineyard is located next to the winery, guests have an opportunity to picnic and explore the property. \nThere are several wineries to explore outside the Uplands region as well. Indiana is home to 27 commercial wineries and more than 275 acres of grapes. Grapes are harvested from late August to early October in Indiana.\n"The Ohio Valley goes way back in wine-making," said Butler of Butler Winery.\nButler said the outlook for this season's grape harvest is good. \n"We had enough rain, but not too much rain, so we should have a pretty good crop this year," he said.\n-- Contact staff writer Brittany Terwilliger at bterrwill@indiana.edu.