Green Acres is the place for me...

The vineyard at Madison Vineyards

Estate Winery and Bed & Breakfast

I have recently had the good fortune of being introduced to a local southern Indiana winery called Turtle Run, which is located in Corydon, IN, just 25 minutes from downtown Louisville. Knowing my interest in wine and local producers, my friends decided to take me there as something different to do on a Sunday afternoon. This has, in turn, further peaked my interest in the local winery market, hence this current entry.

Now that you are armed with information about the local grape varietals (assuming you read my previous entry), I send you forth to the wineries themselves and to special events taking place year round in the lovely Kentuciana area.

First, a little history about grape growing in Kentucky and Indiana. In 1798, a European settler named Jean Jacques du Four planted the first Kentucky Vineyard. In fact, the first commercial vineyard was started in Kentucky and by 1860 Kentucky was the third largest grape producing state producing more than half the nation's output at that time. The War Between the States and Prohibition were enough to kill grape production in Kentucky until state legislation in 1990 set up a Grape Industry Advisory Committee (GIAC), through whose efforts a Kentucky Farm Winery Law was enacted with favorable provisions for establishing wineries. Today, through a cost-share program supported by the State of Kentucky's Vineyard Assistance Program, over 250 acres of grapes have been planted in Kentucky and the grape industry in Kentucky is experiencing a renaissance. For more information check out the Kentucky Vineyard Society's history page.

The very same Dufour that planted the 1st vineyard in Kentucky was also the first to plant wine grapes in Indiana. He had been sent by his family to scout the best possible place to start a Swiss colony devoted to wine making. He took cuttings of the Cape grape to plant at the new site that would later become Vevay, Indiana. The Cape grapes planted at Vevay proved to be the basis for the first successful wine production in the United States. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s wineries dotted the Indiana countryside. Both banks of the Ohio River were lined with vineyards, earning the nickname the “Rhineland of America.” Indiana was the tenth largest grape producing state in the country until Prohibition. From the end of Prohibition to the early 1970’s, the wine industry in Indiana nearly disappeared. It was revitalized with the Small Winery Act of 1971, which allowed wineries to sell directly to the public rather than through wholesalers. Today, Indiana’s wine industry has not only seen a renaissance, but is thriving with 33 wineries in the state. Thirteen of these wineries are located in southern Indiana, nine of which are within an hours' drive from downtown Louisville. For more information on the history of viticulture in Indiana, go to the Indiana University Press site. (Although, there appears to be some discrepancy about thewhich state had the first commercial vineyard in the States. I believe Indiana had the first successful commercial vineyard, while Kentucky had the first official commercial vineyard.)

Here are some sites that I found informative for various reasons. I would love to include links to all the individual wineries, but for the sake of time and space I'm not. However, you should be able to find most, if not all, through the links below:

1. Kenucky Vineyard Society - an excellent up to date listing of Kentucky wineries, as well as info about the society and Kentucky wine growing history.
2. Appellation America-Kentucky - offers info on wineries, varietals, maps, etc.
3. The Kentucky Wine and Vine Fest - info about this annual festival.
4. Wineries of Indiana - this site has everything about Indiana wine growing, events, competitions, history, you name it.
5. Indiana Wine - another great site with lots of info and great links.
6. Vintage Indiana - an annual wine and food festival.
7. Swiss Wine Festival - another annual wine festival celebrating wines from the region.
8. Indiana Uplands Wine Trail - great info on southern Indiana wineries and events, and of course info about the trail. Indiana even has a wine trail! Very impressive.

Forget the diet, I will be at the Wine and Chocolate Lover's Weekend held February 11th and 12th along the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail. This is a great way to celebrate Valentine's Day with that someone special. Or like me, just as an excuse to eat chocolate and drink wine. Two of my favorite inventions. The March Gladness sounds fabulous too. Details on both of these events and many others can be found by checking into the local wineries web sites.

Many of the wineries host special events on their our as well. They may have food, live music, special sales, free on-site tastings, tours and any number of amenities. Some even have B&B's on site or are located near historic towns with other opportunities to explore nearby. You could make a weekend of it.

Be there or be... well you know.

image by Sally Minker at www.sallyminker.com