Know your Wine Terminology: House Wine

A winery may have a wine which they call their "house wine". This wine will often be among the winery's most popular wines. This wine is often blended by the winery. Often, the wine will not have a year vintage, as it will often be blended over several years to obtain as consistent taste as possible.

While every winery won't explicitly label their "house wines" as such, its easy to spot. In a grocery store, the house wine is often the only wine the store will carry. For Oliver winery, their "Soft" wines could be considered their house wines. For Brown County Winery, their "Vista" brand of wines could be considered their house wines. In the Midwest, the house wine is often a Semi-Sweet wine.

House wines can offer some interesting tastes, but often nothing overly complex or exotic. These make good wines to drink every day, but could also be considered for a party too due to their economy and broad appeal.

What I'm Drinking: Brown County Winery Traminette

In mid-May this year, we took a family trip to Nashville, Indiana. Nestled in the 'Little Smokies' in the Hoosier National Forest, Nashville has been an artist colony for around 100 years. There are numerous shops in town and a number of Inns. Also in town are two tasting rooms, one for Chateau Thomas and for Brown County Winery. On our trip I stopped at the Brown County Winery's tasting room to try a glass of their Traminette. Impressed with the taste, I bought a bottle to have at home.

This is much like other Traminette's I've tried. It retains the spiciness common to Gewurztraminner.

When opening the bottle, it had a sharp taste to it, not unlike the taste salsa gets after sitting in the fridge for months. But after the wine was opened for a day or two, the taste mellowed and was like I had remembered from the wine tasting. It seems my bottle just needed some time to breath.

Overall, a decent balance for a white wine. For a $10 to $15 bottle, I'd rate this at 75 out of 100. While I think this wine was on par with Easley's Traminette, it's not quite as good as Creekbend's Traminette.

Acid: 2/5

Alcohol: 3/5

Sweet: 2/5

Tannins: 0/5

What I'm Drinking: Forbidden Fruit Moscato

Another bottle of wine that I brought to the Symphony on the Prairie was Forbidden Fruit Moscato from St. Julian winery. I found this bottle in a central Indiana Kroger's store. When browsing for a bottle of wine it meet my two main criteria: it was less than $10 and it had a screw cap. When you have wine at a picnic, screw cap bottles mean one less item to bring and keep track of.

This bottle exceeded my expectations and turned to be an unexpected favorite. It has a nice tropical fruit aroma with a hint of citrus. The wine was ideally suited for the setting; a cool summer evening picnic on the lawn listening to good music.

The wine was not overly sweet with a nice bite of acidity and low level of alcohol. In all, it was a nice, refreshing wine.

Overall, this was a nicely balanced wine. As a sub $10 wine, I'd rate it at 80 out of 100.

Acidity: 3/5

Alcohol: 2/5

Sweet: 2/5

Tannins: 0/5

Brookstone Wine Pump

There are a number of ways to preserve a bottle of wine for later use. The simplest is to recork the bottle, but this method only buys one a couple of days. At the other end of the spectrum are devices which insert inert gas into the bottle before sealing, By replacing the oxygen with a gas which will not react with the wine, the wine's taste is preserved.

Another option is to create a vacuum inside the bottle by removing the oxygen altogether. There are a number of Wine pumps on the market. While not as expensive as inert gas devices, these devices can get pricey. But one such wine pump I found was cheap, and modestly effective.

Brookstone, a company which makes various gift items for Christmas and year round markets a Wine Pump that I found one day. For about $10, this is a manual wine pump. To operate, one firmly places the wine pump on the bottle and pushes down repeatedly to remove the air from the bottle. There is also a slot with number intended to be used to indicate the day the bottle was opened, but I have found this difficult to accomplish.

For a few dollars more than a normal wine stopper, one can have a wine stopper which can help preserve the wine. It's hard to gauge how much the wine pump helps, but with my last bottle, I noticed little difference in the taste during the first week or so the bottle was opened. As a present for a wine lover, or as a new wine gadget to test out, at around $10, there's not much to lose with this device.

What I'm Drinking: Brown County Winery Vista Red

Hidden away in the forest of Brown County lies Brown County Winery. Their most popular Red wine is the Vista Red.

In the spectrum of Semi-Sweet Red wines, this one is a little more complex than Oliver Wineries Red, yet a little more simple than French Lick's Table Red. Its a balanced wine with the tones of acid, alcohol, sweetness, and tannins all at about the same level. As with most other Red Table wines from the Midwest, this is made with Concord grapes and has the distinct grape jam aroma to it.

This bottle was a delight to drink. As a sub $10 bottle, it's a nice every day bottle of wine. I'd rate it as similar Semi-sweet Reds I've tasted at 75/100.

Acid: 2/5

Alcohol: 3/5

Sweet: 3/5

Tannins: 2/5

What I'm Drinking: St. James Winery - Velvet Red

On a cool, summer afternoon, with scattered showers in the area, I picked up a bottle of Velvet Red from St. James Winery to enjoy at a picnic at Symphony on the Prairie. In the same vein as other Midwest wineries, this House wine is a semi-sweet. While not as sweet as Oliver Wineries offering, this wine is more complex and fragrant. 

The aroma is fruity, with a slight earthy quality to it. 

The wine itself is sweet, but not overly so like other wines. The Acids and Tannins in the wine play a nice 1, 2 to the sweetness. The alcohol level is low (at 10%), leaving a fairly clean after taste with little bite.

The wine has a light-body with a deep violet hue.

Perhaps it was the setting when I first opened this bottle, but the wine has this bright, summer like air to it. For a sub $10 bottle of wine, I'd rate the bottle 80 out of 100.

Acid: 3/5

Alcohol: 2/5

Sweet: 3/5

Tannins: 3/5

Symphony on the Prairie

Each Summer, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra puts on a number of shows at an outdoor museum called Conner Prairie. The Museum itself is quite amazing, featuring outdoor areas with employees in period costume from the early Pioneer days to the Civil War. But the symphonies are what I really enjoy. About half of the concerts are performed by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra while the other half are performed by other groups, such as the River City Brass Band.

This year, I was fortunate enough to attend 3 concerts. At these concerts, outside food and drinks are permitted, including alcohol. At each of the three concerts, I've tried a different wine. First was St. James Velvet Red. Second was Forbidden Fruit - Moscato from St. Julian wineries. The final wine was Raggae Red from Easley Winery.

The stores at Conner Prairie sell a number of picnic and wine accessories in case while there's a beer and wine tent at the symphony itself for those who forget the wine (or run out).

In the Midwest, 2013 was a mild summer with only a few days above 90 this year. The evenings on the lawn were cool and the bugs were surprisingly inactive. But why is it that a glass of wine in my house can be out for 5 minutes and attract a bug, yet I can drink 2 full glasses of wine before a bug finds my drink?

What I'm Drinking: French Lick Red Table Wine

One of a number of wines I received for Christmas was French Lick Red Table Wine. As a table wine, its jammy flavor works well with some of the simple dishes I make during the week after work.

This wine is clear, un-aged, and has a light purple hue. It has a strong aroma of grape jam, so I was unsurprised to find on the back label that the wine is made from Concord grapes. It has a low acidity and a medium-low alcohol content from what I can taste. The wines body is dominated by its sweetness, which is semi-sweet, and the tannins, which are present, yet far from overwhelming.

The wine is made at the French Lick Winery in French Lick, Indiana. Despite the odd name, French Lick and its sister town, West Baden, have a rich history. Its heyday was in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when it was known for its mineral waters and catered to the well-to-do with spas and other amenities, including a casino. Today, French Lick and West Baden are still a destination, but of a different sort with Train Rides, bowling, horseback riding, go karts, hiking, an indoor water park, and of course, a casino. My wife and I have made a few trips to French Lick and while it might not have the glitz of Las Vegas, it also doesn't come with the big price tag.

I've found the 'French Lick Red Table Wine' a refreshing wine. And at the sub $10 price range, this wine offers simple yet pleasant tastes. Overall, given the price range, I'd rate this wine a 70 out of 100.

 

Sweet: 4/5

Alcohol: 2/5

Tannins: 2/5

Acidity: 1/5

Know Your Grapes: Concord

There's roughly 70 different grapes grown in the Midwest cultivated for wine production. This time we look at a versatile grape, the Concord.

(From arvindgrover via Flickr)

First cultivated in Concord, Massachusetts, today the Concord grape is among the most versatile grapes around. Grape juice, grape jelly and candy can all be made from the Concord grape. Concord grapes are also used as a table grape, meaning they are eaten raw alone or in a fruit salad. Uncommonly, it is used to make wine.

Given that the Concord grape is used to make Grape juice, one might conclude that the wine would have a similar taste. Judging from the taste of Oliver Wineries Sweet Red, which is made from the grape, you would be correct. This particular wine has a simple taste that is on the sweet side and the taste is reminiscent of grape juice.

The Concord grape is a member of the Vitis Labrusca species, one of a number of grape varieties native to North America. V. labrusca is commonly referred to as a Fox grape A fox grape does not refer to the animal of the same name, but instead is a reference to the aroma and taste of these grapes, which have a muskiness. According to a few resources online, the first reference to 'Fox Grapes' comes from 1622 in a letter written by John Bonceil titled 'His Majesties Gracious Letter to the Earle of South-Hampton'. John was living in Virginia at the time and writing about a number of different topics. In this letter, he describes the grape has been used to make a very sweet red wine. Despite the early reference, the ultimate source of the term is unknown and a number of theories abound. Regardless, Fox Grapes are a staple of Midwestern grapes as they are uniquely suited to grow here with our hot summers and cold winters.

All said, the Concord is a good grape for juice, jelly, and sweets, but can be disappointing in a wine to wine experts. As someone who started drinking wine with a bottle of Soft Red, I can attest that it creates 'gateway' bottles for novice or amateur wine drinkers to taste and later attempt more serious wines.

Know your Wine Terminology: Table Wine

Many wines have special uses. Sparkling and Champagne wines are often used for celebrations. Gluhwein is a type of mulled wine suitable for cold winter days. Icewine and dessert wines are best paired with sweet dessert dishes. In the United States, when we speak of Table Wine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_wine), we speak of a wine which is not sparkling and which is not fortified. Table wine, such as 'French Lick Red Table Wine' is often labelled without indication of the varietal. A table wine might be a wineries special blend of wine from a variety of grapes.

In Europe, Table Wine is the lower of two official categories of wine. The higher category is 'Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_Wines_Produced_in_Specified_Regions) and must follow a large number of regulations to labelled as such. In Europe, the Table Wine designation is easier to come by. This sense of lower quality is also inferred when used in the United States as well, along with the un-sparkling and un-fortified status.

Table Wine should not be confused with Table Grapes (http://midwestwinegeek.blogspot.com/2012/12/know-your-grapes-table-vs-wine-grapes.html) which refers to grapes destined for direct consumption (as opposed to wine grapes, which are intended to be made into wine).

What I'm Drinking: Easley's Warm Mulled Wine

While the vast majority of wines should never be heated or served above room temperature, there's a small class of wines that thrive being warmed. In October I had a bottle known as Witches Brew which went wonderful on a cold fall day with its mulling spices. Today, I'm drinking a similar wine from Easley Winery, their 'Warm Mulled Wine'.

From the label, it is a mixture of a Red table wine, mulling spices, honey, apple cider, and lemon juice. Together, this makes for a wine with a medium level of tanins, low level of alcohol, a medium level of acids, and a fairly sweet wine. Its a balance that truly tastes better warmed up on the stove or in the microwave than at room temperature or served cold.

The wine itself is a dark reddish-purple hue and is well mixed. From the appearance, I would not guess that spices and other things were mixed in with the wine.

Overall, I'd rate this wine a 65 out of 100. It contains some complex tastes, but these come from the spices, honey, cider, and lemon juice and not from the wine itself. But the wine itself runs less than $10 and for the price, is a great warmed wine for a winter night.

Book Review: Wine Made Easy

At some point, everyone is a beginner. For those starting to appreciate wine, Wine Made Easy, edited by Susy Atkins, is a great start. Like one of those iconic yellow books for 'not so smart people', this book covers basic topics from the common types of grapes, popular wine regions, the different types of wine, and how to pair wine with meals. Each of the sections of the book cover important topics relevant to wines with no expectation of previous knowledge, making this a good starting point in learning more about wine.

Many of the popular grape varieties are listed and briefly described somewhere in this book. However, all of the grapes in the book are one of the old varieties of Vitis vinifera and do not include any New World grapes or hybrids between New and Old World varieties. Now whether the selection of grapes in the book is based solely on popularity or due to the old prejudices against New World grapes, its hard to miss that a great many grape varieties are not included the Delaware, the Niagara, Chambourcin, and Traminette.

Buying, storing, opening, and tasting wine are all important parts of the experience, and this book delivers a good overview of each of these steps. No book though, can teach you the full gambit of taste wine. A brief look at the Wikipedia entry of Wine tasting descriptors reveals just how complicated a wine can taste. Chemistry supports this view, as chemists have identified over 250 different chemical compounds in wine.

The unique part of this book is the chapter which covers how to read wine labels from the most popular wine making regions of France, Europe, and the New World. This chapter presents an interesting comparison between the various laws and practices of labels throughout the world. For our purposes here though, only the rules of the United States matter, which is covered briefly on one page.

Most wine is consumed not by itself, but with food as an appetizer, a dessert, or with a meal. That is why the topic of pairing wine is so common. This book covers far beyond the normal guidance of drinking red wines with red meat and white wines with white meat by breaking down which types of white wines go with which Pork with Cream and Mushrooms (a lightly oaked Chardonnay). If you serve wine for guests often at dinner parties, the tables in this section may be helpful, but with Google a click away and with many of the suggestions region specific, I'll stick to my method: choosing the wine I want to taste at the given moment.

The final section of the book covers the hazards and benefits to drinking wine. While there is around 10% of alcohol in a glass of wine (give or take a few percentage depending on the style of wine), most people can handle a glass of wine a day, though the World Health Organization recommends at least 2 alcohol free days a week. But, as research has shown through the 'J-shaped' curve, consuming a glass of wine a day can have many health benefits, including reducing risk for heart disease and by the antioxidants in red wine, can inhibit the growth of certain cancers. My personal viewpoint is that of the ancient Greeks and Romans: Ne quid nimis. Nothing in excess, or all things in moderation. An occasional glass, or the regular glass of wine is fine and can be healthy, but excessive drinking is harmful.

Overall, this book provides a great introduction of the world of wine. But, it is only that, an introduction. There are a great many other places where grapes and wine are grown and made, a great many other varieties of grapes and wine, and a great many other possible food pairings.

Wine Bottle Thermometers

While beer cans and bottles may come with special labels to indicate the correct temperature, but such a thing is rare on wine bottles. That doesn't mean there aren't thermometers to indicate the temperature of a bottle of wine, but they must be purchased separately. Just this week I found a few Kikkerland Wine Bottle Thermometers on sale at Target which indicate the temperate of the wine bottle and display the recommended temperature for different styles of wine.

This style is simple, but handy for those who might try different styles of wine. Its on the cheaper end, but the band is flexible to fit different sized wine bottles. It uses a chemical reaction to illuminate the temperature, as can be seen in the following picture:

For those who prefer a digital readout, there are many types of thermometers in this style as well. This Digital Wine Thermometer by Trudeau also contains a listing of recommended serving temperature for common styles and supports both Celsius and Fahrenheit. 

To best enjoy a glass of wine, its important that it is served at the right temperature. And whether you choose an analog or digital thermometer, either one can help ensure wine is served at the optimal temperature.

Know your Wine Terminology: French Hybrids

Since arriving in the New World, vine growers have struggled to grow European wines in America. Despite the favorable environment, native North American diseases such as black rot, Powdery Mildew and Downy Mildew would eventually destroy the vines. Other pests would also wrecked havoc on the vines, including aphids which eventually caused the the great wine blight in France. 

Over the years, many solutions to this problem have presented themselves. Some have tried to prevent or cure the diseases with little success. Others have made due with the native grape varieties such as Concorde, but the taste of American grapes can be off-putting to some. After the great wine blight in France, the idea of grafting a European variety to the roots of an American vine proved to be a popular way to fight the native diseases and pests. But another solution that has found more popularity in America than Europe is the creation of hybrid grape varieties.

Botanically, a hybrid is a man-made plant that contains varying combination of elements of the 2 parent plants. It takes many attempts to craft a hybrid, but the ultimate goal is to create a plant which retains the best qualities from both parents. In grapes, the goal is usually to create a new variety which is resistant to disease.

The so called French hybrids are just one category of hybrid grapes. They are such named because they were created in France, largely with the intention of improving the quality of vines in a specific region. The list of French hybrids include Baco Noir, Seyval Blanc, and Vidal Blanc. 

However, the French wine industry is very conservative in nature and has placed laws against the use of hybrid grapes. Despite their unpopularity in France and Europe, these grapes have found a place at home in North America and the Midwest, with Baco Noir, Seyval Blanc, and Vidal Blanc grown throughout the Midwest and beyond.

History of Midwest Wine: Harmony

In the southwestern corner of Indiana, along the Wabash river near its mouth to the Ohio river lies the small town of New Harmony, Indiana. New Harmony is famous for the community planned by Robert Owen in 1825 that was an experiment to create a Utopia in the new world. After just a few years this experiment failed, serving as a warning to others who would attempt their hand at creating their own utopia.

But what is now known as New Harmony was first simply named Harmony. Founded in the summer of 1814, the Harmony Society moved from their Pennsylvania home (a town also called Harmony) to their selected sight on the Wabash river. These German immigrants, lacking room to expand in Pennsylvania and surrounded by neighbors who were suspicious of them, decided to move out west where they could have more land for their growing community. And with all the grape vines they planned to grow, they would need considerable land for them and other crops.

As noted last time, European grape varieties do not survive long in America where native diseases wipe out the vines in short order. Despite communicating with the vintners in Vevay and their warning to avoid European vines, the Germans were still determined to try, confident in their own skills as vine dressers and vintners. While the Harmonists had more success in Indiana growing grapes and making wine than their earlier attempts in Pennsylvania, the conditions were still inferior to those in Germany. The German immigrants received a second batch of vines from Germany, but by 1825, these and the initial bunch on 15 acres were in poor health.

While the Harmony wine makers were able to find a market up and down the Ohio river for their wine, they had far more success with their other industrial undertakings, including clothing and flour. In 1824, they left Harmony to resettle in Pennsylvania, giving up on their dream of making wine in the New World and refocusing on traditional goods. 

Today, wine making is but a distant memory in New Harmony, as the closest winery is about 40 miles to the east. But parts of the original settlement remain, as does parts of the New Harmony settlement for those wishing to view the relics to the utopian ideal.

What I'm Drinking: Oliver Winery Moscato

After drinking a couple spicy Traminettes from Easley Winery and Creekbend, I have gone to a more fruity, bright, floral wine in Oliver Winery's Moscato. While Traminette works well in a cold winter climate, the Moscato, with its tropical fruit flavors, would seem more at home relaxing outside on a warm summer day.

Oliver's Moscato, made from the grape Muscat Canelli, has a slight bubbly texture when opened. The color is clear and light, like dried summer straw. Despite being billed as a semi-sweet wine, I found it to be a quite sweet wine. Being so light colored, there were no tannins to give the wine richness. The wine has only slightly bitter taste. The alcohol level, though present, could not balance out the sweetness alone.

Muscat Canelli is known under a wide varieties of names for a simple reason: it is one of the oldest grapes used to make wine. Originating in Greece, it is quite common in Italy, where it is called Moscato (and thus where Olivery Winery takes the name from).

But despite the name, Oliver's Moscato may pair better with chicken or fish dishes with a more southwestern flare to play on its tropical undertones. 

In all, Moscato was a refreshing wine and contrasted greatly with my previous wines (link). In all, I would rate the Moscato a 75 out of 100. It is light, refreshing, and efferfescent, but a bit simple in flavors. Sweet is the dominate taste, and judging America's fondness for sweet foods (and my own), the sweetness of this wine will not turn people off.

Indiana Uplands American Viticultural Area

Much goes into making wine unique. One of the oldest held traditions is that a wine's region plays a key part in a wine's character. This is why one of the tasks of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is to define  Americal Viticultural Areas. There are over 200 AVAs defined, and as of March 7th, 2013, there will be one more AVA, the Indiana Uplands AVA. The Indiana Uplands will be the first AVA to belong solely to Indiana.

The Indiana Uplands AVA would include several counties and towns in south-central Indiana including Bloomington, Bedford, Paoli, French Lick, Tell City, and St. Meinrad. About a dozen wineries, including Oliver Winery (link), Butler Winery, and French Lick Winery are in this new AVA which stretches some 4,800 square miles with 150 acres dedicated to vineyards. The official document from the TTB details the Indiana Uplands area further.

There already exists an AVA in portions of Indiana along the Ohio River. The Ohio River Valley AVA includes parts of Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Parts of this AVA will be realigned so that those portions of Indiana that belong to the Indiana Uplands AVA will no longer be in the Ohio River Valley AVA.

During the last ice age, Eastern Canada and the Northern portion of the Midwest were covered with glaciers. These glaciers stopped between I-70 and the Ohio river, leaving the Southern portion of Indiana and Ohio untouched. This gives Indiana Uplands a unique soil characteristic along with similar rainfall and temperature zones. These factors together make the wines in this region similar enough that the TTB created the Indiana Uplands AVA.

For more on the Indiana Uplands, see the notice from Inside Indiana Business and the Appellation America's site page for Indiana Uplands (note: this page is behind a paywall). There is also the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail which further lists and details the latest AVA

Midwest Wineries

I'm currently working on a new web page for my blog with a map of each and every winery that I can find in the Midwest along with links to each winery (of those that I can find). While I'm still tweaking everything, by viewing each of the websites, I had a general impression of the wines in the Midwest.

Of the wineries, there are three distinct groups: the highly professional wineries that push their wines on a large scale to compete with other mainstream wineries for retail space in grocery stores, the professional yet local wineries which do not have the retail muscle of other wineries but which have a professional retail space, and then there's the niche wineries, the wineries that appeal to a certain subset of the wine market, such as Gravity Wines in Michigan which appears to have a bit of a geek vibe going on with its Dinosaur and Star Trek inspired bottles.

Of the wineries, I get the impression that more than half fall into the middle category: they're not large enough to warrant an extensive distribution network, but not niche enough to appeal to a small segment of the population. (Though I suppose, in a way they do, as one has to go out of there way to find bottles from these wineries.) The rest are about evenly split between large scale operations and niche wineries.

But by my brief survey of the Midwest Winery websites, the wine options appear endless: old world style, new world style, sparkling, fruit wines, and even ice wines. All said, there's a large variety available in the Midwest's roughly 630 wineries!

Zombie Wine Accessories

In honor of the new Zombie movie, Warm Bodies (which my wife and I plan to see this weekend), here's a few Zombie wine accessories.

Wine can be poured into a decanter to separate sediment if present, to make the wine look nice, or give it a chance to breath. While a special bottle isn't necessary, a Zombie Decanter would make a nice addition for the Zombie fan.

If you're like me, you could always use another wine stopper, and this gruesome Zombie Arm Wine Stopper.

If you could use a new wine bottle holder, you couldn't go wrong with this drunken Zombie Wine bottle holder on eBay. 

As always, I love wine glass charms as they're cheap little accessories and on Etsy, there's a couple of different sets, including this one with such tag lines as "Caution: Zombies at Play". This set is made from silver instead and includes such charms saying "Zombies eat Brains" and "I heart Zombies".

If you'd prefer a way to label each person's wine glass for a party, these Zombie wine glass tags () are made from paper and could be labelled with the names of party guests.

If you prefer a more permanent zombie wine accessory, etsy also has this Hand painted Zombie Wine glass, or I should say a Zombie Juice glass.

Finally, there's this bottle of Zombie Zin Zinfandel, you know, to keep in stock in case the zombie apocalypse occurs. 

History of Midwest Wine: Vevay Wine

The history of Indiana wine goes back 200 years, longer then many other places in America. As stated last time, wine in the Midwest started just south of the Ohio river in Kentucky. John James Dufour, the creative spark behind the Firstvineyard in Kentucky arranged for the purchase of land for other Swiss wine makers immigrating to escape the Napoleonic wars. In Southern Indiana, he found a location with just the right conditions and the right price for his colony. In 1802, the Swiss immigrants founded the town of Vevay and proceeded to clear the land, build houses, and plant crops and vines.

Using the same Cape grape as at Firstvineyard, the Vevay winemakers had a moderate level of success until the Panic of 1819 changed the Agriculture landscape of the Midwest. Cheap liquor flooded the market and drove Wine prices down. Many of the Swiss colonists planted fewer grapes and more cash crops. As the original colonists grew older and the work fell to the next generation who was born in America, interest in wine making waned further. The newer generation, having not grown up around the wine culture of Europe, instead choose to pursue the American dream of prosperity by planting cash crops. No one's quite certain when, but by the 1850s, wine making in Vevay and the surrounding Switzerland County was a ghost of its former glory. Shortly after, the Cape grape died out and as of today, no known vines of this grape exist.

Today, the city of Vevay celebrates its wine heritage with the Swiss Wine Festival each year on the last weekend in August. The festival includes grape stomping, various booths, a parade, River boat rides, and capes off with a fireworks show. Here, the early history of Indiana wines is celebrated and remembered for a weekend.

After over 150 years, wine making returned to Vevay, Indiana. In 1995, the Ridge Winery produced its first vintage. The Ridge Winery makes a number of Country Wines and as typical in Indiana, a number of Fruit Wines.

What I'm Drinking: Creekbend Traminette

After drinking Easley Winery's Traminette, I was won over by this hybrid grape which has gained popularity in the midwest and especially Indiana. But had I just found one bottle that I loved, or had I found an entire grape?

With that, I searched for another bottle of Traminette, which was no easy task. I lucked out and found the Easley Winery's Traminette in my local Grocery store, but there were no other bottles to be found. I finally found a couple bottles at a local wine store, Vine and Table. The first was Huber Orchard's Traminette, and though I'll have to return to try it, I opted for Creekbend's Traminette (2011 vintage). 

Creekbend is actually a sub-label of Oliver Winery, but aims at a higher end market, which is evident by its vintage bottles, 'Estate bottled' text on the label, and higher price tag. While some bottles can fetch upwards of $50 new from the winery, their bottle of Traminette is still reasonably priced at $15.

The wine has a light straw color to it. It is very clear in appearance and unclouded. The aroma has a strong hint of summer flowers. Despite it being a white wine, which I prefer in warmer months, the spice and floral aroma are a nice reminder in winter months of warmer days to come. While Easley Winerie's Traminette was certainly semi-sweet, this wine is much more on the dry side, but still retains some sweetness. 

I bought this bottle of wine to determine if my previous bottle of Traminette was indicative of the grape's style, and thankfully it is. Overall, Creekbend's Traminette is more complicated and an overall better bottle, but given its higher price point, I'd have to only rate it slightly higher at 80 out of 100.

History of Midwest Wine: Firstvineyard

The History of wine making in the North America is a story of many false starts. Shortly after Europeans settled North America, European grapes were planted in attempts to make wine. The Jamestown colony attempted to grow grapes, only to find them attacked by mildew and black rot. For the next 200 years, others tried to grow grapes in North America.

There were three main failings of these early vineyards. The first two were mildew and black rot, diseases native to North American grapes that the European varieties had no resistance too. European grapes could survive for a couple of years, but eventually mildew or black rot would find their way to the vines and decimate them.

Early settlers jumped to conclusions about North America's climate that also hindered their ability to grow grapes in the region. Climatology did not exist as a science 400 years ago. People simply looked at a map and said, "Hey, France and New England are at the same longitude, so surely New England's weather is much like France's". This assumption proved deadly for many settlers unprepared for New England winters. This also proved difficult on the warm weather vines brought over from Europe.

But, one of the first successful vineyards attempted to revolutionize North American wine making. Established in 1799 in Northern Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Indiana, Firstvineyard grew grapes and made wine from grapes that survived and were healthy in North America instead of continually trying European vines. John James Dufour and his family, who came over from Switzerland, tended this vineyard until it closed down about 15 years later. But here, at Firstvineyard, the American Wine Industry was born.

Here at Firstvineyard, the Cape grape thrived. John James Dufour bought his clippings from a vineyard on the Eastern seaboard. At the time, it was thought the Cape was a European variety that thrived in South Africa, but modern opinion holds that the Cape was a hybrid between a European variety and an American variety. Today, the only way we know what the grape looked like and tasted like is from historical documents, as this grape is extinct and has not been seen in over 100 years.

From Firstvineyard, the Dufour family went to Vevay in Indiana and started a number of vineyards there. From the birth of the American wine industry, it spread first to the Midwest before encompassing the entire country.

After 200 years, Firstvineyard has been restored on the location of the original vineyard. In 2007, the original grape terraces were rebuilt. A few months ago, a tasting room was opened at the site. Here in Nicholasville, Kentucky, the early history of American wines is being remembered and celebrated.

Know your Grapes: Traminette

Traditional wine grapes, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Pinot Noir are all old world grapes that have been cultivated and nurtured for centuries. There's a number of new world grapes which are very hardy and disease resistant and make wonderful wines, including the Concorde, Catawba and Niagra. But there is wide array of hybrid grapes that combine the traditional flavors of the old world and the hardiness of new world. Traminette is a wonderful combination, combining one of several Seyve grapes and Gewürztraminer into a hardy and flavorful white grape. First created at the University of Illinois in 1965, this young variety has in quick time won over many of the hearts of wine makers and a number of wine drinkers.

Wines made from Traminette thrive very well in the Midwest, especially in the hot summers and cold winters of Indiana, where it has been named the signature grape of the state.

In a wine, Traminette adds a floral and spicy flavor, much like Gewurztraminer. Like Gewurztraminer, Traminette best stands up to spicy and complex dishes, such as many Asian dishes or a Pork dish.

Traminette, being a white grape, is best suited to white wine styles. This means that that the grapes should have as little contact with the stems and grape skins during the fermentation process as possible. In fact, Purdue scientists determined that prolonged exposure to the skin and stems creates an unfavorable wine. Fermentation of the wine takes around 2 weeks, making for a rather quick process. The scientists also recommend adding residual sugar to the wine regardless of the style, as Traminette tends to run on the very dry side.

A far number of Indiana Wineries produce a Traminette wine. Easley Winery produces a floral, spicy variety that is reasonably priced. Oliver Wineries Creek Bend label also has a Traminette priced around $15 (which I'm sipping as I type) that has a stronger and more complex flavor that is also very tasty. This wine varietal is growing in popularity with dozens of Indiana wineries making wines from Traminette grapes.

Reusing Wine Bottles

My wife has a collection of wines that are off limits to me. She doesn't plan on ever drinking these bottles herself, she just really likes the labels on the bottles. If you, like her have a wine bottle or label you'd like to keep, but want to actually drink the wine, there are a few projects you make using old wine bottles.

One option is to make your own lamps or lights out of an old wine bottle. Such a project might require a bit of hardware and time, but can add a personal touch to decorations. However, this might not be a viable option to use if its the label of the bottle that interests you. If you don't have the foggiest idea where to get started, the book Wine Bottle Crafts might point you in the right direction.

If you want to use your old bottle as a lantern, but want to keep the label, LED bulbs can be a safe alternative, as these bulbs are cold to the touch. There are many sets of instructions online for cutting wine bottles and inserting strands of LED lights, but for my project, I used portions of a 70 bulb strand to light up three bottles.

(Here's the first bottle)

(Here's the final product. There are obvious bulbs outside of the bottles...)

(The bottles in their final location. The baskets and artificial flowers act to hide the extra bulbs. Alternatively, if your light strand allows it, remove the extra bulbs.)

If you can still find clearance Christmas lights, than it is a simple matter to pick up LED lights for this project.

If you would rather have a bigger home made project, there are many wine bottle chandelier kits' available to assemble at home. You'll have to supply the bottles, but such a light can add a unique twist to a room (and a great conversation starter).

Finally, if none of these ideas tickle your fancy, you can either place your empty bottles in a decorative wine rack, stack them on the wine rack, or do what I do and place them in a special wine bottle basket. This adds additional elegance  to the bottle and the basket.

Space Themed Wine Accessories

My wife and I have not known a time when there was not a Space Shuttle. Space holds a particular fascination as well as all things NASA. (As I write this, I'm starring at my 2003 Lego model of the International Space Station, which looks wildly different from its current configuration.) But behold my surprise to find that there's a Space Shuttle wine on Amazon.

A more fictional representation of space ship is on display in this Space Ship corkscrew bottle opener. The cokscrew portion looks like flame or plumes comig from the engine, giving the whole device an animated appearance.

Thinking of the Space Shuttle always reminds me what happened to my wife in I in February, 2003 and how we were able to brighten someone's day. Growing up, my wife had an Astronaut Cabbage Patch Doll like this one. She decided to part with it in early 2003 and listed it in late January, 2003. It sold a couple days after the Columbia disaster on February 1st, 2003. When she went to package it, she noticed the mailing address was a NASA facility in Texas. Hopefully, that doll went on to brighten a few people's days in an otherwise dark time.

What I'm Drinking: Easley Winery's Traminette

For a while now, I've been itching to try a bottle of wine made from Traminette grapes. Traminette is a unique hybrid of Gewurztraminer and a hybrid by renown biochemist Joannes Seyve. It's a white grape that has been breed to be hearty and thrives in the Midwestern climate. So much so, that Traminette is the signature wine of Indiana.

There's a number of wineries in Indiana that produce a Traminette wine due to the promotion of the grape. The first that I found to try is made by Easley Winery from Indianapolis, Indiana. Easley Winery is known more for their Reggae line of wines, but they have a large number of wines under their own label as well.

My first glass of Easley Winery's Traminette was straw colored with a strong floral aroma with a hint of grass mixed in for good measure. The wine itself is on the dryer side (at least dryer than any other wine I've tried recently), but the alcoholic content feels on the lighter than expected. The wine is more acidic than most with very little to no tannins. A bottle of Easley's Traminette runs around $8. For the price range, this is an excellent bottle with more complexity than many of the other wines I've had in this price range. Overall, I'd rate this bottle an 80 out of 100.