Notes from the wine trail
Take a short trip to Indiana's wineries for free tastings, beautiful views and loads of country charm
At Ridge Winery just outside of Vevay, Ind., tasting room owner Greg Pavey and his wife, Traci, just finished waterproofing the deck last month, and Traci has finally potted the flowers she'd been meaning to get to.
But folks visiting the tasting room probably won't notice.
It's no slight against the Paveys' handiwork; it's just that the panoramic view of the Ohio River is what catches the eye.
Pouring the wine in the Ridge Winery tasting room is 89-year-old Mary Smith, Traci's grandmother. If she is any indication, and I have my fingers crossed that she is, Mary is pouring the fountain of youth. Because she doesn't look a day over 79.
CLOSE TO HOME
If you're a wine drinker, and we know you are, then Southeast Indiana has the perfect itinerary for you. It's close enough for a day trip, and there are four wineries eager to tempt your taste buds within just a short drive of each other.
The wineries of Southeast Indiana have banded together to promote themselves and each other, complete with a Web site, www.indianawinetrail.com. It offers tourists everything they need to know to hit each winery, including where to eat, where to stay, wineries, recreation and trip ideas.
Armed with this information, I set out on a portion of the Indiana Wine Trail.
INDIANA WINE
To prepare for the trip, I bought a couple bottles of water, packed a blanket and a map and headed west toward four of the six wineries on the wine trail for some complimentary wine tasting.
Now, before you scoff at the idea of an Indiana wine trail and sniff that it's no Napa Valley, or even the Finger Lakes region for that matter, let the taste of Sweet Harvest roll over your tongue. Then think about this: Southeast Indiana, specifically Switzerland County, is considered the birthplace of the American wine industry.
Why? Because it's the site of the first successful winery in the U.S.
Put that in your glass and swirl it.
MORE THAN WINE
After leaving the Ridge Winery and the view of the Ohio River with two bottles, I headed out on the scenic byway Ind. 56 toward Madison. In the little community of Madison, a pocket of three wineries dots the landscape.
You'll also find a quaint little downtown with shops and restaurants and Clifty Falls State Park just west of the town of 12,000.
My first stop in Madison was Madison Vineyards Estate Winery, the only winery on my small tour that featured vineyards.
At Madison Vineyards, the top dog is actually Black Dog, a sweet, rustic red wine named for the winemaker's two (now deceased) squat dogs, Burt and Hobbs. The wine is a tribute to Burt and Hobbs' hard work in chasing out the birds during past harvests.
I got a glass of Black Dog with some cheese and crackers and spent an hour overlooking the vineyard.
TWO MORE VINEYARDS
Lanthier Winery and the Thomas Family Winery are located within blocks of each other, and both are within walking distance of downtown Madison.
Lanthier Winery, Madison's oldest winery, is filled with paths and garden sculptures outside and walls and walls of bottles of wine inside, just below Lanthier's loft art gallery.
To finish off your trip, I suggest calling it a day at the Thomas Family Winery, where on Saturday nights the live music doesn't stop until well into the night.
Owner Steve Thomas and his wife, Elizabeth, are hoping that the push of Southeast Indiana's wineries will bring more tourists to their 1850s carriage house.
That and the prospect of delicious wine.
TO RIDGE WINERY
• I-71 south toward Louisville
• Take Ky. 14 toward Verona
• Bear left onto U.S. 42
• Turn left onto Ky. 1188, which becomes Ind. 101
• Bear left onto Ind. 156
TO MADISON FROM THE RIDGE WINERY
• Take Ind. 156 west.
• Ind. 156 turns into Ind. 56
• Follow Ind. 56 into Madison
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DAVID SORCHER | CIN WEEKLY
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Tasting Room owner Traci Pavey samples out wines from her uncle's vineyards at the Ridge Winery in Vevay. |
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Indiana 156 runs through part of Indiana wine country. |
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Chris Lanthier, owner of the Lanthier Winery in Madison, Ind. is ready to pour you a glass of wine. |
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You'll need these things:
• Cell phone and charger
• Bottles of water
• Beef jerky
• Maps
• iPod or CDs
• Blanket for emergency picnic
• Jumper cables
Foods to avoid while driving:
• Pitas of any sort
• Baked potatoes
• Salads
• Ice cream served with a spoon
• Loaded anything (burritos, chili-dogs, fries)
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