Indiana may be the last place one might think of when in pursuit of wine adventures, but it might, no, it IS my most favorite.  You see, Indiana, no matter how far I may roam, will always be home to me.

Fall, in Indiana in particular, occupies a very special, a very sacred place in my heart.  It is, in one word, magical.  Mother Nature, in all of her glory, puts on one spectacular show – one I cannot, and will do everything in my power, to not.  Ever.  Miss.  Reunited with my fall family, we take to the backroads where we can take IT in.  We frolic among the trees, play music or blast bluegrass, and of course, have ourselves a lil fall nectar.  (Sigh) Our happy place.  I was there this past October, and I am thinking that maybe my first blog post should be about where it all began.

Oliver Winery (oliverwinery.com) was opened in 1972 off Highway 37 in Bloomington, Indiana.  Hoosier-town.  I hold this little (although now it has become quite big) place very near and dear to my heart.  I always stop in to taste, or have a glass on their charming patio, or have a few glasses with friends at a picnic table situated on their lovely grounds, under the shade of tall trees, overlooking a quaint pond.  When solo or with the love of my life, Mr. Jones, my 10yr old pomeranian (whom you will most likely be hearing a lot about), Oliver’s offers pure serenity, a place to collect my thoughts, to reflect on life, and where it has taken me since my last visit home.  It is in such contrast to my hectic, noisy, non-stop life in NYC.  For this, I am extremely, EXTREMELY grateful.  And with friends, it is a place of  love and laughter and stories, and memories. So many wonderfully warm memories.

I do get nostalgic. It is where I received my first casual education, and one must never forget their roots.  However, Oliver makes some slammin’ vino.  When I first started imbibing, they were famous for their Blackberry Wine, and let me tell you, their juice has come a long, long way since then.  In my personal opinion, Oliver is responsible for ever so delicately elevating the palates of so many Hoosiers who once preferred the sweet stuff, but are now into native Indiana varietals such as Chambourcin, Chardonel, Traminette, and Vignoles.  Grown in the Creekbend Vineyards just across the highway from the winery, these wines express gentle, yet high quality winemaking, and reflect the unique character of healthy grapes ripening upon the hilltop during long, warm Indiana summers.  My friends would tell you that I am one giant wine snob with my heart in Bordeaux reds and my soul in Alsatian whites, but Oliver Winery makes damn good wine, full of quality and grace.  To me, these wines taste like home.  If ever you find yourself in the Hoosier Heartland, you must make this little piece of heaven a priority stop – you will not be disappointed.

It warms my heart to visit my sweet Oliver Winery and see just how much it has blossomed over time.  It is our first stop before venturing into the woods of the nearby National Forestry to embrace nature’s wonder, it is also the place I go to lose myself in thought, and it shall always be where it all began.  And no matter how many far away places and vineyards that I may come to explore, there is no place like home.

Cheers,

Vino Bambina

Oliver Winery

* Creekbend Noir: Oliver’s very first vintage of this dry red wine blend from Creekbend. Fitting, as this is my very first post!  75% Corot Noir and 25% Marechal Foch create a lovely fruit-forward, light-bodied wine.  Perfect for fall frolics.