Sip and Learn

With over 175 years of grape growing and winemaking experience, the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail will be sharing our knowledge the weekend of May 10^th and 11^th in an extraordinary fashion.  Join us for the 2014 Sip-N-Learn Experience!

For Sip-N-Learn, each winery will be providing unique educational opportunities detailing the fine Indiana Uplands art from grapes to glass.  You’ll get the insider’s scoop on how we do it and the passion behind our wines!  So if you’re the inquisitive type or if you simply want to learn more about what it is that we do, this is the perfect weekend to visit your favorite Indiana Uplands Wine Trail wineries.

No reservations needed.  Times for all sessions will vary from winery to winery.  Check out our individual websites or give us a call and we will let you know the best time to plan your visit.  We hope to see you at the first Sip-N-Learn!  Here are some of the great sessions we have in store.

Best Vineyards Winery:  Winemaking starts in the vineyard and with wines containing upwards of 1500 natural chemical compounds, how we prune our vines has a dramatic effect on the aromas and flavors that develop in our wines.  At Best Vineyards Winery, stop by and learn all about pruning.

Brown County Winery:  To filter or not?  If so, when?  And how tight should filtration be, meaning how microscopically “tight” are we going to filter a wine?  Is filtration different for different styles of wine such as a dry red Cabernet Sauvignon or a nice and fruity Concord?  You’ll learn all the in’s and out’s of filtering from Brown County.  And yes, there is a difference between filtering a Cabernet Sauvignon and Concord.  Find out why!

Butler Winery:  Did you know the first commercial winery in the United States was launched right here in Indiana?  Owner Jim Butler and his son, John wrote the book “Indiana Wine,” so Butler Winery will be discussing the fascinating history of Indiana wines, the grapes of Indiana, and the two American Viticulture Areas within Indiana, the Indiana Uplands AVA and the Ohio Valley AVA.  Ask about the “Cape Grape” while there!

French Lick Winery:  Did you know that our sense of smell can recognize and remember over 10,000 aromas?  Did you know that wine, with over 1500 natural chemical compounds has over 100 aromas that have been identified?  Stop by French Lick as we discuss the wide world of wine aromas!  And come with a group and see if everyone recognizes the same aromas.  Considering the casino nearby, here’s a good, safe bet.  Your friends and you will discover different aromas coming from the same wine!

Huber Winery:  With the oldest vineyards in the state, the Huber’s will be discussing from “Farm to Bottle!”  Just ask about the French term “terroir” while here!  Yes, “terroir” encompasses soil type, sub-soil type, soil amelioration, slope, elevation, climate, meso-climate, micro-climate, grape variety selection and vineyard management.  Ask how the Huber’s maximize and manage all the great benefits of growing grapes at their homestead farm and how different areas on their farm are better suited for different grape varieties.  Many other topics included in Farm to Bottle.

Oliver Winery:  Learn “Winemaking 101” at Oliver Winery.  Join the Oliver production tours and see how their winemaking team takes unique varietals and turns them into extraordinary wines - and how each step in the process of winemaking has an effect on the final aromas and flavors you experience.  Ask if fermentation temperature or if yeast strains matter in determining final flavors in wine.  What role do various bacteria play in winemaking?  Could one bacteria be great for one wine but create fatal flaws for another?

Owen Valley Winery:  Ever heard the term measure twice, cut once?  The team of Owen Valley will be discussing “Chemistry” and what we have to do to behind the scenes in order to ensure we deliver for you a great bottle of wine each and every time. Skipping simple tests, taking short cuts are not part of exceptional winemaking.  This behind the scenes look at “Chemistry” will add a whole new level of understanding to what we do.

Turtle Run Winery:  “Barrels and Blending” To barrel age or not to barrel age?  Now that’s the question!  Or perhaps these are the questions… Where the oak is sourced, does that matter?  What exactly is “toast level” and how does that affect the wines?  Are barrels re-used?  If so, how many times?  How long should and can wine age in barrels?  Do different wines age for different amounts of time?  And when the wine is finished aging, could one barrel have different flavors than another?  And what decisions go into the process of blending?  Learn this and more at Turtle Run!