Snowy Days at Creekbend Vineyard

Post by Bernie Parker, Vineyard Manager

Unbelievable, it’s the middle of February and the vineyard is a winter wonderland after the 8 inches of snow last weekend.  It was so drifted in some areas we couldn’t get our utility vehicles down the  rows.  Our vineyard crew helped out at the winery bottling and barreling wine.  This was much appreciated by Dennis and his crew as they have been making wine and bottling almost non-stop in order to keep up with high demand.

We finally did get out to the vineyard and we were met by a strange forest of posts that you can see here.

This forest is actually part of our trellis system for the 15 acres we are planting this year.  You can see that we still have a little work to do  (some posts on the ground). These are the end posts which we put in at an a 60 degree angle for anchoring the wires.  They are 5-6 inches in diameter and 10 feet long.  They don’t always go all the way in because of limestone bedrock that can be as close as 18 inches below the surface.   Since December we have pounded almost 3000 posts.  It is quite a chore, but it makes growing vines the first year a lot easier.

Planting vines is just like putting in a garden.  My wife Katie says you need to till down a good 18 inches to prepare the soil and we do the same for our grapevines.  Before we subsoil we sample and adjust the soil chemistry so that it is grape friendly.  We also like to have our fields “equipment friendly” and we do this right from the beginning during the layout of the fields. Straight rows make it a lot easier to work on the grapevines mechanically after they are mature. We do this using a laser and long tape measures.  It prevents damage to the vines as well as the equipment. This year the row lengths are moderate, only 200 to 450 feet long.  Our longest rows were the ones that I put in when I started back in 2000, they are 620 feet long.  Those rows can take almost half a day to do canapy work by hand during the summer, hence the need for mechanical devices.

We are all excited about the coming year and I want to put  a pitch in here at the end to let people know that we are hiring our seasonal help for the vineyard to start the 1^st of April.  Click here for more information about seasonal vineyard positions.

March Gladness-Come celebrate with us!

Post by Pam Bonin, Hospitality Director

March Gladness on the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail  - March 6-7 & 13-14

Basketball fanatics have March Madness. Indiana wine lovers have March Gladness.  The clever name always brings a smile to my face because I can’t tell you how many times I’ve slipped and said “March Gladness” when talking about basketball in March.  And to think, I grew up in Indiana , playing basketball and even having the chance to play at Market Square Arena in the IHSAA Girls State Finals in 1998.  Now that I realized that there is no room in the WNBA for a 5’6’’ point guard with a ½” vertical  – I moved on to an industry that cares more about the good things in life…fine wine, gourmet eats, & good times.  That is what March Gladness on the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail is all about.

March Gladness is, in my opinion, the premiere event for the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail.  Held on March 6-7 & 13-14, a $30 ticket allows you to have access to private tours, gourmet cuisine, special wine tastings & a chance to travel the back roads of Indiana. (And I promise, you will be traveling the back roads!) Tickets are onsale at Oliver Winery and every other winery on the trail.

Once again we will be transforming our winemaking facility into a bistro-type setting. We can’t hide the fact that there are thousands of cases of wine in the warehouse and a Big Ass Fan (really, a Big Ass Fan) circulating above, but who would really want to?  It’s pretty darn cool.

Our new 2009 Creekbend Wines will be the highlight this year!  You’ll even taste a few wines that have yet to be released.  Not to mention complimentary tastes of those rare releases like Creekbend Cabernet Sauvignon & Creekbend Vidal Blanc Ice Wine.

This year, we are partnering with an established Bloomington business to cater this special event. One World Enterprises, the parent company to Lennie’s and BBC , has recently expanded to include One World Catering and Events.   Focusing on local ingredients when possible and being eco-conscious (you’ll love the irregularly shaped plates made from large, naturally fallen leaves), One World Catering has whipped up some tasty cuisine using our Creekbend wines. Here are a few “samples” of the treats we will be serving over these two weekends:

Farfalle Primavera with a Chardonel Herb Butter Sauce

A tasty platter with Indiana cheeses, dried figs and apricots.

Dennis, Bernie and Sheila enjoy a sampling of the March Gladness menu. Thanks One World Catering and Events!

I don’t want to give away all of the surprises.  You’ll have to join us.  I promise it is worth the ticket price.  Take your time and enjoy the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail.  Each winery is unique and each community has something great to offer.

Which reminds me – The Bloomington CVB is offering a winter package through March 31^st.  Click here for special discount offers for hotels and restaurants in Bloomington.  Hang out in Bloomington – “The 7^th fastest growing destination in the nation for wine & culinary enthusiasts” ~ Orbitz Travel Research.  We are so lucky to be a part of such a great Midwestern town.

Join us in March for these special weekends.  You’ll be glad you did.

JUST ADDED- Here are some photos from the first weekend of March Gladness 2010. Hope you can join us on March 13th & 14th.

VIPs enjoy wine tasting and a view of the big fan overhead in our warehouse.

Relaxing next to some of our 18,000 gallon tanks.

Tasting and talking wine with Bernie Parker-Vineyard Manager

Another reason to be a March Gladness VIP? Personalized attention!

Cooking with Cheese-Oliver Winery Staff Style

Post by Paul Mui, Staff Development Director

Cheese: a solid food prepared from the pressed curd of milk.  I know…not very enticing, is it?  How something as simple and, frankly, dull sounding as that can be one of our most beloved and versatile foods is a miracle of the gastronomic Gods.  But at a time of year when chocolate is usually front and center, the winery staff got together at the end of January to profess our love for this more dairy-based divinity…

“Cooking with” nights are a new staff tradition here at Oliver Winery.  It’s a chance for our employees, who are already family in more ways than one, to get together and share the dual passions of food and wine.  To pass recipes we love to each other, and ultimately to our customers.  Late last summer we celebrated by cooking with our wines.  The next natural step was to explore the amazing options in our cheese case.  With over twenty cheese-laden dishes on display, it was quite a sight.  A pot luck dinner on steroids!  From buttery and mild to salty and sharp.  From ooey and gooey to crumbly and dense.  Warm, cold, melted, shredded, baked, fried, sliced, marinated and even “fondued”, cheese really is the perfect ingredient.

Fun with Fondue!

Tasty Triple Mushroom Brie Soup

The dishes varied widely.  Triple Mushroom Brie Soup with our Champignon brie rounds was earthy and rich, while Spicy Tortilla Espanola layered with aged Manchego warmed the soul.  A delicious Marinated Cheese Appetizer highlighted the bold flavors of one of Vermont’s finest cheddars from Grafton Village, while southern Indiana’s own Capriole goat cheese received the royal treatment in delicate Dessert Custards with Strawberries and Red Wine Syrup.  At the end of the night we took a vote on our favorite: the winner, a Breakfast Strata w/Potatoes, Rosemary, Fontina and Cheddar.  (Recipe below) Light and airy, it’s a classic recipe that can be adapted with any number of wonderful melting cheeses, meats or vegetables.  Our 2008 Sauvignon Blanc paired beautifully with it, balancing the rich flavors.  And I know you’re thinking it, but this was breakfast strata for dinner, so wine is most definitely allowed!

Super Strata!

In the end, everyone left extremely full, and inspired to keep exploring.  So next time you’re in the tasting room, ask us what cheese we might recommend for your picnic on the grounds.  If you don’t quite finish it, and have a little leftover to take home, come back inside on your way out.  Ask us for a good recipe.  We’ve got a few options, and we love to share.

Marinated Cheese Appetizer made with Grafton Village Cheddar

Dessert Custards made with goat cheese and red wine syrup

This is the Breakfast Strata Recipe. If you would like electronic versions of any of these recipes, please email me at pmui@oliverwinery.com.

Wine+Chocolate=LOVE

Post by Jessika Hane, HR Director

The first two weekends of February are full of wine, chocolate and love in our Tasting Room! We are part of Indiana’s first wine trail, the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail and in February we set aside the first two weekends for a special promotion called  Chocolate Lovers Weekends.

Last weekend was a lot of fun and I have to think that this weekend will be amazing! What a perfect treat for your Valentine! Each customer who visits this weekend (February 13th & 14th) will not only get to enjoy our normal complimentary wine tasting and tours, they will also enjoy a free hand-painted chocolate sample from the famed Union City, Indiana chocolatier, Ghyslain.

We will also be sampling goodies from South Bend Chocolate Company and everything chocolate in the shop will be 10% off!! And we will  be pouring FREE tastings of our Vidal Blanc Ice Wine and our Late Harvest Vignoles. These two dessert wines pair beautifully with chocolate and make a sweet treat all on their own. We normally charge a small fee to taste these wines. On Saturday and Sunday, February 13th & 14th, free tastings of these special wines are our Valentine gift to you. We LOVE our customers!

Here are some photos from last weekend:

A tempting platter of hand-painted Ghyslain chocolates. Which will you choose?

Don is ready to help you sample some delicious chocolates!

Chocolate covered fruit and nuts, what a way to get your "daily allowance."

Four Plants that Shine in Winter

 

Post written by Marian Keith, Landscape Supervisor

 

While most plants have given way to the snow, ice and freezing temperatures so typical of our Indiana winters, there are some that continue to look beautiful, nasty weather notwithstanding.  Coniferous and broadleaf evergreens are a given, of course, but there is also a wealth of plants out there whose colorful foliage, interesting bark, or pleasing shapes are just the ticket on a cold, gray, February day.  Here are just a few of my favorites:

The assertive, golden starbursts of Yucca ‘Color Guard’ look just as good in January as in June.  A variegated form of a southeastern United States native, this architectural personality thrives in full sun and scoffs at heat and drought.  It looks smashing in combination with evergreens and grasses in winter, and makes a great companion to all sorts of warm-weather perennials.  Try it with Gaura lindheimeri ‘Siskiyou Pink’ and dark-leaved sedums for a truly electrifying summer display.

Red-twig dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) ‘Midwinter Fire’ seems pretty ho-hum in summer, but its green leaves drop in autumn to reveal a blaze of twigs that fade from golden-orange bases to vivid, scarlet tips.  Similar in appearance is the taller Cornus sericea ‘Cardinal’, whose bright, coral-red stems seem to glow in winter.   It is set off to great advantage against our limestone sculptures, as seen here:

Both these shrubs appreciate full sun and regular moisture, and spread slowly via stolons.  Brightest bark color occurs on young wood, so I prune about 1/3 of the twigs to the ground in spring each year to ensure a good flush of new growth for the following season.

Sedum ‘Angelina’ has received a lot of press in recent years, but despite its trendiness, I must confess that I am in love with this carefree little succulent.  Always beautiful and never ugly, it forms a politely spreading mat of brilliant, green-gold foliage, and looks excellent spilling over the edges of containers or retaining walls.  The plant is easily divided by simply digging up a chunk and planting it shallowly in its new location.  Winter doesn’t detract from its looks, and actually brings blushes of bronze and orange to the tips of the foliage.  Here it is, smiling happily through the snow in one of our punishing parking lot islands:

Very nice!