Happy birthday, we’re on Instagram

Bernie Parker, vineyard manager. Instagrammed with bicycle in Chardonel yellow.

It’s a shame Instagram wasn’t around when Professor Bill Oliver was hobbying away at his basement wine, or when he sold his first bottle of Camelot Mead, or when he invited dozens of thirsty Hoosiers who’d never stepped foot in a commercial winery to stomp his grapes in buckets. We’re sure his customers and tasters would have Instagrammed their long afternoons at the winery, too. All told, their Instagrams would probably resemble the photos that were actually taken with non-smart phones, called cameras. We have lots of vintage photos. We’ve scanned them, filed them on our computers, and used them in slideshows for years. Now, it’s time to join Instagram.

Oak barrels. Future homes to so many reds.

Our 40th birthday is a good reminder to keep documenting all the work we’re doing / fun we’re having here at Oliver Winery and our Creekbend Vineyard. And it’s another way of keeping up with our visitors, who Instagram all day from the Tasting Room and the gardens (We see you! Retweet! Like!).

If you want to follow us back, search for “oliverwinery” (no spaces). In the beginning, look forward to beautifully filtered images of baby grapes, summer picnics, flora, and vineyard managers in floppy hats. Things will pick up this fall, when the grapes have clustered and matured and are ready to be abra cadabra’d into that sweet (or dry) wine you’ll be drinking this time next year. Also look for contests and giveaways on Instagram — probably our Beanblossom Hard Cider, because that’s what we’re excited about right now. Cider, Instagram, and our birthday. Can we be excited about three things?

Chocolate Lovers Welcome!

Post by Paul Mui, Hospitality Director

Come and see us for Chocolate Lover’s Weekend-February 18th & 19th.

Wine and chocolate.  Individually beloved, together simply a match made in heaven.  That’s why each year over the course of four days in February known as Chocolate Lover’s Weekend on the Uplands Wine Trail, our tasting room is bustling with hundreds of guests eager to enjoy the pairing of Oliver wines and gourmet chocolates.  This Saturday and Sunday, extend your post Valentine’s Day sugar high as we offer up truffles from Indiana’s Ghyslain Chocolatier during our guided wine tasting, and a sampling of delectable hot fudge sauces from Best Boy & Co.  This Fort Wayne-based company is an amazingly charitable business, and this marks their first visit to our tasting room.  Our Sweet Treat Sale also comes to an end on Sunday, so don’t miss your chance to save big on these locally-grown, Creekebend dessert wines.  Come on out, we’ve got a spot waiting for you at the bar!

Tasty handmade chocolates and delicious dessert wines from Creekbend Vineyard- a perfect match!

 

Staff member, Don, makes sure that there are plenty of chocolates for everyone!

Dumped Dinner-A Glorious Mess You Don’t Want To Miss

Post by Jessika Hane, HR Director

When I was a kid, my family would host a wonderful culinary event called “Dump Dinner” in the summer on our back deck.

It was actually a tradition brought into the family by my Aunt Jan who married my Uncle Skip when I was in middle school. Aunt Jan brought all kinds of fun into the family; I can remember staying up late playing her crazy-fun dice game that enthralled both children and adults alike. I was thrilled to be able to stay up late and be a part of the adult conversations. (Not surprisingly, the adults enjoyed many a glass of Camelot Mead and Soft Red on those evenings, staples at our house since the late 1980’s.)

So, it was Aunt Jan who taught us all about “Dump Dinner.” It is an amazing meal, full of flavor and fun.

Delicious, delectable goodies like shrimp, sausage, new potatoes and corn were boiled together with a magical blend of seasonings into a huge pot and the resulting feast was dumped out onto a big (outdoor) dining table covered in newsprint and outfitted with sticks of butter, salt and pepper, hot sauce and LOTS of paper towels. It was unbelievable!

Did I mention that “Dump Dinner” did not require the use of utensils? This was a big score for my little brother and I. We would hunker down and devour as much as we could. Afterwards, bellies full, our faces and arms covered in a light coating of butter, we would all gather on the deck, enjoy a beverage (more wine for the adults, juice boxes for the kids) and listen to the sweet summer song of the cicadas.

It was a truly memorable experience that I often wish I could revisit.

Fast forward 20 years and I am working at Oliver Winery, helping to promote a very similar, albeit slightly more upscale, version of this glorious summer meal. (We will have bibs and maybe some silverware!)

Our first annual Seafood Boil Bash* is Friday July 8^th.  The food is going to amaze you! Our dear friends at One World Catering and Events will be providing the seafood boil. They have a cornucopia of delights prepared- shrimp, clams, mussels, crab, sausage, potatoes, corn, carrots and onions. And bread! And butter (real butter)! And hot sauce!

Each ticket includes this awesome meal, artfully dumped, I mean, displayed right in front of you on the table, two glasses of your favorite Oliver wine (I’m thinking Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonel for me) and the toe tapping tunes of local favorite Craig Brenner and the Crawdads. We will be giving VIP  tours of our production facilities  and conducting wine tastings too! Can’t you just see yourself sitting out our patio with friends…the wine…the twinkle lights…the food…the Crawdads singing in place of cicadas. What a fun night!

The porch and patio are ready-they just need you!

Tickets for this event are limited and expected to sell out prior to the event, so get yours today before it is too late. Come join us and create a memory!

Tickets are $100+tax per person. $80+tax per person for Wine Club Members (limit 4 tickets per wine club membership)

*Dump Dinner was quickly nixed as the title for the event-sorry Aunt Jan!

Creekbend Experience Night- Don’t miss out!

Post by Pam Bonin, Hospitality Director.

This year, we created a three-part event called the Creekbend Experience. Part II- Chambourcin, held on Wednesday June 9th, is right around the corner.

This event series was developed as a way for us to share the story of Creekbend Vineyard, our grapes and our winemaking philosophy.  And who better to tell the story than our talented and hardworking winemaking team!  Now, I don’t want to discredit my tasting room staff…but it’s always fun to get the winemaking and vineyard crew out from their stainless steel winemaking palace and labyrinth of vines to talk about what we do and maybe even pour a little wine!

This event is free and we still have a few spots open.  So RSVP today.  Click here for additional information on Part II that will be held on June 9^th.

Check out these photos from Part I- held in March 2010:

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!

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."