Uplands Wine Trail Grand Prizes to be Awarded at Vintage Wine Festival in Indy

FRENCH LICK - The Indiana Uplands Wine Trail (IUWT) is rewarding their customers this past year with their prize drawing to be held during the Vintage Indiana Wine Festival. The festival is held annually at Military Park in downtown Indianapolis the first Saturday in June and this year the festival is on Saturday, June 5, 2010.

All nine wineries will be attending the festival and offering free tastes of their award-winning wines. Grand prizes include an amethyst necklace created by Hinshaw Rocks and Gems of French Lick and several overnight lodging and dinner packages. In addition to the Passport Program the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail also hosts five other annual events in February, March, April, May and November through January.

Now comprised of nine wineries - Brown County, Butler, Oliver, Carousel, French Lick, Winzerwald, Turtle Run, Best and Huber - the Uplands Wine Trail was formed in 2003 as the first wine trail in the state. Visit www.IndianaUplands.com for links to individual wineries and their event schedules for the summer season.

SOUTHERN INDIANA-April is the perfect time to enjoy a "Toast to Spring" weekend on the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail! Now in its eighth year, this ever popular event will be held April 17-18, 2010 and best of all - its absolutely free. Each winery on the trail will offer suggested pairings of the finest Uplands wines with savory cheeses. With everything from aged Cheddar & Havarti to Chocolate and Morel & Leek Jack --- this event is a must for every cheese and wine lover.

Featured this year is Indiana's new signature wine "Traminette". A hybrid of Gewurztraminer and a French-American Seyve grape, this grape yields a variety of styles of wine from dry to dessert and has floral aromas and flavors of orange, spice and honey. Toast to Spring allows you to become familiar with this versatile grape grown in Indiana as well as a host of cheeses to not only taste, but many wineries also offer them for sale to take home.

Touring southern Indiana and viewing Spring in bloom with dogwoods, eastern redbud, and daffodils is a great way to relax and unwind from a long winter indoors. Comprised of nine wineries - Winzerwald, Turtle Run, Oliver, Huber, French Lick, Carousel, Butler, Brown County and Best Vineyards - the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail (IUWT) was the first wine trail formed in Indiana in 2003. All of the wineries offer wine tasting, and many offer a delicious assortment of gourmet picnic foods, wine related gifts and cellar tours.

While enjoying Toast to Spring, participants may also complete the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail passport program and receive a picnic blanket as well as entry into the grand prize drawing to be held at the 2010 Vintage Indiana Wine Festival in downtown Indianapolis on June 5.

Visit www.indianauplands.com for winery hours and information.

Fill Yourself with March Gladness on the Uplands Wine Trail

SOUTHERN INDIANA-Indiana's favorite wine trail event is here! With basketball fever in the air and Winter's chill mixing with the first signs of Spring, the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail (IUWT) is bringing back its most popular event. Now in its fourth year, the March Gladness food extravaganza promises another four days of food and fun. During the weekends of March 6-7 and 13-14, the IUWT allows visitors to experience the wine trail VIP style with behind-the-scenes tours and tastings, gourmet hors d'oeuvres and desserts, and special vintage wines. Now in its seventh year, the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail is comprised of nine wineries-Huber, Best, Turtle Run, Winzerwald, French Lick, Carousel, Oliver, Butler and Brown County.

The basketball theme pervades this year's popular food and wine event....Carousel Winery owner Sue Wilson says, "We're Just Going to have a Ball at Carousel" during March Gladness and Winzerwald Winery owner Dan Adams announces that "We've Got Balls!" at Winzerwald during March Gladness because all the foods served will be in mini-ball shapes and mini-ball keepsakes will be given to each ticket holder.

Tickets are available at any winery along the trail for only $30. March Gladness tickets may also be used in conjunction with the IUWT's ever-popular Passport program. Receive a free picnic blanket upon completion of the trail and you are automatically entered into the grand prize drawings for Indiana designed amethyst & silver jewelry & overnight hotel packages at the Vintage Indiana Festival in downtown Indianapolis, June 5, 2010.

All IUWT wineries from Bloomington south to I-64 will pair a wide array of wines with great foods:

Huber Winery will feature Rigatoni with Caramelized Cherry Tomatoes and Italian Sausage infused with Starlight White served with Garlic Bread and a Spinach Craisin Salad topped with red onions, feta cheese, croutons, and a raspberry vinaigrette made from Raspberry Infusion. A Gourmet Cheese Dish plated with Huber's favorite cheese selections, fruit, and crackers will also be available for those craving a lighter fare!

Best Winery & Vineyards will dish up Stuffed Mushrooms drizzled with a Red Wine Reduction, Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli Florets and Penne Pasta, along with New York style Cheesecake with a fruit topping and Red Raspberry or Strawberry Flame Wine Sauce.

Turtle Run Winery will be warming you up with four chilis including the owner Jim's Chili, 3-Way Chili, White Chili and a Vegetarian Chili. Pasta will be served on the side along with a special dessert.

Winzerwald Winery says: "We've Got Balls!" and will be serving Mini Brie Cheese Balls with Seven Grain Crackers, Melon Balls with fresh Raspberries and Blueberries, Italian Meatball & Fresh Spinach Soup with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, & Mini-Sorbet balls all served in the wine cellar with a free thank-you gift.

French Lick Winery will be offering up tastes from their on-site Italian Restaurant including their famous Lasagna and Fresh Garlic Bread along with delicious French Lick Wine Cake for dessert.

Carousel Winery is "Just Havin' a Ball!" and will treat your to Egg Balls - A Gourmet Twist on Deviled Eggs topped with tantalizing fillings; Meatballs in a Sweet & Tangy Chili sauce; Veggie Balls - Greek Style Balls of Brown Rice, Roasted Garlic & Herbs rolled in Grape Leaves; and Puff Balls - Mini Cream Puffs stuffed with a variety of fillings. 'TWO COOKIN' SISTERS' Food Co. will be sampling Indiana Salsa's & Jams - Mar. 6/7 only.

Oliver Winery will be offering Local Baby Greens with Traminette Vinaigrette; Farfalle Primavera, Spring Veggies, Chardonel Herb Butter Sauce with Grated Parm and Baguette; Chambourcin Braised Fisher Farms Sausage & Meatballs; and Dark Chocolate Mousse or Flourless Chocolate Cake with ice wine macerated berries.

Butler Winery will be highlighting their Black Currant wine with Meatballs in a Black Currant Barbeque Sauce, Vegetarian Pasta with Zante currants, and Chocolate dessert with Black Currant wine sauce.

Brown County Winery will serve Spring Greens with White Wine Vinaigrette, White Wine Gypsy Soup and Assorted Crackers, Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry Apple Wine Sauce, and Shortbread with Assorted Chocolates paired with Black Raspberry Encore.

Chocolate Lover's Weekends on the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail

FRENCH LICK - The Indiana Uplands Wine Trail (IUWT) is enticing chocolate lovers to bring their sweethearts to the wineries this month. The nine wineries will be offering four days of free chocolate and wine tastings to celebrate Valentine's Day. 2010 marks five years of offering chocolate and wine during February at the wineries along the Uplands Wine Trail which reaches from Bloomington on the north to the I-64 corridor on the south. The event attracts both enophiles and chocophiles alike. The best part is the event is absolutely free.

During the weekends of February 6-7 and 13-14 each winery along the trail will pair their wines with delectable chocolate treats. Dan Adams of Winzerwald Winery says the event is so popular that even snowy days during last year's event did not hurt attendance. "It's a really fun weekend, whether with a group of friends or as a romantic getaway. Combined with an overnight stay at an area cabin or B&B it's a sure cure for the winter blues," Adams says.

Some of the offerings along the south leg of the wine trail will be Winzerwald Winery featuring famous Scharffen Berger premium semi-sweet & bittersweet chocolate with exotic flavors such as dried cherries & black pepper, tropical pineapple & sea salt, pistachio & paprika and strawberry malted milk crumbles & crystallized ginger. French Lick Winery is featuring fresh baked brownies including red Zinfandel and killer mud fudge. Turtle Run Winery will be pairing their wines with white, dark, milk and raspberry infused turtles. Huber Winery is serving locally made Schimpff's Confectionery milk, dark and raspberry chocolate hearts, white chocolate cherubs and milk chocolate caramels.

Along the northern portion of the wine trail you can find Oliver Winery serving Indiana chocolatier Ghyslain vanilla fans, purple rain and caramel ovals along with chocolate covered cherries, blueberries and almonds from the South Bend Chocolate Company. Brown County Winery will be offering chocolate pecan crunches and a gift of chocolate valentine M&M's. Butler Winery will be pairing an array of dark, cherry cordial, cr?me & cookie and chocolate meltaway kisses along with Dove chocolates and brownies with their estate grown wines. Carousel Winery will be serving port wine in dark chocolate tasting cups and fruit wines in white chocolate tasting cups.

Now comprised of nine wineries - Brown County, Butler, Oliver, Carousel, French Lick, Winzerwald, Turtle Run, Best and Huber - the Uplands Wine Trail was formed in 2003. Visit www.IndianaUplands.com for links to individual wineries and their event schedules. Tickets are also now on sale at the wineries for "March Gladness" March 6-7 and 13-14 the most popular of Wine Trail events pairing wines with a host of foods from entrees to desserts in a VIP atmosphere. ###

July 20, 2009

Contact: Kim Doty, President
Indiana Uplands Wine Trail (IUWT)
888-494-6380
Indiana Uplands Announces Addition of Best Vineyards Winery

FRENCH LICK, IN-Indiana Uplands Wine Trail expands with addition of Best Vineyards Winery of Elizabeth, IN. As of June 8, 2009, Best Vineyards Winery has participated in the 2009-2010 Uplands passport program and in the upcoming events, Winter in the Uplands, Chocolate Lover's Weekends, March Gladness and Toast to Spring.

"Best Vineyards Winery is extremely honored to be accepted into the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail (IUWT) and Grape Growers COOP", said Wilbert Best, owner and vintner.

"The IUWT mission is to produce high quality wines from grapes grown in this area and I am extremely pleased that our wines express the unique characteristics of the Uplands."

The IUWT is the first wine trail and grape growers coop in Indiana and is presently comprised of Butler, Brown County, Carousel, French Lick, Huber, Oliver, Turtle Run and Winzerwald wineries. The Indiana Uplands are located in south central Indiana, running from the Monroe County/Morgan County line north of Bloomington, south to the Ohio River, a distance of roughly 110 miles. The Uplands are the remnants of an unglaciated plateau. This is reflected today in the topography, soil types and natural plant communities found in the area. Climatic data also illustrates that the Uplands are unique from surrounding areas resulting in wines of distinctly different character.

"We are proud to include Best Vineyards Winery in the Uplands Trail. Wilbert Best, owner of the winery, has worked very hard to produce quality wines from his vineyard and offers a cozy relaxed atmosphere to enjoy his winery. Best Vineyards is a welcome addition to the trail." said Kim Doty, French Lick Winery, and President of the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail.

Check out www.IndianaUplands.com for links to individual wineries and their event schedules.