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BY JANE AMMESON
Times Correspondent | Wednesday, August 06, 2008 | (1 comment(s))
When most beer and wine and even whiskey were still being made at home, Swiss immigrants, who had migrated to the rolling hills along the meandering Ohio River, opened the first commercial winery in the country in 1801 near Vevay, Ind. Though the original winery is long gone, the landscape of Indiana is dotted with wineries.
"Our state has a long and rich history in the art of winemaking," says Jen Schmits Thomas, a spokeswoman for Indiana Tourism, which has developed an Indiana Wine Trail for those who would like to follow the grape (and in some cases the fruit) along winding country roads throughout the state.
"The types of wine made at Indiana wineries are extremely diverse, as is the atmosphere at the individual wineries," Schmits Thomas says.
"More than 30 wineries can be found in all corners of the state and in all types of structures and settings. They include an 1891 barn in Chateau Pomije in Guilford, 40 minutes from Cincinnati, the Easley Winery in the heart of downtown Indy and the 155-acre Huber Orchard, Winery and Vineyard in Starlight, 20 minutes northwest of Louisville and adjacent to an orchard and U-pick farm."
While the majority of the state's wineries are farther south, six wineries are spread across northern Indiana including Anderson's Orchard & Winery in Valparaiso.
"We offer 21 different varieties of wine, all of which are made here," says Cindy Cashmer at Anderson.
The winery produces a large variety of fruit wines including several apple wines, a sweet wine called Golden Harvest and a crisp Dry Hard Cider. When the weather is nice, visitors are invited to bring their lunch and sit in the winery's sculpture garden and enjoy a glass of wine.
Larry and Connie Pampel were offered their dream place, an 1886 white farmhouse with a wraparound porch in Monticello. But it came with one condition: the couple had to take the 25-year-old white horse that lived there. They said yes and opened the Whyte Horse Winery, which sells handcrafted wines including a Traminette, their best-selling wine and described as a hybrid of Gewurztraminer with classic spicy aromatics with peach, eucalyptus and slight apricot fruit.
They also offer several fruit wines including a blackberry dessert wine and a cherry wine.
Fruit wines also are being made by Gateway Cellar Wineries, part of the Wine Cellar Supply in Goshen. They offer a Green Apple Gewurztraminer, a Raspberry White Zinfandel and Calypso Bianco, made with tropical fruits among others.
Also available are wine- and beer-making supplies as well as recipes for making such items as kiwi fruit wine and peach wine.
Visitors can get wine by the glass as well as cheese and crackers at the Oak Hill Wineries in Converse, between Kokomo and Marion. The winery, which makes its wines from both grapes and fruit in an 1895 carriage house, is open only on the weekends until June 1.
Carole's Sautéed Mushrooms
2 pounds button or wild mushrooms, washed
8 tablespoons butter, sliced pieces
1/2 cup Chardonnay or other dry white wine
* Clean mushrooms, remove stems and save. You may slice large mushrooms or use small ones whole.
* Melt butter in a large sauté pan.
* Sauté caps and stems in butter for 10 minutes.
* Add wine and sauté 10 minutes longer.
* Season with salt and pepper (optional).
Makes 4 servings.
SOURCE: Lemon Creek Winery in Baroda, Mich.
Grape Leaf Wrapped Salmon
1 teaspoon citrus pepper blend
20 to 24 grape leaves, brined
6 tablespoons butter, melted
4 salmon filets (7 ounces each)
* Arrange four to six grape leaves in a large circle, edges overlapping; brush with melted butter.
* Place one salmon fillet in the center of the grape leaves and sprinkle lightly with the citrus blend.
* Wrap each salmon fillet with the outer edge of the grape leaves and brush again with melted butter.
* Place on a baking sheet and cook at 425 degrees for approximately 15 minutes.
* Serve with Hollandaise sauce, rice pilaf and fresh vegetable.
Makes 4 servings.
SOURCE: Tabor Hill Winery in Baroda, Mich.
Curried Squash Soup
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups chopped yellow onions
4 teaspoons curry powder
2 medium butternut squash (about 3 pounds)
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup Round Barn Apple Demi-Sec
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
* Melt butter and add onions and curry powder. Cook, covered, over low heat until onions are tender.
* Peel squash, scrape out seeds, chop the flesh.
* Pour stock in, add squash and apples and bring to boil.
* Reduce to simmer partially covered until squash and apples are tender, about 25 minutes.
* Pour soup through a strainer, reserving liquid, and put solids in food processor.
* Add 1 cup of reserved stock and process.
* Return to pot and add wine and additional 2 cups of reserved liquid.
* Season and simmer to heat through.
Makes 4 servings.
SOURCE: Round Barn Winery in Baroda, Mich.
Eva's Whitefish with Lemon Caper Wine Sauce
24 ounces whitefish fillets
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
For the sauce:
1/3 cup capers, drained
1/2 cup St. Julian Simply White
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
* Mix flour, salt and pepper in pie plate or shallow pan.
* Coat fish on both sides. Heat olive oil in large skillet on medium heat.
* Add fish fillets and cook on both sides until lightly browned.
* Transfer the fish to a platter and cover with foil.
* In a small skillet, put the wine, capers, butter, lemon juice, parsley and thyme.
* Cook over medium heat until liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
* Spoon sauce over fish and serve with rice pilaf or potatoes.
Makes 4 servings.
SOURCE: St. Julian's Winery in Paw Paw, Mich.
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Wine lover wrote on Aug 7, 2008 8:23 AM: